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Revolut Travel Card Review – The Best Travel Money Card?

My Revolut card review is based on a year of using it in 10 different countries. Here's what I like about the Revolut travel card, what can be improved, and why I think you should consider it as a travel money card.

Revolut Travel Card Review

Have you ever noticed, that when it comes to getting hold of travel money you get ripped off no matter what you seem to do?

Whether it's your bank charging a fee you hadn't heard of before, or a crazy exchange rate that bears no relation to reality, they seem to get you in the end. And don't get me started on airport currency exchange rates!

Surely, there must be some way to get an honest currency exchange rate?

Well, there is now, thanks to the Revolut cash card .

We've been using the Revolut cards for a little over a year, and they were our main cards to get hold of travel money during our 5-month-trip in SE Asia. Here's an explanation of how the Revolut card works, and our honest review.

What is the Revolut account?

There's two ways to look at what the Revolut account is.

One, is to think of the Revolut account as a current account that can be easily managed through your mobile phone. The big bonus here being that you can store money in different currencies. They also provide banking details for different currencies which is great for me, as I can use it as a way to receive payments into my online business.

The second, and perhaps simplest way to think of the Revolut card for most people, is that it is a pre-paid travel card. You can make transfers into the Revolut card from your bank account, and then convert it into any currency you like (well, within reason).

The truth is, it's both things, and offers a great deal of flexibility for anyone wanting to store different currencies, or who has travel plans.

The Revolut Card itself

The Revolut account comes with a card, either Visa or Mastercard, which you can use as a debit card for purchases, or for ATM withdrawals.

As we opened our accounts a year ago, I can't honestly remember if we had a choice between the two, or were given what came. However it was, I have a Visa Revolut Card, and Vanessa has a Revolut Mastercard.

The Revolut card acts as a debit card, and you can only withdraw or spend money that is available in the account. You can easily monitor the account in the Revolut app you'll need to download to a smartphone.

You can apply for a Revolut card here : Get Revolut Card

Opening a Revolut account is really straightforward and quick. You will need to provide your address and passport, and you will be sent your card in the post in a few days.

The Revolut App

The app is where you can monitor the holdings in your Revolut account. After transferring money in, you can leave it in its original currency, or exchange it straight away.

The app is very simple to use, and if you have an internet connection, will even give you real time updates when you withdraw money or spend money on the card.

Why should I open a Revolut account?

People who travel a lot can really benefit from a Revolut account, as it offers a very easy way to spend money abroad. You can send money from your primary bank account to your Revolut account, and then use your Revolut card the same way you would use any other card.

The main difference when using a Revolut card vs a bank card, is that the rate offered is interbank exchange rate, i.e. a fair rate. Depending on your bank and the type of card you have with them, you will probably discover that a Revolut card gives you a much better exchange rate, and smaller handling fees.

Why a Revolut Card was best for Vanessa

In Vanessa’s case, every Greek bank has its own policy when withdrawing or spending money abroad. Revolut rates and handling fees were much better than any of the four Greek banks she asked, for debit as well as credit cards.

Additionally, most of the Greek banks clearly stated that, even when a customer informed them in advance that they would travel abroad for an extended period of time, they could still deactivate the card if they noticed “suspicious activity” and couldn’t get in touch with the customer via the registered phone number.

Therefore, Revolut was really the easiest way to spend money abroad.

Why a Revolut Account was almost the best for Dave

In my case, I have a Halifax Clarity card from the UK. This card gives a perfect exchange rate with no fees, in a similar fashion to Revolut. What makes the Clarity card a winner over Revolut for me, is I can withdraw an unlimited amount of cash without additional fees. 

The downside to my Halifax card, is that I have to pay the amount off the same day using my online banking app in order to avoid interest charges. This is a pain, especially when travelling countries with poor connection!

So, I found the Revolut card to be a useful addition to my ‘travel toolkit', and of course it's always good to have multiple cards just in case when you travel!

How much does it cost to open a Revolut account?

We found it quite hard to believe, but opening a basic Revolut account is totally free of charge. This includes the card itself, which is perhaps what separates Revolut from other pre-paid travel cards.

OK, so what's the catch?

Well, nothing is ever entirely perfect, right?!

If you go for the basic (free) version of Revolut, you can withdraw up to 200 pounds or euro per month for free at ATMs, while for any excess there will be a fee of 2%.

However, you can still use the Revolut card as a debit card, and there are no Revolut card fees for amounts of up to 6,000 euro a month.

Revolut Card Fees

Apart from the free basic version, there are two types of upgrades that you can look into.

These are definitely worth it, especially for people travelling often for up to 40 continuous days.

