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What is the Post Office’s Travel Money Service?
Post Office travel money is one of the UK’s most popular ways to buy foreign currency before a trip abroad. Through its vast branch network and online ordering service, the Post Office offers both cash in over 60 currencies and a Post Office Travel Money Card, a prepaid Mastercard that can be loaded with up to 22 different currencies. The service aims to make it easy for travellers to access foreign cash or spend securely abroad without relying on a high-street bank or airport bureau.
Is getting travel money from the Post Office a good idea?
The Post Office Travel Money service combines reliability, nationwide availability, and transparent pricing. The Travel Money Card Post Office offers additional flexibility for cashless spending, with secure management through the Post Office Travel Money Card app and online login Post Office travel money card portal.
While its rates aren’t always the market’s lowest, it’s one of the easiest and most trusted ways to prepare foreign currency before travelling. Order online for the best rates, avoid exchanging at airports, and compare with digital alternatives if you’re making large transfers or extended trips.
In short: if you want a simple, safe, and convenient way to get your euros or dollars before heading abroad, the Post Office remains a solid choice. But for rate-hunters or tech-savvy travellers, online travel-money cards or fintech apps can sometimes offer better value.
Post Office travel money alternatives
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EUR Mark-Up 0.5% |
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How getting travel money from the Post Office works
The Post Office travel money service works in two main ways: you can either buy cash or use the travel money card Post Office issues. For cash, you can order online or walk into one of thousands of branches that keep popular currencies such as euros and US dollars in stock. Ordering online usually gives a better rate, and you can choose to collect the money in-branch or have it delivered to your home.
Rates are calculated daily and vary depending on how much you buy, larger orders get slightly better exchange rates. For example, if you order over £500 or £1,000 worth of euros or dollars, you’ll often see a higher “today’s online rate.” These rates are set by the Post Office and include its margin over the wholesale exchange rate.
Using the Post Office Travel Money Card instead of cash
The Post Office Travel Money Card is a prepaid Mastercard that lets you load funds in multiple currencies before you travel. You can manage it via the Post Office Travel Money Card app or through the Post Office travel money card login area online. The card is free to order, but a small commission (around 1.5%) applies when you load pounds onto it. Once loaded, you can spend in shops, restaurants, and online wherever Mastercard is accepted, or withdraw local currency from ATMs.
You can withdraw money from your Post Office Travel Money Card abroad in the same way you would with a debit card, though fees apply, typically a small ATM charge and a foreign currency conversion fee if you withdraw in a currency not already loaded on the card. To withdraw cash, simply find a Mastercard-compatible ATM, insert your card, and select the relevant currency account. The Post Office money travel card can also be used to withdraw remaining balances when you return home, either in-branch or via an ATM.
Post Office exchange rates for euros and US dollars
The Post Office travel money exchange rate changes daily, depending on market conditions and the amount ordered. For euros, you might typically receive around €1.09–€1.12 per pound for orders above £400, while for US dollars, rates can range from about $1.27–$1.30 per pound. These rates are calculated using the Post Office’s wholesale currency rate plus its margin, and the larger your order, the smaller the margin tends to be.
For the travel.money card, the exchange rate is also set daily and benchmarked against the European Central Bank reference rate. The Post Office displays how much of a markup is applied to each rate so customers can see the difference between the interbank rate and what they’ll actually get.
Does the Post Office offer good value?
The Post Office’s exchange rates are usually competitive compared to high-street banks, especially when you order online, but they are rarely the absolute best available. Money-saving sites like MoneySavingExpert, Which?, and Finder often point out that while the Post Office is convenient, there are sometimes better rates available from online travel money specialists like Wise, Revolut, or Travel FX.
That said, the Post Office’s biggest strength is convenience. You can find a Post Office travel money near me almost anywhere in the UK, order online for same-day collection, and even buy-back leftover currency when you return home. For many holidaymakers, that combination of accessibility and trust outweighs small rate differences.
Post Office vs banks and airports
When deciding whether to exchange at the Post Office, your bank, or the airport, the Post Office usually wins for value and convenience. Most banks no longer offer competitive over-the-counter travel money services, and their card exchange rates can include hidden fees. The Post Office lets you lock in a rate before you travel and collect cash easily.
Airports, on the other hand, tend to have the worst rates. Exchange bureaux inside airports charge high markups and take advantage of travellers needing cash at the last minute. Exchanging your currency through the Post Office in advance, online or in-branch, is almost always better than waiting until you reach the airport.
How much does the Post Office Travel Money Card cost?
The Post Office travel money card doesn’t cost anything to order, though you’ll need to make an initial load to activate it. There’s a 1.5% loading fee when topping up with pounds, and cross-border transaction fees of around 3% if you spend in a currency you haven’t loaded. There may also be a small monthly inactivity fee if the card remains unused for over a year after expiry.
While it’s not the cheapest travel card available, Revolut, Wise, and Monzo offer lower-fee alternatives, it remains a straightforward and trusted option for people who prefer a physical prepaid card rather than using their main debit or credit card abroad.
Is it better to exchange currency at the Post Office?
For most travellers, yes, particularly if you plan ahead. The Post Office’s online service provides clear exchange rates, branch collection, and no commission on currency cash orders. It’s safer and cheaper than using airport bureaux and often more straightforward than ordering through your bank.
However, if you prioritise getting the best possible rate, check sites such as MoneySavingExpert or CompareHolidayMoney before you buy. Some online-only FX specialists may undercut Post Office rates by 1–2%, especially for large euro or dollar purchases.