Best card and money tips for Portugal.
For Portugal, the best Aussie card is the Wise Debit (real eur rate, near-zero fees. hold a eur balance before you fly to lock in your rate.). Cards work almost everywhere — you can travel here on a debit card alone.
Cash or card?
Portugal is solidly card-friendly — almost every restaurant, café, and shop accepts cards including contactless. Cash is mostly for tips, the small village tavern, and the rare cash-only fado bar.
- Pay in EUR if asked 'EUR or AUD' — AUD via Dynamic Currency Conversion is always worse.
- Multibanco ATMs are everywhere and standard — Portugal's national ATM network.
- Tip 5-10% at restaurants; round up at cafés. Less expected than Australia.
Best Aussie cards for Portugal
Real EUR rate, near-zero fees. Hold a EUR balance before you fly to lock in your rate.
CATCH: ATM fees free up to A$350/mo, then 1.75%.
No FX fees on EFTPOS. Contactless works at every café and restaurant in Lisbon + Porto.
CATCH: ATM operator fees not always refunded.
Refunds international ATM fees with eligibility — pairs well with Multibanco's already-low fees.
CATCH: Eligibility = $1000/mo deposit + 5 card purchases prior month.
ATM playbook
- Multibanco (the standard Portuguese network — generally fee-free for foreign cards)
- Caixa Geral de Depósitos branch ATMs
- Euronet ATMs (yellow, tourist zones — bad rates, DCC pushes)
- Hotel-lobby ATMs
Multibanco is Portugal's domestic ATM network and is famously fair to foreign cards — no operator-side fees in most cases. Look for the 'MB' logo on the machine.
Local money hacks
Watch out for
Indicative FX as of May 2026. Card features and eligibility change — verify with the issuer.