If you choose any of the “premium” or “metal” upgrades, you will get a higher withdrawal limit (400 euro and 600 euro, respectively).

Many other perks, such as travel and medical insurance and a few others, are also included. In our case, travelling for five months, this wasn’t applicable, so we just went with the basic free version of Revolut which suited us just fine.

Why do you need a mobile phone to use the Revolut card?

Technically speaking, as soon as you apply to get your Revolut plastic card, you don’t really need to use a phone in order to spend your money. However, the phone is essential in order to monitor your transactions, and it’s also the only way to manually exchange money from one currency to another.

As an example, if you have GBP stored in your Revolut account and expect the GBP to drop vs the Euro, you can convert all your GBPs into Euros.

All transactions with your card are recorded instantly on the app, and you will always get an instant notification as soon as you make a payment, or whenever you are online next. We often received the notification before getting the paper receipt!

The phone is also necessary if you want to send money to a friend, transfer money to the Revolut account from another account, or vice versa.

Finally, if you need to freeze your card, it is easy to do it through the app. So if your card is stolen, lost or misplaced, you can quickly freeze it and request a new one.

Revolut and cryptocurrencies

People who are using cryptocurrencies will be pleased to know that Revolut can currently be used with Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Ethereum and XRP.

However, I personally don't think this is worth it right now, as you can't transfer in crypto from outside wallets. The day that happens, Revolut will be truly revolutionary!

Our experience with the Revolut card

Quite honestly, we can’t recommend the Revolut card highly enough. We had both a Mastercard and a Visa during our trip, and we used both of them interchangeably.

In our five months of travelling to countries such as Myanmar , Vietnam , Thailand and Singapore , there were only 2 instances where our card was rejected when trying to pay by debit card. 

As for ATMs, some of them didn’t accept a Mastercard, so we used the Visa instead – but that has nothing to do with Revolut itself.

At one point, we had to get in touch with customer service – this was all through the app, and it was quick and easy. It turned out that there was a glitch in the system at that time, and they promised to fix it soon, which they did. So, 5 stars for customer experience!

While it was a little frustrating to have to pay the 2% fee for ATM withdrawals of over 200 euro a month, it was still very little compared to any Greek ATM card. And the amount of times we did that was still cheaper than paying the monthly fee. And a LOT cheaper than using airport currency changers!

Overall, we totally suggest that you get a Revolut card, even if you don’t travel too often – it’s free, it’s generally accepted everywhere, and it’s hassle free.

Related posts on saving money when traveling:

• Money in Greece
• How much does it cost to cycle around the world
• How to book a Santorini hotel without breaking the bank
• Travel budget for a bike tour in Europe

3 thoughts on “Revolut Travel Card Review – The Best Travel Money Card?”

It’s a prepaid card Writing on the back Some car rental will not accept prepaid card

Beside that Great

Hello dave,

Obviously you are one of the lucky ones who did not have any problems during your travel.

Think of all the other customers of revolut bank who have their accounts locked during their travel. And have no access to their accounts.

And also think about the customers who have problems with transferring money that are missing or take too long to access their monies.

Think of the customers who are having problems accessing their live agents with poor customer services.

I can only write about my experiences, and so far they have all been positive. Like every bank, product or service there’s going to be people who have negative experiences, and it sounds like you are one of those. I hope whatever went wrong was resolved for you!

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Revolut travel card review: Rates, fees & limits [2024]

The Revolut travel card is a multi-currency card you can use for convenient spending and withdrawals in the US and when you’re abroad.

This guide walks through everything you need to know about how the Revolut travel card works, its key features and benefits, and the fees associated with using it. We’ll also touch on some alternatives to use abroad, such as the Wise travel card, as a comparison.

Revolut travel card: key features

Revolut offers 3 different account plans

• The Standard plan has no monthly fee to pay, while the Premium and Metal account plans have monthly costs, but also include more features and higher no-fee transaction limits.
• All accounts come with a travel card for spending and withdrawals, but the exact card type you get will depend on the account tier you choose. With the highest tier of account you get an exclusive solid steel Metal card, while all account types can also opt for a personalized card.
• Virtual cards are also available on all account plans, which can be used for mobile and online spending, and added to a walleye like Apple Pay.

We’ll walk through the Revolut travel card in detail throughout this guide, including how it works at home and abroad.

Go to Revolut Here are a few pros and cons of the Revolut travel card to kickstart our full review:

The Revolut travel card offers an easy and flexible way to hold, spend and exchange multiple currencies, with just your card and your phone. You’ll be able to choose the plan that suits your specific needs and transaction requirements, including some with no monthly costs associated. Once you’ve opened a verified account you can order your physical card in the Revolut app, and start spending right away online or using a mobile wallet, with your virtual card.

