Melbourne Airport (MEL) ATMs and Currency Exchange

Australia · MEL airport money guide

Melbourne Airport (MEL) ATMs and Currency Exchange: Australia Airport Money Guide

This guide lists every ATM and currency exchange point we could confirm at Melbourne Airport, sorted by terminal and by which side of security it sits on. Use the finder above to filter by terminal. Below, you will find how to get Australian dollar (AUD) at the lowest cost, whether you are landing in Melbourne or only passing through MEL on a connection, and which screens and counters to say no to.

Melbourne Airport has ATMs from the major Australian banks across the terminals, often near the exits and the SkyBus ticket counters. Currency exchange at Melbourne is provided by Travelex, with desks in the international terminal (T2) and across the airport, and you can pre-order currency online for collection. Where to find ATMs and currency exchange across Melbourne’s four terminals, which option gives the best rate, and how much cash you need for Melbourne.

Terminal financial overview

Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) has four terminals — T2 for international flights and T1, T3 and T4 for domestic — largely under one roof. Getting Australian dollars is easy, but a bank ATM beats the exchange desks for most travellers. This guide shows where the machines and Travelex counters sit, how to keep fees down, and how to pay your way into the city.

Melbourne has four terminals: T2 for international flights, and T1 (Qantas), T3 (Virgin) and T4 (Jetstar, Rex and others) for domestic. T1 to T3 sit in one connected building; T4 is a short walk away. Walking between terminals can take time, so allow for it.

Every terminal has ATMs, and Travelex serves the international terminal and the wider airport, so you can get dollars wherever you land. Because walking between terminals can take a while, sort out cash in your own terminal rather than planning to cross.

Across 4 terminals, this page lists 6 ATM locations (2 airside, 4 landside) and 4 exchange counter, kiosk or machines (0 airside, 4 landside). Terminal 2 (International) has the widest choice.

• Terminal 2 (International): International flights. 2 ATM locations, 1 exchange point.
• Terminal 1 (Qantas domestic): Qantas domestic flights. 2 ATM locations, 1 exchange point.
• Terminal 3 (Virgin domestic): Virgin Australia domestic flights. 1 ATM location, 1 exchange point.
• Terminal 4 (Jetstar and Rex): Low-cost domestic flights. 1 ATM location, 1 exchange point.

Inside vs. outside security strategy

For the best value, withdraw Australian dollars from a bank ATM and choose dollars rather than your home currency. If you are connecting airside, the departure-area ATMs cover you. If you are arriving, an arrivals ATM is quickest before the SkyBus or taxi. Use Travelex when you need another currency or your card is not working.

As a rule at MEL: withdraw AUD from a bank ATM landside when you arrive, buy only small amounts at a counter, and sell leftover Australian dollars back before security when you leave. Airside counters exist for convenience, not value, and once you are through passport control you cannot walk back out to compare.

Avoiding Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) markups

Dynamic Currency Conversion is the offer to charge a foreign card in its home currency instead of AUD. It looks helpful because you see a familiar number, but the ATM or shop sets the exchange rate, and it is usually several percent worse than the rate Visa or Mastercard would apply. Airports are where most travellers meet it first.

Whenever an airport ATM or a card terminal offers to charge you in your home currency instead of Australian dollars, decline it and choose Australian dollars. That “convenience” option, called Dynamic Currency Conversion, lets the machine set its own exchange rate, which is typically 3–7% worse than the rate your own bank or card network would use. Paying in the local currency always routes the conversion through your card network (Visa, Mastercard), which is almost always cheaper.

1. At an ATM, when the screen asks to convert or offers a "guaranteed rate", choose decline or without conversion.
2. At a card terminal, if asked "AUD or your currency?", pick AUD. If staff choose for you, ask them to redo it.
3. Read the operator fee on the ATM screen before you confirm. If it is high, cancel and try another bank's machine.
4. Check your receipt: a printed exchange rate or the word "DCC" means a conversion was applied.

Local cash vs. card tips for Melbourne

You need very little cash in Melbourne. Cards and contactless are accepted almost everywhere, including public transport (via a Myki card in the city), taxis and shops. Keep around A$20–A$40 in small notes for the occasional cash-only cafe or market. Tipping is not expected in Australia: rounding up or around 10% for excellent restaurant service is a bonus rather than the norm.

Before you fly, check two things with your bank: the foreign transaction fee on card payments and the fee for overseas ATM withdrawals. A card that waives both makes paying in AUD the cheapest way to spend in Australia. Tell your bank you are travelling if it still asks, carry a backup card from a different network, and keep the airport counter for small top-ups only.

Prices and operators at airports change. We checked this page against the official Melbourne Airport and operator listings on 20 October 2026; confirm hours on the airport's own map on the day you travel.