Should I take euros or use my card in Benidorm, and which ATMs?
Dear Brenda
We're coming in winter. Should I change pounds before we leave, or take my card and draw euros out there? I'm told some cash machines charge a fortune: will any one do, or should I go into a bank? And does everywhere take cards now, and will the bars take a €50 note if that's what the machine gives me?
Take a fee-free card and draw euros out there, with just enough cash from home for the first day. Changing at home rarely wins: one 2025 visitor got €210 for £200 at a UK counter, while counters in Benidorm were quoting about €1.135 to the pound in January 2026. Not any machine will do: the stand-alone ones on the busy streets charge about €5 to €7 a go, so use a bank's own machine, and regulars name Kutxabank in the Old Town as still free from the Spanish side in 2026. Whatever the machine, always choose to be charged in euros, never pounds. Most restaurants and shops take cards, but small bars still prefer cash, and some will refuse a €50 late at night, so withdraw odd amounts like €130 to get smaller notes and break any €50s in a supermarket.
Who the regulars recommend
- Kutxabank, Old TownThe cash machine regulars name year after year as free from the Spanish side for UK cards, still in 2026. A good walk from Rincón de Loix.
- Exchange counters in the indoor market, including Andy's and Brenda's (no relation)Regulars rate them the best place in town to change pounds and dollars, and they'll break big notes. Check they're still open.
- Bodega El Barril (the wine barrel), Avenida del MediterráneoWas quoting €1.135 to the pound in January 2026, a good rate for the seafront. Check it's still changing money.
- Santander machines, for UK Santander customers2026 visitors with UK Santander accounts withdraw free here, in the Old Town and on Avenida del Mediterráneo near Rincón.
- Fee-free cards such as Chase, Starling, Halifax Clarity or WiseThe cards regulars use to get the best rate from a free bank machine and to pay in euros.
Watch out for
- The free-standing cash machines on busy streets charge about €5 to €7 a withdrawal; walk on to a bank machine.
- Bank machines can charge too if you're not that bank's customer: read the screen before you confirm.
- Never accept the offer to be charged in pounds, at a cash machine or a card reader.
- Small bars may refuse €50 notes at night; carry tens and twenties.
- Cover your PIN every time; thieves watch first, then steal the phone or card.
Which cash machines don't charge?
Bank machines, and above all Kutxabank in the Old Town. Reports from 2024 to 2026 agree: the free-standing machines on busy streets are the expensive ones, at about €5 to €7 a withdrawal, which is why there are so many of them. Kutxabank in the Old Town is the machine named again and again as free from the Spanish side for UK cards, and with a fee-free card it gives the best rate in town. UK Santander customers say they use Santander machines in Spain free of charge, including one in the Old Town and one on Avenida del Mediterráneo near Rincón de Loix. Your own bank may still add a fee, so check before you go.
Should I say yes when the machine offers pounds?
No. This is the tip regulars repeat most. When a cash machine or card reader offers to charge you in pounds, it uses its own exchange rate, which is nearly always worse. Choose euros, sometimes shown as 'without conversion', and let your card do the exchange. The same goes for card machines in restaurants and shops.
Is it better to change cash at home or in Benidorm?
In Benidorm, if you change cash at all. In 2025 one visitor changed £200 at a UK counter and got €210 back, about €1.05 to the pound. In Benidorm, a counter on Avenida del Mediterráneo was quoting €1.135 in January 2026, and €1.17 was reported in March 2025. Regulars say the exchange counters in the indoor market give the best rate for pounds and US dollars. Take your passport, as counters usually ask for ID. For a week's beer money the difference is small; on larger sums it adds up.
Does everywhere take cards?
Most places do now, and many visitors pay by phone. But small bars and cafés still prefer cash, because they pay a fee on each card payment, and some visitors say they end up guessing which bars will take a card. The common habit is cash for a few drinks and a coffee, card for restaurants and bigger shops. Hotels may ask for payment or a deposit on arrival, so check your booking before you land.
What do I do with €50 and €100 notes?
Ask the machine for odd amounts. One 2026 visitor took out €400 and got seven €50 notes, and small bars, especially late at night when they're busy, may refuse big notes. Ask for €130 rather than €150 so the machine has to give smaller notes, and break larger notes in a supermarket during the day. More machines now give €10 notes than a few years ago, which helps. For €100 notes, ask an exchange counter in the indoor market or a bank to change them.
How do I keep my cash and cards safe?
Carry what you need for the day and leave the rest in the hotel safe. Cover your PIN at every machine and on your phone, because thieves watch first and steal later. Keep cards and cash in different pockets, and if a card goes missing, freeze it in your banking app at once. The SATE police office for tourists on Calle Gerona will help you report it and cancel cards.
What the regulars say
- Withdraw an odd amount, like €130 not €150, to get smaller notes.
- Always choose to be charged in euros at the cash machine and the card reader.
- Use a bank's own machine, not a stand-alone one on the main drag.
- Carry cash for bars and cafés, and use your card for restaurants and bigger shops.
- Take your passport if you're changing money at a counter.
The numbers
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Stand-alone cash machine charge | about €5 to €7 a withdrawal | visitor reports, 2025–2026 |
| Exchange rate on Avenida del Mediterráneo | €1.135 per £1 | visitor reports, January 2026 |
| Exchange rate in Benidorm | €1.17 per £1 | visitor reports, March 2025 |
| £200 changed at a UK counter | €210 | visitor reports, 2025 |
| €400 from a cash machine | seven €50 notes plus change | visitor reports, 2026 |
Reader figures are what visitors reported in that year. We have not checked them ourselves unless the source says so.
Your other questions, answered
2026Which cash machines have low or no fees?
Bank machines, not the free-standing ones on busy streets, which charge about €5 to €7. Kutxabank in the Old Town is the one regulars say is still free from the Spanish side.
2026Is it better to pay by card or take euros?
Both. Card or phone for restaurants and shops, cash for small bars and cafés, which still prefer it.
2026We're in Rincón de Loix: where's a free machine?
Kutxabank in the Old Town is a good walk away but free. If you bank with Santander in the UK, visitors use the Santander machine on Avenida del Mediterráneo near Rincón free.
2026Can I change Canadian dollars?
Try the exchange counters in the indoor market, which regulars rate for changing foreign notes, and compare the board rate. A Canadian card may not get free withdrawals even at Kutxabank, so ask your bank.
2025Will pubs and clubs take €50 notes?
Most will in the day, but small bars may refuse them late at night. Break them in a supermarket and ask the machine for odd amounts.
2025Where can I change sterling in the Old Town?
At the exchange counters in the indoor market, which regulars rate best for pounds. Take your passport.
2025Which pre-loaded card for two months a year?
Regulars use fee-free cards such as Wise, Starling or Chase at a bank machine and always choose euros. Check your card's limits on free withdrawals.
2025Will someone swap my €100 notes for smaller ones?
Ask at a bank or an exchange counter in the indoor market. Spending one in a supermarket during the day works too.
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