How much does K&H Bank charge foreign cards at ATMs?

K&H Bank adds no operator surcharge on foreign-card withdrawals at its ATMs, so you get forint at the Visa or Mastercard interbank rate and pay only your home bank's fees (a foreign-transaction fee of 1-3 percent on a standard US debit card, or zero with Wise or Charles Schwab). The machines that do charge a fee in Hungary are the orange Euronet units and the private Euro Change booths aimed at tourists, not K&H's ATMs. Decline DCC, choose forint, and ignore any large pre-set withdrawal amount.

Is K&H Bank in the Global ATM Alliance?

No, and neither is any other Hungarian bank. Hungary has no member of the Bank of America Global ATM Alliance, so a Bank of America debit card pays BoA's standard 3 percent non-network fee at a K&H ATM, with nothing added on the K&H side. There is no fee-free option for BoA cards in Hungary. A no-foreign-transaction-fee card such as Wise or Schwab is the cleaner setup, and Schwab refunds ATM operator fees if you get cornered into a Euronet machine.

Do I need cash in Hungary, or can I just use a card?

Hungary is card-friendly: contactless cards pay for the metro, trams and buses, the 100E airport bus, restaurants, ruin bars, supermarkets, and most shops. You can run most of a Budapest trip on a card. Cash still helps at the Great Market Hall and other markets, some thermal-bath extras, smaller cash-only eateries, and as a tipping backup, so keep a small forint float. A K&H ATM is the surcharge-free way to get it; avoid the orange Euronet machines and the Euro Change booths, and decline DCC.

Will my US debit card work at K&H Bank ATMs?

Yes, as long as it carries a Visa, Mastercard, Plus, or Cirrus logo, all of which K&H accepts. The ATMs have an English-language option and support 4-digit PINs. Most US banks no longer require a travel notice for Hungary, though setting a travel flag in your banking app is still sensible. Decline DCC (the 'charge in your home currency' offer), choose Hungarian forint, and pick your own amount rather than a large default.

K&H Bank for Travelers: A Major KBC-Owned Hungarian Bank, No ATM Surcharge

Q: What is K&H Bank, and who owns it?

K&H Bank (Kereskedelmi es Hitelbank, the Commercial and Credit Bank) is one of Hungary's largest banks, headquartered in Budapest. It is wholly owned by KBC Group, the Belgian bancassurance group, which makes K&H the Hungarian arm of the same company behind KBC in Belgium. For a traveler the relevant facts are its wide ATM network across Budapest and the major cities, and that it adds no operator surcharge on foreign cards, giving forint at the interbank rate.

🇭🇺 This is the brand hub for K&H Bank. For the bigger picture on the Hungarian forint, the surcharge-free bank ATMs, the orange-Euronet and Euro-Change traps, and the no-Bank-of-America-Alliance gap, see the Hungary Money Guide. For exact ATM areas, see the Budapest ATM Guide. For card-acceptance and the BKK transit detail, see the Budapest Money Guide. For the largest network, see the OTP Bank guide. K&H's Belgian parent runs the KBC guide too. Flying in? Budapest Ferenc Liszt (BUD) airport guide.

🎧 Order HUF Before You Fly

Land with a small forint float so your first machine isn't the airport Euronet. Insured 2–5 day shipping.

Order HUF → CEI Currency Exchange

What K&H Bank is, in one paragraph

K&H Bank (Kereskedelmi és Hitelbank, the "Commercial and Credit Bank") is one of Hungary's largest banks, headquartered in Budapest and a fixture of the Hungarian high street for decades. Its distinguishing fact is its ownership: K&H is wholly owned by KBC Group, the Belgian bancassurance group, making it the Hungarian arm of the same company behind KBC back in Belgium. That gives K&H the backing and product depth of a large Western European group while operating as a fully local Hungarian bank. For US travelers the practical points are simple: K&H runs a wide ATM and branch network across Budapest and the major cities, and it adds no operator surcharge on foreign-card withdrawals, so you get forint at the interbank rate. As with every Hungarian bank, the real money-saver is choosing a K&H machine over the orange Euronet units and the private Euro Change booths.

What K&H Bank charges foreign cards

Fee component	Amount	Paid to
K&H operator fee (foreign card)	0 HUF	K&H adds no operator surcharge
Exchange rate	Mid-market (interbank)	Visa or Mastercard network
Visa / Mastercard network fee	~1%	Card network, baked into total
Your home bank's foreign ATM fee	$2-5	Your home bank, unless waived (Schwab, Wise)
Your home bank's FX conversion fee	1-3%	Your home bank, unless 0% FX card
DCC markup (if accepted)	+5-12%	Always decline. Pick forint every time the screen offers your home currency.

K&H machines carry the K&H wordmark. Ignore any large pre-set amount; enter your own. Hungary has no BoA Alliance partner, so BoA debit pays BoA's 3% anywhere. Avoid the orange Euronet units and the Euro Change booths.

