Getting Australian Dollars for Your Trip
Australia remains a dream destination for British travellers, offering incredible natural wonders, vibrant cities, unique wildlife, and a laid-back lifestyle. From the Sydney Opera House to the Great Barrier Reef and the vast Outback, Australia delivers once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
The Australian Dollar (A$ or AUD) is the sole currency. The excellent news for travellers is that Australia is one of the world's most card-friendly countries - many Aussies rarely carry cash at all. With the right travel card, you can explore Australia with virtually no cash.
Key insight for 2026: Australia has embraced cashless payments to an extreme degree. Even small businesses, markets, and food trucks accept cards. Many places actively prefer tap-to-pay over cash. However, be prepared for a high cost of living - prices are significantly higher than the UK.
Best Ways to Get Australian Dollars
- Fee-free travel cards (Wise, Revolut) - Best option by far. Pay by card everywhere at real exchange rates. Minimal cash needed.
- Australian bank ATMs - Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, ANZ, NAB don't charge foreign card fees. Use with your fee-free card.
- Online currency order - If you want cash, order AUD online. Better rates than high street bureaux.
- UK bureau de change - Poor rates for Australian Dollars. Avoid if possible.
- Australian airport exchange - Travelex at Sydney/Melbourne airports has poor rates. Use ATMs instead.
Using Cards in Australia
Australia is a cashless paradise:
Where Cards Work (Almost Everywhere!)
- Restaurants and cafes - All accept cards, many prefer them
- Supermarkets - Woolworths, Coles, ALDI all card-friendly
- Public transport - Opal (Sydney), Myki (Melbourne), Go Card (Brisbane) can be linked to cards
- Food trucks and markets - Even small vendors accept card/tap
- Taxis and Uber - All card-based
- Hotels and accommodation - Cards universal
- Attractions and tours - All accept cards
Where You Might Need Cash
- Very remote Outback - Some tiny towns may have limited EFTPOS
- Small independent B&Bs - Occasional cash preferences
- Garage sales / private sellers - Obviously cash
- Tips - If you want to tip (not expected)
Apple Pay and Google Pay work excellently in Australia - perhaps better than anywhere else in the world.
ATMs in Australia
Great news: In 2017, Australia's "Big Four" banks abolished foreign ATM fees.
Fee-Free Bank ATMs
- Commonwealth Bank (CommBank) - Yellow, most widespread
- Westpac - Red, good coverage
- ANZ - Blue, nationwide
- NAB (National Australia Bank) - Red/black, good coverage
ATMs to Avoid
- Independent/non-bank ATMs - May still charge A$2-3 fees
- Casino and bar ATMs - Often have fees
With a fee-free travel card and fee-free Australian ATMs, you pay absolutely nothing to withdraw cash in Australia.
Cost of Living: Budget Tips
Australia is expensive. Here's what to expect:
- Coffee - A$5-7 (£2.50-3.50) for a flat white
- Casual meal - A$20-40 (£10-20)
- Restaurant dinner - A$50-100+ (£25-50+)
- Beer at a pub - A$10-14 (£5-7)
- Hostel dorm - A$40-60 (£20-30) per night
- Mid-range hotel - A$150-250 (£75-125) per night
- Public transport - A$5-20 (£2.50-10) per journey
Money-Saving Tips
- BYO restaurants - Bring your own wine to save significantly
- Happy hours - Many bars have cheap drinks 4-6pm
- Supermarket meals - Woolworths and Coles have good ready meals
- Free BBQs - Public electric BBQs in parks are free to use
- Free attractions - Many beaches, parks, and some museums are free
Tipping in Australia
Tipping is not expected in Australia:
- Restaurants - Not expected. Leaving 10% for exceptional service is generous but unusual.
- Cafes - No tip expected
- Taxis/Uber - No tip expected, maybe round up
- Hotels - No tip expected
- Bars - "Keep the change" occasionally, but not expected
Australian minimum wage is high, so service workers don't rely on tips as in the US. Save your money!
Best Exchange Options for AUD
Top providers by category:
Travel Money Oz
Competitive rates, branches in major cities and airports.
Commonwealth Bank
Largest bank, ATMs everywhere. Good foreign card acceptance.
Westpac/ANZ
Major banks with wide ATM coverage.
UAE Exchange
Good rates in shopping centres. No commission.
Airport Travelex
Very poor rates. Use ATM or city exchange.
Compare AUD Exchange Rates
See what you'd receive from providers local to you
Frequently Asked Questions
Australia runs on tap-to-pay: many places prefer it to cash, and transport cards such as Opal, Myki and Go Card can be linked to your own card. So a travel card that charges no fees and converts at the real exchange rate does nearly all the work, and for notes you can use a Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, ANZ or NAB machine, none of which add a fee for foreign cards.
Very little. Australia is among the most card-friendly countries anywhere, and even food trucks, market stalls and small businesses take tap payments, with Apple Pay and Google Pay working well. Keep a small amount for tiny Outback towns with limited EFTPOS, the occasional independent B&B that prefers cash, and garage sales or private sellers.
The Big Four banks scrapped their foreign ATM fees in 2017, so Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, ANZ and NAB machines do not charge a UK card to withdraw. Independent non-bank machines can still add A$2-3 and casino or bar ATMs often carry fees, so stick to bank-branded ones and pair them with a fee-free travel card to pay nothing at all.
You will not need much, and UK bureaux de change give poor rates for Australian Dollars. If you do want some notes on arrival, ordering AUD online gets a better rate than the high street. Skip the Travelex desks at Sydney and Melbourne airports, which also have poor rates, and use a bank ATM instead.
Yes, the cost of living is high and prices sit well above UK levels: expect roughly A$5-7 for a flat white, A$20-40 for a casual meal and A$50-100 or more for a restaurant dinner. Bring-your-own-wine restaurants, happy hours, supermarket ready meals and the free electric barbecues in public parks all help stretch a budget.
No. Tipping is not expected in Australia, because service staff earn a high minimum wage and do not depend on it. A 10% tip for outstanding restaurant service is seen as generous but is rare, cafes and hotels expect nothing, and at most you might round up a taxi fare or let a bartender keep the change.
Nearby Destinations
Planning to visit multiple countries? Check out exchange guides for nearby destinations:
New Zealand
Indonesia
Singapore
Japan