How much cash should I bring?

Enough to cover the airport taxi, the first night's food and a tip for the bag-handler, in the local currency. For Bali around AUD 100 of rupiah; Phuket around AUD 80 of baht; Fiji around AUD 100 of FJD. Top up at ATMs once you arrive; do not bring big AUD cash bricks.

What's the cheapest way to pay overseas?

A no-foreign-fee debit card (Wise, Up, Revolut, ING Orange Everyday over $1,000 balance, Macquarie Transaction) paying in the local currency at the merchant terminal or ATM. Always decline 'pay in AUD' (DCC) at the terminal; the exchange rate is appalling.

How do I avoid ATM skimmers in Bali and Phuket?

Use ATMs inside a bank branch or a 7-Eleven during business hours. Cover the keypad when entering the PIN. If the card slot has tape, glue or unusual plastic on it, walk away. Photograph the ATM serial number so your bank can trace the location if your card is later skimmed.

What about scooter rental deposits?

Many Bali and Phuket rentals demand your passport as a deposit. This is illegal in Australia and risky overseas; once the rental shop has your passport, they have leverage over any damage dispute. Pay a cash deposit (AUD 50-100 equivalent) instead, or use a rental that accepts a credit-card hold.

Travel money for schoolies: Bali, Phuket, Fiji and your first solo trip

Your first overseas trip puts you, an 18-year-old with no banking experience overseas, in front of foreign ATMs, foreign-currency terminals and local cash economies. Most schoolies trips end fine; the ones that go wrong financially usually go wrong in predictable ways. This page covers what those are.

Cards to take and cards to leave at home

A practical setup for a first overseas trip:

One debit card on a no-foreign-fee account: Wise multi-currency, Up, Revolut, ING Orange Everyday (over the monthly conditions), Macquarie Transaction or HSBC Everyday Global. These all pass the Visa or Mastercard wholesale rate with no markup on currency conversion.
One credit card for hotel deposits, scooter holds and emergencies. Use a low-fee travel-friendly card (28 Degrees, Bankwest Breeze Platinum). Pay it off in full before going to avoid interest while travelling.
Leave at home: cards you do not need, cards with high foreign transaction fees (most big-4 bank standard cards charge 3% plus AUD 5 per ATM withdrawal), your savings-account-only card, anything irreplaceable.

Take photos of both sides of each card you carry, and store them encrypted in a notes app or password manager. If a card is lost, the photo gives you the card number, expiry and the issuer's phone number from the back.

Set spending notifications and travel notifications on each card before flying. Most Australian banks no longer require formal travel notifications, but transaction alerts let you spot fraud in hours, not days.

Cash: how much and where to get it

Bring around AUD 80 to 120 equivalent in the local currency for arrival. Cash is for taxis, tips, market food, scooter petrol, and emergencies. Card payment is widespread in tourist areas but breaks down quickly in small warungs and beach bars.

Where to buy cash:

Best rate: a no-foreign-fee debit card at a local bank ATM after you arrive. The rate is the interbank wholesale rate, fees are zero, and you only carry what you need.
OK rate: in-airport currency exchange (Travelex, ICE) before you fly. The rate is 3 to 5% worse than ATM but reliable. Useful for the AUD 100 arrival amount.
Worst rate: airport currency exchange at the destination. Markup of 5 to 15% is normal. Avoid unless you have no choice.
Avoid entirely: street-corner money changers in Bali, Phuket and Indian tourist areas. The published "0% commission" rate is usually a setup for short-counting (real-time sleight of hand to hand you fewer notes than you paid for) or padded "service fees" added after the deal is agreed.

Travel cards (Cash Passport, Westpac Travelex Travel Card, Australia Post Travel Platinum) are now generally beaten on cost by no-foreign-fee debit cards. They were the right choice in 2015; they are usually the wrong choice in 2026.

ATMs: how the scams work

ATMs in Bali, Phuket and other South-East Asia tourist hubs are the highest-skimming targets per kilometre in the world. Reported scams include:

Card skimmers: a thin plastic overlay on the card slot reads the magstripe; a hidden camera or fake keypad captures the PIN. The card works normally; charges appear days later.
Cash trap: the ATM seems to swallow your cash. You leave. A device behind a fake slot then releases the notes to a thief.
PIN shoulder-surfing: an accomplice watches the PIN entry while the skimmer reads the card.
Dynamic currency conversion (DCC) at ATM: the ATM asks "Would you like to be charged in AUD?" The marked-up rate is 5 to 12% worse than the wholesale rate. Always select the local currency.

Practical protection:

Use ATMs inside bank branches during business hours, not stand-alone street ATMs.
Cover the keypad with your other hand when entering the PIN.
Tug at the card reader and keypad overlay before inserting your card; loose or wobbly parts are a sign of tampering.
Refuse "pay in AUD" at the screen. Tap "no" or "continue without conversion".
Pull only the cash you need for 2-3 days at a time, not a week's worth.