KBC's Hungarian bank, and why any bank ATM beats Euronet

K&H's Belgian ownership is more than trivia: it means the same group you might bank with in Brussels runs your Budapest ATM, and the no-surcharge, interbank-rate behaviour is consistent. What matters most in Hungary, though, is not which local bank you pick but that you pick a real bank at all. Budapest's centre and airport are dense with bright-orange Euronet machines that add an operator fee, push dynamic currency conversion, and default to very large forint amounts, and with private Euro Change booths posting some of the worst exchange spreads in Europe. A K&H ATM does none of that. On the ground, look for the K&H wordmark, or any of the other Hungarian bank logos (OTP, Erste, Raiffeisen, MBH), and walk past the orange units and the "no commission" booths.

Bank of America customers should note there is no fee-free ATM in Hungary at all: with no Hungarian BoA Alliance partner, a BoA card pays its 3 percent non-network fee even at K&H. That is one more reason to bring a Wise or Schwab card and keep withdrawals modest, since a card covers most spending here anyway.

Where to find K&H Bank in Budapest and beyond

District V

Beláros & Lipótváros

K&H branches and ATMs around the central core and the main squares. An easy place to find a surcharge-free machine downtown. Covered in the Budapest ATM Guide.

District XIII

K&H head office

K&H's headquarters sits in the Lehel / Váci út business corridor; branches and ATMs run throughout the central and inner-Pest districts.

Transit hubs

Keleti, Nyugati & metro

K&H ATMs around the major rail stations and metro interchanges, handy on arrival from the airport bus.

Malls

WestEnd & Aréna

K&H machines in the big Budapest shopping centres, a reliable surcharge-free option away from the tourist traps.

Nationwide

Debrecen, Szeged, Győr

K&H has wide coverage across Hungary, with branches and ATMs in the major regional cities.

Budapest Airport

BUD Ferenc Liszt arrivals

K&H ATMs in the BUD arrivals hall, surcharge-free on foreign cards. Avoid the orange Euronet machines and the Euro Change booths nearby. See the BUD airport guide.

K&H Bank vs OTP Bank: the actual decision

	K&H Bank	OTP Bank
Foreign-card operator fee	0 HUF	0 HUF
BoA Global ATM Alliance partner	No (none in Hungary)	No (none in Hungary)
Network size	Among the largest	Largest in Hungary
Ownership	KBC Group (Belgium)	Listed; Hungarian-controlled
Regional reach	Hungary-focused	Biggest group in Central & Eastern Europe
Best coverage	Strong in Budapest and the cities	Densest nationwide

Decision tree: for cost they are identical (both surcharge-free, neither a BoA Alliance partner), so use whichever machine is nearest. OTP has the densest network, so it is the one you will spot first; K&H is close behind and just as cheap. The rule that actually saves money in Hungary is bank-vs-Euronet, not K&H-vs-OTP.

Best card pairing with K&H Bank

Wise is the workhorse, K&H is the cash backup

Because you will pay for most things by card in Hungary, the card matters more than the ATM. A Wise debit card gives zero FX markup and the real interbank forint rate at every terminal, and when you want cash, a K&H ATM dispenses it surcharge-free. Hungary has no BoA Alliance partner, so a no-FX-fee card is clearly the best tool here.

Get the Wise Card →

Charles Schwab Investor Checking

Schwab adds zero foreign-transaction fee and refunds ATM operator fees worldwide, so even if you are forced to use an orange Euronet machine, Schwab rebates the operator fee. Combined with K&H's zero, Schwab + K&H is an effectively free Hungarian withdrawal. Still decline DCC, choose forint, and pick your own amount.

Bank of America debit (no Alliance waiver in Hungary)

Hungary has no BoA Global ATM Alliance partner, so a BoA card pays its 3 percent non-network fee even at K&H. There is no fee-free Hungarian ATM for BoA cards; a no-FX-fee card is the better option.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does K&H charge foreign cards at ATMs?

No operator surcharge, at the interbank rate. You pay only your home-bank fees, which are zero on a Wise or Schwab card. The orange Euronet machines and Euro Change booths, not K&H, are the ones that charge.

Is K&H in the Global ATM Alliance?

No, and no Hungarian bank is. A BoA card pays its 3% non-network fee at K&H. A no-FX-fee card is the better tool.

What is K&H Bank, and who owns it?

One of Hungary's largest banks, headquartered in Budapest, wholly owned by Belgium's KBC Group.

Do I need cash in Hungary?

Not much. Cards cover most spending and transit. Keep a small forint float from a K&H ATM for markets, baths, and tips.

Will my US debit card work at K&H ATMs?

Yes, with a Visa, Mastercard, Plus, or Cirrus logo. English option, 4-digit PINs. Decline DCC, choose forint, pick your own amount.

How does K&H compare with OTP?

Cost-identical (both surcharge-free, neither a BoA partner). OTP has the densest network; K&H is close behind. The real rule is bank-vs-Euronet.

The K&H + Wise Combo

Surcharge-free K&H ATMs plus Wise zero FX markup, in a card-friendly country where you will mostly just tap.