This wiki breaks down all the credit and debit cards available in Australia that don't charge you international fees.

This wiki is contributed by the public, therefore its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. You need to perform your own checks on the specific banks websites by reading their up to date terms and conditions.

See if the bank you choose invests its money in fossil fuels at Marketforces here

Visa and Mastercard are the payment networks which allows banks to process credit and debit cards transactions. So even though your bank is the card issuer (which is linked to a local bank account), Visa and Mastercard allow them to use their networks for the payments to happen.

Mastercard is more popular in Australia due to its discounts, specials and rewards; however, Visa is the largest payment network globally.

It's advisable when travelling overseas that you consider having both a Visa and Mastercard issued credit or debit card on you, just in case a merchant doesn't accept either Visa or Mastercard.

If you transact in a foreign currency that is not USD, Mastercard will first convert the amount to USD and then back into AUD. You can use Mastercard's exchange calculator here.

Visa's exchange rates in USD generally match Mastercard's rate. However on other currency they generally have a very slight advantage as they don't convert to USD and then to AUD like Mastercard does. You can use Visa's exchange calculator here.

eftpos is the local Australian payment network, and payments made via the Savings (SAV) & Cheque (CHQ) options on the terminal will be processed in real-time via eftpos. The payment network is available on eftpos payment cards and most dual-network Mastercard/Visa debit cards.

Withdrawing cash (Cash Out) from your account when at a terminal is also available at some merchants via the Savings (SAV) & Cheque (CHQ) options. Some merchants also charge less or no payment fees (Surcharge) when making a payment through the eftpos network, due to it being a cheaper payment method (lower cost of acceptance for the merchant).

Some dual-network Mastercard/Visa debit cards can also use the eftpos network via the contactless payment method (Tap to Pay) on a smartphone. This payment option can be enabled/disabled through the corresponding digital wallet that the card has been added to (currently only available with Apple Pay & Samsung Wallet).

eftpos is available in Australia only and is not related to 'Eftpos' in New Zealand. While eftpos can't be used overseas, it may influence your choice of Mastercard/Visa debit card, as not all Mastercard/Visa issued debit cards are dual-network with eftpos.

If you have a card with no international transaction fees, it's advisable to avoid using DCC if it's offered to you.

DCC is sold as a service for travellers because you don’t need to understand the exchange rate to know what a transaction is costing you. However, it will almost always result in paying extra compared to paying in the local currency, as DCC comes with the risk of hidden fees and a poor exchange rate in the amount.

DCC occurs when you’re prompted if you like to be charged in the local currency or Australian Dollars (AUD). The three places you will likely see DCC being used is via PayPal, foreign ATMs and foreign merchant terminals. However, you may find this prompt in other places while travelling overseas.

If you have a card with no international transaction fees, you will likely always be ahead if you select 'pay in local currency' which will process the payment via Visa or Mastercard's exchange rate. This is almost always better than the rate an overseas ATM or merchant will give you via their DCC offering.

The Whirlpool wiki keeps a pretty up-to-date list of international ATM networks and their fees which is available here.

A joint credit card is different to a credit card that has a nominated additional cardholder (or cardholders).

Joint credit cards are held in the name of two people. Both of these people will need to apply and be approved for it, and they will be jointly responsible for paying off any debts incurred. Generally, each person will receive a credit card with a unique number (like a debit card).

Additional cardholders also receive a physical credit card and are able to use it with few or no restrictions, but they do not carry any liability for the debt of the card. The primary cardholder is responsible for paying the debt (including any spending made by the additional cardholder). Depending on the financial institution, the additional card holder may have a card with the exact same number as the primary card holder, whereas others will provide a unique number.