Travel & international payments

• Don't forget to buy travel insurance before you leave. You can also check your credit cards in case you are entitled to complimentary credit card insurance.
• Keep copies of important documents, such as passports, visas, card and phone numbers separate. Give them to someone at home or securely store them digitally for quick access in case they are stolen, lost or misplaced.
• Always have a small amount of local currency with you when you travel, some merchants may only accept cash. 
• Don't carry too much cash on you - pickpockets are everywhere!

Nobody wants to think about a holiday hiccup, but peace of mind from travel insurance is worth having. It helps protect against a range of unforeseen incidents, like cancellations, delays or medical expenses that may arise while you’re away. We’ve partnered with leading insurer, Cover-More to help you get covered iif you need it, otherwise if you pay for at least $500 of your travel costs using a Bendigo Platinum Rewards, Qantas Platinum or Bendigo Ready Credit Card, you may be entitled to complementary purchase protection, extended warranty and travel insurance already.

In many countries, a cup of coffee or short taxi ride may only be possible with local currency. So, wherever you're going, it's always good to have some of the local currency when you arrive.

But remember, if you lose your cash it's gone forever. It's a good idea to have several different options available when you're travelling. You may like to consider one of our credit cards. 

Let us know when and where you’re travelling before you leave so we know your card is safe.

If you’re travelling with more than one card, keep them separate so if one is lost or stolen, you'll still have access to the other card. You could also consider adding them to your digital wallet on your smart phone or watch.

When you’re shopping overseas with an Australian credit or debit card sometimes you get the option to pay in Australian Dollars instead of the local currency. It's wise to pay in local currency as poor exchange rates for these transactions mean you may pay more.

The Cash Passport™ Platinum Mastercard® lets you lock your exchange rate when you load so you can spend in the local currency and not worry about fluctuating exchange rates.

When using your Bendigo Bank debit or credit Mastercard^® overseas you may be charged a fee for each ATM withdrawal you make on top of the conversion rate. A fee is usually charged on all cash advances and for some cards on retail purchase transactions made in currencies other than Australian dollars.

Some cards, such as our pre-paid travel card or the Bendigo Ready credit card, have $0 international transaction fees so you may wish to consider these as options for spending while overseas.

You should check and understand these fees for your cards before travelling.

Before you travel, please be aware that card transaction services are prohibited in the following extreme high-risk countries.

• Belarus
• Cuba
• Iran (Islamic Republic of)
• Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of)
• Myanmar
• Russian Federation
• Syrian Arab Republic
• Ukraine*
• Venezuela (Bolivian Republic of)

^*Specific regions within Ukraine are prohibited – Crimea, Sevastopol, Donetsk, Luhansk