Tool
ATM fee optimiser
Most UK ATMs are free for UK bank cards. Foreign and pre-loaded travel cards face a different picture — the spread depends on the machine (LINK vs Euronet), your card type and where you tap. This calculator works out the real cost and suggests the best network to target.
Reference: LINK scheme ATM locator (UK); Link Scheme published interchange 2024 update; typical issuer FX margin for Revolut/Wise 0–0.5% weekday, 0.5–2% weekend.
What this solves
Tourists tend to use the nearest ATM — often a standalone Euronet on a high street or in a station forecourt. Euronet routinely applies a "customer fee" of £1.99–£2.99 on top of your bank's FX margin, and it will sometimes split the withdrawal into £40 chunks to multiply that fee. This tool shows the difference between chasing the nearest cash and walking five minutes to a supermarket ATM.
How to read the result
- Fee per withdrawal = LINK (or supermarket) machine fee plus your bank's own FX margin. Travel cards usually waive the LINK fee if you're inside the published allowance.
- FX margin is the real cost — Revolut Standard is 0% up to a threshold then a small percentage; Wise is 0.4–0.6% weekday; weekend surcharge may double it. Home-bank debit cards run 1.5–3%.
- Best machine: supermarket ATMs (Tesco, Sainsbury's, Lloyds, Halifax, Santander, RBS branches) are nearly always free for UK cards; for foreign cards pick a major-bank branch ATM and avoid Euronet.
Limitations
- This does not model your bank's monthly free-withdrawal cap (a few UK banks charge from the 5th foreign ATM use per month).
- Some machines dispense in fixed chunks (£10/£20) — over-withdrawing to avoid a fee may not be possible.
- It does not model dynamic currency conversion (DCC) — always choose to be charged in GBP, not your home currency.
- Cash-app withdrawals (Cash App, Venmo) are not supported by most UK ATMs.
FAQ
Do all UK ATMs charge fees?
Most do not. The UK's LINK scheme covers 70,000+ ATMs and the surcharge is paid by the issuer, not the customer — for a UK bank card. Foreign cards get a different pricing.
Can Revolut / Wise use any UK ATM?
Yes, technically — but avoid Euronet and other "independent" machines. Starling, Wise and Revolut Standard add 0%–1.5% FX during the week and a small surcharge at weekends. Revolut free allowance is £200/month by default; Wise is £200/month on the standard tier.
Is £200 cash enough for one week in London?
For cash-only situations like the occasional market stall, ice-cream van or seaside fish & chips, yes. Anything you'd normally tap contactless for should stay on card, contactless payment rate in 2024–2026 is the highest it's ever been.
Where are the densest tourist ATM traps?
Outside mainline rail stations (King's Cross, Paddington, Euston, Liverpool Street), the Leicester Square / Oxford Street stretch, and inside many shopping-centre food courts. The visible "Cash" or "ATM" stickers on machines at £1.99 fee are nearly always Euronet.
Sources
- LINK Scheme — ATM coverage statistics and customer fee rules, 2024.
- Revolut and Wise published fee schedules for Standard tiers, 2024–2025.
- Which? — UK cash withdrawals and ATM fee survey, 2024.