Money Hacks Around the World

Standard ATMs and card payments are not always the most efficient way to access money. In some countries, there are better options — sometimes significantly better.

Thailand

ATMs in Thailand charge a foreign transaction fee without exception — but there is a workaround. Walk into a Bangkok Bank branch and ask to withdraw cash directly from your credit card at the counter. Staff may try to send you to the ATM; insist on the counter transaction. It works, and avoids the fee.

Cambodia

US dollars are accepted everywhere at a fixed rate of 4,000 KHR. However, banks and money changers will exchange dollars at 4,020–4,040 KHR, which adds up over a longer stay.

Bolivia

Updated June 2026: Bolivia ended its 15-year dollar peg on June 29, 2026, moving to a floating exchange rate. The official rate now matches what the informal market had already been trading at for months — around 9.73 bolivianos per dollar. The advantage of bringing physical USD to exchange informally no longer exists. Paying by card is now a straightforward option in Bolivia.

Exchanging physical US dollars on the informal market yields around 30% more than the official rate — which is also what ATMs dispense. The catch: only clean, undamaged 100 USD bills get the best rate. Smaller denominations get a worse deal. It is worth obtaining 100 USD notes before entering the country, even if it costs a small fee elsewhere. The 30% difference is significant enough to justify the effort.

Argentina

Similar to Bolivia, but the spread is smaller — around 10% above the official rate. Smaller dollar bills are somewhat easier to exchange here than in Bolivia. Another option is to send money to yourself via Western Union and collect it in cash; Western Union typically applies a rate close to the informal dollar rate, though fees are relatively high. The first transaction is free.

If paying by card in Argentina, the Wise card is worth using — Wise applies an internal rate closer to the informal dollar rate rather than the official one.

Brazil

Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere in Brazil, but paying cash can still pay off. At bike shops, asking for a cash discount has worked every time. Some accommodations offer a discount for cash payment too.

Getting cash without fees is not always straightforward, though. In my experience, Bradesco was the only bank that did not charge a fee — but even there, not every ATM accepts international cards. Identical-looking machines at the same branch can behave completely differently. Usually, at least one ATM in a larger branch will work with foreign cards, and even then it may not offer a withdrawal option at all. The practical approach is simply to try every ATM at every branch until one works.

For a full overview of how to manage money on the road — cards, cash, ATMs and QR payments — see the Money page.