How to Buy Foreign Currency in Australia

What the big four banks actually offer

CommBank publishes a dedicated foreign-cash ordering service: "Order over 30 foreign currencies online and pick up at your local CommBank branch in 5 business days. Available to both CommBank and non-CommBank customers," with a fee of 1% of the transaction amount (minimum $10), the same whether buying or selling, online or in-branch — and CommBank states plainly that "the online Foreign Cash service is delivered by our partner Travelex" (commbank.com.au/travel/foreign-cash.html, fetched September 2026). Sell-back at select branches is limited to USD, EUR, GBP, NZD, JPY, CAD, SGD, HKD and CNY.

ANZ, NAB and Westpac each have a different shape. ANZ's own personal foreign-exchange page routes larger amounts to a person rather than a retail counter: "For rate information for currencies not listed above or for amounts over the equivalent of AUD $100,000, please visit any ANZ branch, call 13 13 14 or contact your ANZ Relationship Manager" (anz.com.au, fetched September 2026), and no dedicated foreign-banknote ordering page was found on ANZ's own site. NAB's personal international page is a rates converter rather than a physical-cash ordering service (nab.com.au, fetched September 2026). Westpac's own sitemap, checked directly, does not carry a foreign-cash or travel-card URL as at September 2026 — that's a gap in what Westpac's own site shows, not confirmation the product doesn't exist anywhere at Westpac.

Australia Post's Travelex partnership

Australia Post's own site states: "Australia Post, in partnership with Travelex, offers two convenient ways to order your foreign cash. Choose from more than 40 currencies when you order online or in-store," with the ordering handled through a dedicated portal and collection available at "one of our 3,200 participating Post Offices" (auspost.com.au, fetched September 2026). Australia Post's own meta description for the page advertises "$0 commission fees."

That $0-commission claim and the $15 collection fee Travelex charges on its own site for orders under AU$2,000 collected at Australia Post are two separate things — one is commission built into the exchange rate, the other is a pickup fee for a specific collection channel. Reading both figures on the same order before assuming either applies is worth doing, since the two can coexist.

Click-and-collect and delivery options

Travelex's own site confirms a $15 collection fee applies to orders below AU$2,000 collected at Australia Post stores, with orders above AU$2,000 collected free of charge — and collection at any Travelex-branded store is free regardless of order size (travelex.com.au, fetched September 2026). Travel Money Oz's own rates page describes its fastest paid options as "1 hour Click & Collect or 3 hour delivery" to lock in its online rate (travelmoneyoz.com/rates, fetched September 2026).

Whichever provider you use, checking the specific collection method's fee against the order amount — rather than assuming "online is free" applies universally — avoids a surprise at pickup.

Travel money cards as a cashless alternative

Several providers publish prepaid travel money cards as an alternative to carrying banknotes. Wise's card carries a one-time order fee of $10 AUD, and Wise states: "Take out cash abroad for free. The Wise card takes the worry out of using ATMs abroad. You pay only a super-low fee on withdrawals after the first $400" (wise.com/au/card, fetched September 2026), covering 40+ currencies across 150 countries and territories.

Travelex's own Money Card page states "No fees when you buy online" and "Unlimited FREE overseas ATM withdrawals," describing itself as "Best Prepaid Travel Card (2022–2024)" per its own marketing on that page (travelex.com.au/travel-money-card, fetched September 2026) — the same online-versus-in-store rate pattern applies to loading the card as to buying banknotes.

CBA's Travel Money Card publishes a $0 card issue fee, $0 initial load and reload fee, $0 international transaction fee, $0 funds transfer fee, $0 inactivity fee, $0 monthly account fee and $0 card closure fee — with an AUD $3.50 fee for cash withdrawals at an ATM or over the counter outside Australia, charged in the withdrawal currency at the Visa exchange rate at the time (commbank.com.au, fetched September 2026). Revolut publishes its own card fees on revolut.com/en-AU, so its card fee schedule isn't included here — check Revolut's own current fees page directly if you're comparing it.

Carrying the currency across the border

Once you've bought foreign currency, the AUD 10,000 cash declaration rule applies to what you're carrying, not to what you paid for it: combined physical currency of AUD 10,000 or more, Australian or foreign, crossing the Australian border must be declared to the Australian Border Force. Migratio's cash declaration guide covers how declaring works and what happens if you don't.

When to convert electronically instead

Buying banknotes or loading a travel card suits spending money for a trip. For a larger amount — moving savings, paying an overseas obligation, or a lump sum tied to a relocation — physical cash and prepaid cards stop being the practical option, both because of the AUD 10,000 declaration threshold on carrying cash and because electronic transfers generally scale more efficiently at larger amounts. Migratio's guides on sending a large amount overseas and on the AUSTRAC reporting rule for electronic transfers cover what applies once the amount is genuinely large.

Can I buy foreign cash directly from my bank in Australia?

CommBank offers a dedicated foreign-cash ordering service (delivered by its partner Travelex) at 1% of the transaction amount, minimum $10. ANZ, NAB and Westpac do not publish an equivalent retail foreign-banknote product on their own sites as at September 2026.

Does Australia Post sell foreign currency?

Yes, in partnership with Travelex — orders can be made online or in-store and collected at participating Post Offices, with Australia Post's own page advertising $0 commission fees.

What's the difference between a commission fee and a collection fee?

Commission is built into the exchange rate itself. A collection fee — such as Travelex's $15 charge for orders under AU$2,000 collected at Australia Post — is a separate pickup charge for a specific delivery method, and can apply even when the exchange rate carries no separate commission.

Is a travel money card cheaper than carrying cash?

It depends on the card and how you use it. CBA's Travel Money Card lists $0 for most fees but charges AUD $3.50 per overseas cash withdrawal; Wise's card charges a $10 one-time order fee and a low fee on ATM withdrawals after the first $400. Reading each provider's current fee schedule for how you plan to use the card is the only reliable comparison.

How much foreign cash can I bring into Australia without declaring it?

There's no limit on the amount you can carry, but AUD 10,000 or more in combined physical currency (Australian or foreign) must be declared to the Australian Border Force when crossing the border.