Uber: watch out for foreign transaction fees!
Looking at the search queries that bring traffic to this blog, I noticed some people are wondering about bank fees when using Uber abroad.
The answer seemed obvious to me, but I realize it’s not, so here’s a quick post to give you an answer.
When you book a ride on Uber (this also applies to food delivery), you’ll be charged in the currency of the country you’re in.
If you’re in Paris, it’ll be in euros. If you’re in New York, it’ll be in US dollars. If you’re in Dubai, it’ll be in UAE dirhams…
If you’re in the eurozone
If you’re in the eurozone (France, Italy, Germany, Spain, … and all the others), you have no worries, you won’t incur any bank fees when using Uber.
However, there’s a small catch: some countries (Montenegro and Kosovo as far as I know) have adopted the euro unilaterally. That is, they use the euro without being in the eurozone, and you may incur bank fees when using your card. Uber isn’t present in Montenegro or Kosovo at the moment, but that could happen one day.
If you’re outside the eurozone
In that case, you’ll pay Uber in a foreign currency.
And then, if you don’t have an international option, you’ll have to dig into your wallet.
For example, Société Générale charges €1 per payment over the equivalent of €10 plus a 2.7% currency conversion fee.
So a ride worth €10 will cost you €11.27. If you take multiple rides during your trip, it can add up quickly. A bit annoying when you know these fees are avoidable with a little planning.
The solution
The simplest solution is to ask your bank if they offer an international option.
If they don’t (or the price is off-putting), go for a free international bank card with no foreign transaction fees.
I used to use and recommend Revolut, N26 or Boursorama but their free offerings are less attractive than before.
As of now (December 2021), the most interesting (and 100% free) offers are the cards from Binance , and Crypto.com. Not only are their cards 100% free, but they have no fees on payments outside the eurozone and they give you cashback on every card payment.
