How to safely use bank cards abroad and not lose money on conversion
When planning a trip abroad, most of us take care of tickets, hotels, and routes, but often forget about one important question – how exactly to pay for purchases, bookings, and services outside Ukraine. Bank cards are a convenient tool, but different types of cards have their own features, limits, and hidden fees. In this article I will explain which card is better to take with you, how to avoid extra costs on conversion, and what you need to know so that your finances work for you even while traveling.
Since August 11, 2026, new foreign currency limits have been in effect – and for the first time in a long while, the news is good: the restrictions have been eased rather than tightened. You can now withdraw more cash, buy more foreign currency, and make more card payments abroad.
This will be especially noticeable for sole proprietors (FOPs) who pay for advertising on Facebook or TikTok, purchase goods on international marketplaces, or pay for subscriptions. Previously, they could quickly hit the limit. But even for an ordinary trip abroad, it is important to know how much cash you can withdraw and how to avoid losing money on currency conversion.
In this article, we will break down all current foreign currency limits in figures – for sole proprietors (FOPs) and individuals – as well as explain which cards to take abroad and how to avoid currency conversion pitfalls.
Types of cards and differences
1. Regular debit hryvnia card
- A bank card linked to your personal account in hryvnia.
The most popular option is simply to take your Ukrainian card that you use every day. But keep in mind: when you pay in Europe or anywhere else, the bank converts hryvnia into the local currency – and this is often not profitable. Especially do not withdraw cash – on commissions and conversion you can lose 5-7 percent from each amount.
Lifehack: if an ATM or terminal asks in which currency to withdraw – always choose the local one, otherwise you will lose even more on the exchange rate.
2. Foreign currency card
- A bank card linked to an account in foreign currency (for example, USD or EUR).
If you are going to a country where payments are in euros or dollars – it is better to have a foreign currency card. You pay directly – and no extra charges for conversions. But if you go with such a card to Turkey or Egypt, there will again be conversion and additional fees.
3. Credit card
- Allows you to use the bank’s credit funds, meaning you spend money that you do not have in your account, within the established limit.
Convenient for unforeseen expenses, but often more expensive than a debit card. Most banks also do not provide a standard grace period for foreign expenses.
Important! If you plan to rent a car abroad – always take a personalized credit card with you. Most rental companies will not give you a car without a credit card, or will force you to buy more expensive insurance and leave a larger deposit. With a debit card, they often require many additional documents – for example, photos of your documents, proof of address, may increase the deposit or delay issuing the car. Also check that the name on the card matches the name in the contract – this can save you time and nerves at the rental counter!
4. PrivatBank and Monobank cards
A classic choice for Ukrainians traveling abroad. You can pay by card contactless, via terminal or even with your phone.
But the exchange rate in Ukrainian banks is often worse than the market one by 2-9 percent, so calculate carefully, especially for large amounts.
5. Wise and Revolut – multi-currency accounts
- These cards are suitable for those who travel frequently or work with international clients, as is Payoneer.
Wise allows you to pay and withdraw money in more than 40 currencies with minimal fees.
Revolut supports 150 currencies, converts them at the real exchange rate, withdrawals of up to 230 euros per month are free.
Cash withdrawal and card payment limits abroad
Hryvnia card:
- Cash withdrawals abroad using a personal UAH card are limited to the equivalent of UAH 12,500 per 7 calendar days – this limit remains weekly. For a corporate (business) UAH card, the limit is UAH 140,000 per calendar month (NBU Resolution No. 90 replaced the weekly limit with a monthly one).
- In Ukraine, you can withdraw up to UAH 200,000 per day from a business account or up to UAH 100,000 per day from a regular personal account.
- Each withdrawal may also be subject to a currency conversion fee, and the amount will be calculated at the bank’s exchange rate (which is often not very favorable).
Foreign currency card:
- The limit is much higher – you can withdraw the equivalent of up to UAH 200,000 per day.
- If you withdraw funds in the card’s currency (for example, euros in Europe) – fees are minimal and the exchange rate is more favorable.
Regarding payments in stores/online there are nuances. You will not lose much.
- Hryvnia cards have a limit on payments abroad – up to UAH 200,000 per calendar month (since August 11, 2026; previously UAH 100,000), separately for each bank. Meanwhile, a sole proprietor (FOP) using a business card can make payments abroad of up to UAH 400,000 per month.
- Foreign currency cards either have very high purchase limits or no transaction limits at all. Therefore, using a foreign currency card for large purchases abroad is more cost-effective.
And there are restrictions for all cards – MCC codes:
Bans or additional limits apply to casinos, gambling, cryptocurrency payments, and separate financial services.
Cash withdrawal limits abroad
| Card type | Limit | Conversion fees | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| UAH cards | UAH 12,500 per 7 days (personal card) UAH 140,000 per month (business card for a sole proprietor (FOP)) | Additional currency conversion fees | Conversion into the local currency at the bank’s exchange rate |
| Foreign currency cards | Up to the equivalent of UAH 200,000 per day | No conversion fee when withdrawing in the card’s currency | More favorable exchange rate |
Settlement limits
| Card type | Monthly limit | Fees/Conversion | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hryvnia cards | UAH 200,000 per month (separately for each bank) | Currency conversion + additional fees for foreign currency transactions | Limit applies to all purchases |
| Foreign currency cards | Generally, no strict limits | Minimal fees | Best option for large purchases |
*This material is current as of August 2026. Foreign currency limits change frequently (the latest changes were introduced by NBU Resolution No. 90 dated August 10, 2026), so check the current rules on bank.gov.ua before making a transaction.