Who is the Revolut travel card for?

The Revolut travel card can suit frequent travelers as well as anyone living, studying or working abroad. You may want to get a Revolut travel card if:

• You’re a traveler spending in foreign currencies often
• You love to shop online at home and abroad
• You want a virtual card for security
• You’d prefer to manage your money using just your phone

Go to Revolut

What is a Revolut travel card?

The Revolut travel card is a payment card linked to a Revolut digital account. There are several different Revolut cards which are issued with different Revolut account plans – all are debit cards, and all can be used for global spending and cash withdrawals.

If you are looking for more information about Revolut: Revolut review

Is the Revolut Travel card a multi-currency card?

Yes. You can hold around 25 currencies in the Revolut account and spend conveniently in multiple currencies around the world.

Compare the Revolut travel money card to alternative options like the Wise travel money card , to see which suits you best. More on that, next.

Alternatives to Revolut travel card

Non-bank providers like Revolut can be a cost effective way to spend at home and abroad. They’ve often got fairly low fees, and tend to be innovative, offering some helpful and unusual account features to suit different customer needs.

Here’s a quick look at how Revolut lines up on features and fees against a couple of other non-bank services from Wise and Chime .

*Information correct at time of writing, 13th October 2023

Go to Revolut Go to Wise

Wise travel card

Hold 40+ currencies and spend in 150+ countries, with mid-market rate currency conversion, no minimum balance and no monthly fees. You can open your Wise account online and order a card for home delivery. Use your card to spend and make cash withdrawals globally, and get instant in-app notifications to keep on top of your finances.

Go to Wise  

Learn more: Wise card review

Chime debit card

Chime accounts have no monthly fees and no minimum balance. In fact there are very few fees to worry about at all. You can only hold USD in your Chime account, but you’ll still be able to use your card around the world to spend in any currency. Your overseas spending will be converted back to USD using the network exchange rate with no foreign transaction fee.

Revolut travel card fees & spending limits

As with any travel card, there are some fees involved in using the Revolut travel card. There are also a few limits applied to keep customers and their accounts safe. Here’s a rundown of the limits for the Revolut travel card:

*Details correct at the time of research – 13th October 2023

Here are the Revolut travel card fees you’ll need to be familiar with:

Exchange rates

All Revolut accounts have some currency exchange every month which uses the mid-market exchange rate. Standard plan holders can convert up to 1,000 USD a month, Premium plan holders can get 10,000 USD a month and Metal plan holders have unlimited conversion with the mid-market rate.

It’s important to note that out of hours conversion fees apply, which means you pay 1% extra when exchanging currencies at the weekend or overnight. If your plan has a limited amount of mid-market rate conversion, you’ll be charged a 0.5% fair usage fee once this is exceeded.

How to get Revolut travel card

To order your Revolut travel card you’ll need to have an active Revolut account. Download the Revolut app, and you can get your new account in just a few taps, by entering your personal information and getting verified.

Once you’ve got your Revolut account set up all you need to do is open the Revolut app and go to the ‘Cards’ tab. Here you’ll see the option to get a physical or virtual card, and to create a card PIN.

What documents you’ll need

To verify your Revolut account you’ll need to upload a selfie and a photo of one of the following documents:

• Driving license

If you don’t have these documents available, you can reach out to Revolut to understand which other documents may be used in your specific situation.

What happens when the card expires?

Revolut will contact you 28 days before your card is due to expire, so you can order a new one in good time. Standard shipping has no fee when getting a new card to replace an expiring Revolut travel card.

How to use a Revolut travel card?

The Revolut travel card is a debit card issued on either the Visa or Mastercard network. That means you can use it to pay or make a withdrawal anywhere you see the logo of your card’s network being displayed, globally. You’ll also be able to add your card or your virtual card to your preferred mobile wallet for on the go payments.

How to withdraw cash with a Revolut travel card?

To make an ATM withdrawal with a Revolut travel card you’ll need to first find an ATM that supports your card network. You can then just insert the card into the ATM and enter your PIN, then the amount you want to withdraw. Easy.

Is the card safe?

Yes. The Revolut card in the US is issued under license by either Visa or Mastercard, with banking services offered by Metropolitan Commercial bank which is FDIC insured.*

*Money loaded on your prepaid card is held at Metropolitan Commercial Bank, and is FDIC insured up to $250,000 in the event of Metropolitan Commercial Bank’s failure. Securities products are not FDIC Insured, not bank guaranteed and may lose value.

