Overseas spending rises as Brits prioritise travel, with Barclays launching fee-free FX for Premier customers

Evidence tier: A1 Evidence type: Auto-discovered official publication Source: Barclays News Official publication date: 2026-09-25 Captured: 2026-10-05T05:38:27.839Z

• Spending abroad increased 2.2 per cent in H1 2026, despite ongoing cost-of-living pressures and geopolitical uncertainty
• Travellers are changing destinations rather than cancelling holidays, with spending shifting away from parts of the Middle East towards emerging European hotspots such as Albania and Bulgaria as customers look for ‘hidden gems’ and better value for money
• As overseas travel demand remains strong, Barclays introduces fee-free FX spending for Premier customers using their debit card from 28 September

New Barclays Consumer Spend data reveals that Brits are continuing to prioritise holidays and overseas travel in 2026, with spending abroad up despite ongoing cost-of-living pressures and geopolitical uncertainty.

Barclays debit and credit card spending overseas increased 2.2 per cent in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year1, while international spending accounted for a slightly larger share of overall spend, rising from 5.0 per cent to 5.1 per cent.

Customers are still keen to travel in 2026, but we’ve seen the choice of destination change. While Spain, France, Italy and Greece stayed firmly in favour, emerging hotspots such as Albania, Bulgaria and Montenegro entered the top 20 as customers look for ‘hidden gems’ and better value for money2. Further afield, spending fell sharply in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, reflecting changing travel preferences following the Middle East conflict, with Japan, China and Australia all climbing the rankings instead. We also saw a spike in travel to the USA, supported by the FIFA World Cup.

The findings build on Barclays research showing that consumers continue to place a high value on travel experiences. Almost half (49 per cent) value holidays more than they did 10 years ago, while a third (33 per cent) now spend a greater share of their income on getaways. Despite high demand for travel abroad, 36 per cent of people still prefer staycations, supported by hybrid work and cost-conscious choices, and 30 per cent say their travel spend is more influenced by online content than a decade ago.

The latest Barclays Consumer Spend data also points to renewed momentum over the summer as consumers’ confidence in both their household finances and spend on non-essentials improved in August, demonstrated by a 2.1 per cent growth in card spending3 – a 13-month high. As part of this, travel spending saw a considerable rebound in August by 3.1 per cent.

With more customers spending overseas, Barclays is introducing fee-free foreign exchange spending on debit cards for Premier customers from 28 September, making spending more convenient and helping customers make the most of their money when travelling abroad.

The fee-free FX follows Barclays continued enhancement of its Premier offering, such as the recent introduction of Barclays' Planning and Advice service and new Premier savings and mortgage rates. Other Premier benefits include free Apple TV, access to Barclays Experiences and higher payment limits.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Across its issuing and acquiring businesses, Barclays sees nearly 40 per cent of the nation’s credit and debit card transactions, which provides us with unique insight into UK consumer spending. Unless stated otherwise, this press release is based on consumer card spending data from Barclays’ issuing business – i.e. Barclays debit card and Barclaycard credit card transactions:

11st January-30th June 2026 in comparison to 1st January-30th June 2025

21st January-31st August 2026 in comparison to 1st January-31st August 2025

324th July-20th August 2026 in comparison to 25th July-21st August 2025

The Barclays Consumer Spend research was carried out between 18th-21st February 2025, by Opinium Research on behalf of Barclays. There were 2,000 respondents, providing a representative sample of UK consumers by age, gender, region, and income group.

Fee-free FX details

• The offer is available from 28 September 2026 to 27 September 2027. 
• The offer will be applied automatically, provided the customer uses an eligible black Premier debit card.
• Eligible card purchases, cash withdrawals and online purchases in a foreign currency made using a black Premier debit card qualify. 
• Exchange rates and other fees may still apply.
• Cash withdrawals abroad may still incur a fee from the cash machine provider. 
• Travel Wallet top-ups continue to attract applicable fees. 
• Customers need to pay using their black Premier debit card to qualify. Other Barclays cards aren't included, and the usual foreign transaction fees will continue to apply when you use them. Exchange rates and other fees may still apply. Fees still apply when adding money to a Travel Wallet, and some overseas cash machine providers may charge a fee for cash withdrawals. 
• Terms apply.

For more information, please contact Amelia Anderson at amelia.anderson@barclays.com

About Barclays

Our vision is to be the UK-centred leader in global finance. We are a diversified bank with comprehensive UK consumer, corporate and wealth and private banking franchises, a leading investment bank and a strong, specialist US consumer bank. Through these five divisions, we are working together for a better financial future for our customers, clients and communities.

For further information about Barclays, please visit our website home.barclays.