Who charges what
When you pay for something here, there can be up to five different people taking a little cut. Here's who they are.
| Fee | Who charges it | Typical size | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign transaction fee | Your Aussie bank, on every swipe | 3–3.5% (CommBank 3.5%) | Use a travel card instead. Wise is about 0.4–0.5% |
| Overseas ATM fee | Your Aussie bank, per withdrawal | About A$5 each, plus the foreign fee on the amount | Macquarie or Ubank: no fee, no cap. Wise: free to A$400 a month, then 2.69% |
| Bali ATM operator fee | The Bali bank that owns the ATM | Free to Rp 50,000 (Mandiri charges Rp 50,000) | Use BCA or BNI, and take out more each time so you go less often |
| "Pay in AUD?" markup | The card machine or ATM provider | 4–8% reported | Always pick IDR |
| Card surcharge | The shop, villa or restaurant | 1.5–3% | Ask before you pay, and pay big bills in cash or by bank transfer |
| Money changer spread | The changer, built into the rate | It varies, and the airport's usually the worst | Just use an ATM instead |
Sources: CommBank international fees, Wise AU on bank fees (Westpac/ANZ about 3% + ~A$5 ATM), Wise card fees (A$400 free, then 2.69%; A$10 card), Wise AUD→IDR fee example (A$4.92 on A$1,000), Bali Zero (Mandiri), Bali Holiday Secrets (4–8% markup), Bali Villa Realty (surcharges), checked 2026-10-27.
Example: two weeks in Bali
Say you spend A$2,000 on cards (meals, beach clubs, the villa) and take out A$800 in cash, in four lots of A$200 from a BCA ATM. I've assumed the ATM charges Rp 25,000 each time.
| CommBank Smart Access debit | Wise card | |
|---|---|---|
| Card spending (A$2,000) | 3.5% = A$70.00 | ~0.5% = A$10.00 |
| ATM, your bank's side (4 × A$200) | 4 × (A$5 + 3.5%) = A$48.00 | First A$400 free, then 2.69% = A$10.76 |
| Bali ATM fee (4 × Rp 25,000) | A$7.86 | A$7.86 |
| Card itself | — | A$10 one-off |
| Total fees | about A$126 | about A$39 |
My maths, using the fees above and 12,728 rupiah to the dollar. Wise doesn't publish its card conversion fee for each currency, so the ~0.5% is based on its AUD→IDR transfer fee. unverified
Try it with your own numbers
| Card | Your fees |
|---|---|
| Big 4 debit card (CommBank-style: 3.5% + A$5 per ATM) | |
| Big 4 debit card (Westpac/ANZ-style: 3% + A$5 per ATM) | |
| Wise (~0.5%, A$400/month ATM free, then 2.69%, A$10 card) |
These are estimates based on the published fees, at 12,728 rupiah to the dollar, for a trip of a month or less. Your bank's fees might be a bit different, so check its fee page.
Get a Wise card before you go
Order it a couple of weeks before you fly. The digital card is free and you can use it in Apple Pay or Google Pay straight away.
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Quick ways to save
- Always pick IDROn every card machine and ATM. Never AUD.
- Ask if there's a card feeIf there's a surcharge on a big bill, pay cash or by bank transfer instead.
- Go to the ATM less oftenThe Bali bank can charge you every time, so take out more in one go. And stay away from Mandiri ATMs.
- Only use your Big 4 card as a backupEvery time you use it, it costs you 3% or more.
- Don't change money at the airportGet your first bit of cash from a bank ATM in arrivals.