£5.99 wasted on every ATM withdrawal in travel hotspots

British travellers are wasting an average of £5.99 on charges imposed by some debit card providers every time they make an ATM withdrawal in the most popular foreign destinations.

Research from Norwich & Peterborough Building Society (N&P) shows that customers visiting the top 10 travel hot spots last year took out an average of £126.02 every ATM visit.
 
N&P's Gold Classic and Gold Light Visa debit cards are fee-free so customers pay no charges for spending abroad, but other card providers would charge as much as £5.99 for that size of withdrawal.
 
The average amount taken out per ATM visit in the top 10 countries varies from £99.43 in New Zealand to £162.77 in Thailand, with the average equivalent charge per withdrawal varying from £4.83 to £7.73.

Ewan Edwards, N&P's Head of Current Accounts, said: "We are just starting to hit the traditional holiday season and families need to think carefully about how they plan their spending.
 
"Choosing a debit card that provides free use abroad will take away the concern about what extra fees they could be hit with during their trip.
 
"Spain was the country where our customers made most withdrawals last year and they would have faced paying up to £5.99 for the average withdrawal there had they not used a fee-free card. Among the most popular destinations, visitors to Thailand should be most wary - on average, customers there would pay £7.73 in fees for the average withdrawal with some cards."
 
As well as free debit card use abroad, N&P Gold Classic current account customers receive a range of benefits at no cost, including access to exclusive savings products with preferential rates, Sentinel Gold cover and discounted share dealing costs as long as at least £500 is paid in to the account every month. New customers also benefit from a six-month interest free £250 overdraft limit.
 
N&P's Gold Light current account is available for customers who are not able to pay in £500 every month but still want free debit card use abroad, on condition of at least five transactions being made each month.

For more information, visit nandp.co.uk.