Payments abroad for sole proprietors (FOPs): business card limit of up to UAH 400,000 per month
The NBU distinguishes between a sole proprietor’s business or corporate card and an individual’s regular personal card – they are separate accounts subject to different rules. A sole proprietor (FOP) can use a business card to make payments abroad of up to UAH 400,000 per month (previously UAH 150,000) – for advertising, purchases, goods and services, including purchases on international marketplaces. Payments abroad were where sole proprietors most often hit the limit before – now there is considerably more room. For information on how to correctly specify the purpose of such payments, see the article “Payment purpose for sole proprietors (FOPs)“.
Foreign currency purchase limit for individuals – UAH 200,000 per month
Since August 11, 2026, the limit on non-cash foreign currency purchases has increased from UAH 50,000 to UAH 200,000 per calendar month – a fourfold increase. Within this limit, individuals can also purchase precious metals from banks and foreign securities.
Rent and transfers abroad
Rent for accommodation abroad can now be paid directly: by SWIFT transfer from a UAH card (within the UAH 200,000/month limit) or from a foreign currency account – for rent and accommodation expenses, an increased limit of up to UAH 500,000/month applies. When paying from a UAH account, rent is included in the general UAH 200,000/month limit, with no separate increased limit for this purpose.
Cash payments in Ukraine: UAH 50,000 and UAH 10,000 limits
Withdrawing cash is one thing, while paying with it is another (NBU Resolution No. 148): payments between an individual and a business are limited to UAH 50,000 per day, payments between sole proprietors are limited to UAH 10,000 per day, while cashless payments (POS, bank transfer) are not subject to these limits. In other words, you can withdraw UAH 200,000 in cash, but you cannot officially pay the full amount in cash in a single transaction.
VAT on Facebook and TikTok advertising and subscriptions: why sole proprietors do not pay it separately
When a sole proprietor pays for Facebook or TikTok advertising or subscriptions to Google, ChatGPT or Netflix, there is no need to calculate and pay additional VAT separately. The tax is already included in the price of the service and is remitted to the Ukrainian budget by the non-resident provider, which is required to register as a VAT payer in Ukraine (Article 208-1 of the Tax Code of Ukraine, commonly known as the “Google tax”). Important: this applies as long as the sole proprietor is not registered for VAT; if you are a VAT payer, the reverse charge mechanism applies (Article 208 of the Tax Code of Ukraine), and you become responsible for accounting for the VAT yourself.
Interesting! Beware of the trap!
DCC (Dynamic Currency Conversion) – is dynamic currency conversion. It is especially often used in hotels, restaurants, ATMs, supermarkets. It occurs when paying by card abroad, when you are offered to choose the currency in which the amount will be debited.
- in the currency of the country (local currency), for example, Czech crowns. Or in the currency of your card (for example, dollar or euro). Even if your card is in hryvnia, the POS-terminal usually offers payment in dollars or euros as an alternative to local currency.
Example:
Imagine: you are in the Czech Republic, the terminal offers to debit 100 crowns or 4.77 dollars. If the card is in dollars, but this is a trap – the conversion is not done by your bank, but by the seller’s terminal at its own rate, often with a 5-10 percent markup, so instead of 40 euros for 1000 crowns in Prague, you will pay 44 and simply lose the difference “in the air”.
That is why never agree to DCC, because the rate is always worse, they can add an extra commission, and the bank is powerless here, so the main rule is simple – always choose payment in the currency of the country you are in: in Poland zloty, in the Czech Republic crowns, in Italy euro.
Avoiding double conversion
| Problem scheme: | Correct approach: |
|---|---|
| 1. Hryvnia → Dollars (in Ukraine) | 1. EUR → card in Europe |
| 2. Dollars → Euro (abroad) | 2. USD → card in the USA |
| Double loss on exchange rate differences | Minimization of the number of conversions |
Conclusion
As of August 11, 2026, foreign currency limits have increased rather than decreased: cash withdrawals using a business card – UAH 140,000/month, foreign currency purchases – UAH 200,000/month, transfers abroad for sole proprietors (FOPs) – UAH 400,000/month, and housing rent – up to UAH 500,000/month. This is a significant improvement for online businesses.
However, higher limits are about convenience, not the removal of financial controls. Financial monitoring is still in place: large regular cash withdrawals or irregular transfers without supporting documents can still raise questions. So take advantage of the new opportunities, but keep your documents in order – and the limits should not cause you any problems.
And two practical rules to avoid losing money on currency conversion:
- always choose to pay in the local currency of the country you are in (do not accept DCC),
- keep several cards from different banks – this increases your overall available limit and gives you a backup for unexpected expenses.
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