How to use the Revolut travel card overseas?

You can spend with your Revolut travel card in about 150 countries , anywhere the card network is accepted. If you hold the currency you need in your account there’s no fee, but an exchange or fair usage fee may apply in some situations – if you’ve exhausted your monthly currency exchange limits, or if you’re exchanging out of hours for example.

If Revolut doesn’t support holding the currency you need, it’s worth checking out Wise which has a broader selection of 40+ currencies for holding and exchange.

Conclusion: is the Revolut travel card worth it?

The Revolut travel card is a flexible option for holding 25+ currencies and spending globally in 150+ countries. Depending on the account tier you select you may pay a monthly fee, and some transaction fees are also likely to apply. Compare the Revolut travel card against some alternatives like the Wise travel card and the Chime debit card to see which suits you best.

The Wise card may suit you if you’re looking for a powerful international account that can hold 40+ currencies, and receive payments in multiple currencies with local bank details. Chime may be a good pick for customers looking for a USD account with pretty much no fees to pay which you can use at home and abroad.

Revolut travel card review FAQ

How does the Revolut travel card work?

The Revolut travel card is linked to a digital account you can hold about 25 currencies in. Add money to your account in USD and then you can start spending and making withdrawals globally.

Is the Revolut travel card an international card?

Yes. The Revolut travel card supports spending in about 150 countries, and you can hold 25+ currencies in your account.

Are there any alternatives to a Revolut travel card?

Other non-bank providers like Wise and Chime also offer spending cards which have their own features and fees. It’s worth comparing these against the Revolut travel card to see which suits you best.

My Honest Revolut Travel Card Review: Pros & Cons of Revolut

Posted on Last updated: March 21, 2024

I will gladly admit that 1/3 of my success in life is simply me being in the right place at the right time.  I found Revolut at a Tech startup conference in London earlier this year and they told me about their money cloud program.

Basically, you save money while traveling because Revolut holds/exchanges the Great British Pound, the U.S. Dollar, and the Euro… all in one place. Backed by Master Card, the Revolut card can be used in any country (using any currency) as a normal domestic debit card AND you can send people money via apps like Facebook and WhatsApp.

In my line of work, I get paid in USD but I need to pay my bills in GBP and I’m constantly in Europe throwing Euros like Kanye (not really).  

During my last two years abroad, I’ve been paying ridiculous fees just to access MY MONEY and The Universe has clearly brought Revolut into my life to rectify this issue.

So shut up and take my money.

Since the program is still in its developing stages, you have to be invited in order to join and the landing page doesn’t have all of the details… but I do.  So let’s break it down further.  So why is Revolut revolutionary for travelers like you and me?

What is the Revolut Travel Card?

Revolut has the vision of making sending and spending abroad as easy as it is at home, which is made of three parts:

1) Sending Money with Revolut

Revolut allows users to send money through SMS/WhatsApp/Email and via URL. The recipient can retrieve money by downloading the Revolut app or by entering their bank account details after following the link.

Revolut currently allows deposits and withdrawals in GBP, USD, and EUR as well as sending in 20 other currencies (AUS, CAD, CZK, DKK, HKD, HUF, ILS, JPY, MXN, NZD, NOK, PLN, RON, SGD, ZAR, SEK, CHF, THB, TRY, AED).

2) Exchanging Money with Revolut

Revolut provides the best possible exchange rate, the interbank rate. No hidden fees or spread! Revolut currently offers currency exchange between GBP, USD, and EUR however this will soon expand this list.

3) Spending Money with Your Revolut Card

With the multi-currency card, you can spend abroad without the horrendous fees.

Revolut’s multi-currency card currently supports GBP, USD, and EUR and can be used online as well as offline immediately after there topping up on the Revolut app. 

Even if you spend abroad Revolut will automatically do the exchange so you get the most out of your money!

Fees and Charges

Plain and simply, 1% on exchanges with maximum fee charges of GBP120 per year. 

Super low fees and capped charges ensure that whether you are sending, exchanging, or spending money, with Revolut, you avoid horrific fees so that your money can be spent on the things that really matter!

Security of the Revolut Travel Card

Revolut ensures that all money sent and stored on Revolut is secured by working with Optimal Payments, which is a registered and regulated e-money issuer by the FCA (reference FRN: 900015).

Optimal Payments manages ring-fenced Barclays accounts which means all money is secured against the possible distress of Revolut, Optimal Payments, and Barclays.

Additionally, Revolut only operates on mobile apps as these platforms provide better protection against hacking than web-based applications. Your money is also secured for up to 85,000 GBP. Awesome.

