Martin Lewis warns anyone going to Europe over ‘expensive card mistake’ at ATM(Image: Getty Images)
Martin Lewis has issued a warning to British holidaymakers heading to Europe this summer.
He said a small card mistake that could end up costing them more than they realise when withdrawing cash or paying abroad.
The issue comes down to a simple on-screen choice many people click without thinking, even though it can affect the exchange rate they actually get.
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Martin Lewis has highlighted the problem in a clip from his podcast shared on TikTok, saying travellers often don’t realise they are handing control of the conversion rate to overseas machines or shops.
He says that one small decision at the checkout or ATM can quietly make a difference across an entire trip, especially when cards are used regularly for spending.
Martin explained that when you are asked whether to pay in pounds or the local currency, the answer is always the same.
“When you go abroad and you pay on plastic and the overseas cash machine or shop asks you, do you want to pay in pounds or euros, what do you do?” he said.
“The correct answer is you should always pay in euros, or whatever the local currency is, because that means it’s your plastic that’s doing the exchange rate conversion, not the overseas shop or ATM.”
He added that even standard UK cards often still work out better overall than letting foreign machines set the rate themselves.
“Even a bog-standard UK credit or debit card… is beating most overseas ATMs or shops’ exchange rates,” he said, based on his testing.
His advice is simple: stick with the local currency every time, whether that is euros, dollars, or even dong when travelling further afield.
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