Same purchase. Three ways to pay.
Enter the same destination-currency spending amount for each route. The calculator separates the reference rate from the rate your bank actually offers, then adds the fees. It does not fetch or promise a live rate.
Read the rate direction
If 1 USD buys 150 JPY, enter 150. A lower bank rate means each dollar buys fewer yen.
What each number means
- Reference exchange rate
- A comparison benchmark, not a guaranteed transaction rate.
- Bank or card rate
- The conversion rate applied by the provider before any separately stated fees.
- Foreign-transaction fee
- A percentage added by the card issuer. Verify whether it also applies to DCC transactions.
- ATM operator fee
- The machine operator’s fixed fee, entered here in destination currency for each withdrawal.
- Issuer ATM fee
- Your bank’s flat home-currency fee and any percentage charge. This model applies the percentage to cash plus the operator fee.
- Dynamic currency conversion
- A merchant or ATM offer to convert into your home currency. Compare its disclosed final total and any remaining issuer fee.
Card purchase and ATM exchange rates can differ. This comparison uses the bank rate you enter for both; rerun with your ATM rate if it differs. It does not model cash-advance interest, minimum percentage fees, tiered charges or refunds. Check your actual fee schedule before choosing a method.
Worked example: JPY 10,000 of spending
Illustrative arithmetic dated September 14, 2026. Suppose 1 USD = 150 JPY at the reference rate, but your bank gives 148 JPY. These are made-up planning assumptions, not current rates.
The reference equivalent is USD 66.67. Paying by card at 148 plus a 3% issuer fee costs USD 69.59. Withdrawing the same JPY 10,000 in two visits with a JPY 220 operator fee each and USD 5 issuer fee each costs (10,000 + 440) ÷ 148 + 10 = USD 80.54, before any additional issuer percentage.
Combining into one withdrawal under those same assumptions costs (10,000 + 220) ÷ 148 + 5 = USD 74.05. That arithmetic does not account for the security risk of carrying more cash, ATM limits, unused currency or acceptance. Only withdraw what your travel plan and safeguards support.
Turn a holiday budget into spending money
- Calculate the whole trip first, including accommodation and pre-booked tickets.
- Subtract costs already paid and costs that will be paid directly by card.
- Allocate the remaining cash needs to meals, small purchases, transport top-ups and emergencies.
- Compare withdrawal sizes and fee schedules here. Do not count withdrawn cash again after you have already budgeted its purchases.
- Keep a separate payment backup. Recheck the plan when you add a destination or a paid activity.
Before accepting a currency-conversion offer
Read the local amount, exchange rate, fees and final home-currency amount. Ask whether conversion is optional and whether your issuer will still charge a foreign-transaction fee. Keep the receipt showing which currency you selected. If a displayed rate is inverted, calculate the reciprocal before entering it here.
Compare an actual disclosed DCC quote with the full card result, not just with the reference benchmark. A “0% commission” label does not establish that the exchange rate is competitive.
Sources and methodology
Checked September 14, 2026. ExchangeRate-API reference-rate documentation explains the optional reference conversion used in the main budget tool. Visa’s DCC guidance explains the conversion choice and disclosures. Your issuer’s current card and ATM fee schedule and the merchant’s actual conversion disclosure determine the transaction cost. The calculator’s formulas are printed in the worked example; no bank relationship, live quote or affiliate recommendation is implied.
Amounts entered here are used in your browser. The money comparison is not saved or sent as analytics parameters. See the privacy policy for the site’s existing Google services.