If your card is skimmed, freeze it in the bank's app the moment you notice anomalous charges and call the bank's international support line. The Australian banks generally refund unauthorised charges if you reported the loss promptly and were not negligent. "Wrote PIN on card" is negligent; "card was in your wallet at home" is not.

Dynamic currency conversion at terminals

Every restaurant, hotel and shop terminal in tourist areas now offers "pay in AUD" as a default. The screen says something like:

Pay 2,450,000 IDR (estimated AUD 251.00, includes conversion fee of 4.2%) Pay in IDR Pay in AUD

Always tap "Pay in IDR". Your card converts at the wholesale rate; the terminal converts at a worse retail rate plus a 3 to 5% margin. The savings on a single AUD 250 dinner are AUD 8 to 12.

If the staff hits the "AUD" button without asking, hand them the terminal back and ask them to redo it in the local currency. Some staff are trained to push DCC because the merchant gets a kickback.

Country-specific notes

Bali, Indonesia

ATMs: stick to Mandiri, BCA, BNI inside bank branches. Avoid free-standing ATMs at gas stations and convenience stores at night.
Scooter rentals: never hand over your passport as deposit. Pay AUD 50-100 cash deposit, photograph the bike before riding to document existing scratches. Insurance generally requires a valid motorcycle licence (see travel insurance for under-25s).
Common rip-offs: airport taxi quoting AUD 80 for a 20-minute trip (Gojek or Grab from the airport is AUD 10-20). Beach massage upcharging at the end (agree the price before you sit down). "Sob story" charity collectors near Kuta and Seminyak.
Tipping: 5 to 10% in restaurants if a service charge is not already on the bill (it usually is, called "service plus pajak"). AUD 1 equivalent to a hotel porter is generous.
Cash culture: warungs, markets, beach vendors are cash only. Carry small notes; vendors rarely have change for 100,000 IDR.

Phuket, Thailand

ATMs: most charge a fixed THB 220 per withdrawal (about AUD 10) on top of the wholesale rate. Withdraw in larger amounts (10,000 to 20,000 THB) to dilute the fee. AEON ATMs have no withdrawal fee for many international cards.
Scooter rentals: same passport-as-deposit warning as Bali. Patong Beach rentals are the highest-pressure; Kata and Karon often more relaxed.
Common rip-offs: tuk-tuk drivers quoting fixed routes 5x the metered fare (use Grab or Bolt). "Closed temple, come back tomorrow, I take you to gem shop" is always a scam. Jetski operators claiming scratches occurred during your rental for a sham damage charge.
Tipping: 10% in tourist-area restaurants, round-up in local places.
Cash culture: more card acceptance than Bali. Markets and street food remain cash; carry 20 and 100 baht notes.

Fiji

ATMs: BSP Financial Group and Bank of South Pacific cover most resorts. Outside Nadi and Suva, ATM density drops quickly; carry cash for outer-island trips.
Common rip-offs: less scammy than Bali or Phuket. Watch for unsanctioned "village fees" at unofficial waterfalls. Always agree boat-transfer prices before stepping in.
Tipping: not customary in Fijian culture. A "Christmas Fund" jar at resorts is the appropriate way to thank staff; individual tipping can be awkward.
Cash culture: rural and outer islands run on cash. Bring small FJD notes for transport, village stays and food at unmarked stalls.
Sevusevu: traditional gift-giving when visiting a village. Buying half a kilo of kava root (AUD 15 in a Nadi market) and presenting it to the village chief is the etiquette for many guided cultural visits.

What to do if a card is lost or skimmed

Freeze the card in the bank's app immediately. Every major Australian bank app has a freeze-and-thaw toggle in 2026.
Call the bank's international assistance line (printed on the back of the card; photograph this before flying).
Lodge a dispute for any unauthorised transactions through the app or with the operator.
Ask the bank to courier a replacement card to your accommodation if possible; this takes 5-10 business days in most Asian destinations.
While waiting, use your backup card and pay locally with cash. This is why you bring two cards.

Travel money decision tree

For a 2-3 week schoolies trip to Bali, Phuket or Fiji:

Primary card: no-foreign-fee debit card (Wise, Up, Revolut, ING Orange Everyday).
Backup card: low-fee credit card (28 Degrees, Bankwest Breeze) with the credit limit set to what you can afford to lose.
Arrival cash: AUD 80-120 equivalent in destination currency.
Daily spending: AUD 50-80 in Bali and Phuket; AUD 80-150 in Fiji.
Emergency reserve: AUD 200-300 hidden in a passport pouch separately from your wallet.

Practical day-before-flying checklist

Enable two-factor authentication on every banking app.
Take photos of both sides of each card and your passport; save them in a password manager or encrypted notes.
Save the bank's international support number in your phone offline.
Tell at least one family member where you are staying each night.
Set a daily transaction limit in the banking app to your expected daily spend plus 50%; this caps any potential skimming damage.

ExamExplained does not provide financial advice. Products mentioned are examples that fit the criteria; check the relevant Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determination before opening any account. For your specific circumstances, consult a financial counsellor (free via the National Debt Helpline 1800 007 007) or a licensed financial planner.