With ATM fees, transaction fees, and currency exchange fees piling up, I’ve been losing 75 USD A MONTH since I moved to London.  

That could have bought me a round trip to Paris and so much more. Join the movement. It’s your money, do what you want with it.

Disclosures 

The Revolut USA Prepaid Visa® and Prepaid Mastercard® are issued by Metropolitan Commercial Bank pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. for Visa cards, and Mastercard International for Mastercard cards, and may be used everywhere Visa or Mastercard are accepted.

Banking services are provided by Metropolitan Commercial Bank, Member FDIC, and are subject to the terms of a Cardholder Agreement. “Metropolitan Commercial Bank” and “Metropolitan” are registered trademarks of Metropolitan Commercial Bank © 2014.

A note from Metropolitan Commercial Bank: Funds in your Revolut Prepaid Card Account are held at an FDIC-insured institution. Your funds will be held at or transferred to Metropolitan Commercial Bank, an FDIC-insured institution.

While there, your funds are insured up to $250,000 by the FDIC in the event Metropolitan Commercial Bank fails if specific deposit insurance requirements are met and your card is registered. See fdic.gov/deposit/deposits/prepaid.html for details. FDIC insurance does not protect your funds in the event of Revolut’s failure or from the risk of theft or fraud.

Related Posts:

• Best Banks for Digital Nomads
• How I Made Thousands of Dollars Traveling the World as a Digital Nomad
• When Parents Say No to Traveling
• Why You Can’t Afford To Travel?
• The Challenges of Living Abroad

Thursday 3rd of December 2015

The promotion is not working anymore?

Marcus Bryant

Tuesday 8th of September 2015

It is a great idea - actually there are no transaction fees (they earn their money from the mastercard transaction fee when you use it). A Word of caution though - when attempting to credit my account via transfer the reference field got corrupted and it couldn't be processed. One week later they still haven't found my money and just keep apologizing - no offer of compensation and no solution so far. Their back office is extremely poor IF things do go wrong.

Jonas Hürbin

Thursday 4th of June 2015

Got to your post by searching the internet for a way to save money abroad. When I first read your post, revolut didn't support Android Phones, they now do, so I joined them as well. Great idea and great post. I will give it a try during my travels ;)

Sarah Elizabeth

Tuesday 14th of April 2015

Brilliant idea. Thanks for sharing. I'm lucky enough that my bank is kind to me about living abroad and withdrawing money, but there is definitely always money lost between transfers and exchange rates every now and then.

Here Are the Four Best Travel Money Cards in 2024

Co-Founder of Monito and money transfer expert, François has been helping Monito’s users navigate the jungle of money transfer fees, bad exchange rates and tricks for the last ten years.

A writer and editor at Monito, Jarrod is passionate about helping people apply today’s powerful finance technologies to their lives. He brings his background in international affairs and his experiences living in Japan to provide readers with comprehensive information that also acknowledges the local context.

Links on this page, including products and brands featured on ‘Sponsored’ content, may earn us an affiliate commission. This does not affect the opinions and recommendations of our editors.

From the multitude of bank fees and ATM charges to hidden currency conversion fees, there's no question that spending your money abroad while travelling can be costly — and that's saying nothing about the cost of the holiday itself!

As you prepare for your trip abroad, the golden rule is that you'll save the most money by using the local currency of your destination. This means withdrawing local cash at foreign ATMs and using a debit card to pay directly in the local currency. For example, if you're from the UK, using your bank's debit card that accesses your British pounds will likely lose you money to hidden fees at ATMs abroad and at local merchants.

In general, we rate Revolut as the best travel card all around. Its versatile account and card can be used to spend like a local pretty much anywhere in the world. ✨ Get 3 months of free Revolut Premium as a Monito reader with our exclusive link .

If you're from the EU, UK, or US, here are a few more specific recommendations to explore:

• Best for travelling from the UK: Chase
• Best for travelling from the US: Chime ®
• Best for travelling from the Eurozone: N26

If it's not possible for you to spend in the local currency when travelling abroad, then spending in your home currency while using a card that doesn't charge any hidden exchange rate markups from your bank (e.g. only the VISA or Mastercard exchange rates to convert currency) is still a good bet for most people.

In this guide, we explore cards that waive or lower ATM fees and that hold multiple currencies. Spend on your holiday like a local and enjoy peace of mind after each tap and swipe!

Best Travel Cards (And More!) at a Glance

Best travel money cards.

• 01. What is the best best multi currency card? scroll down
• 02. Are prepaid currency cards really it? scroll down
• 03. Monito's best travel money card tips scroll down
• 04. FAQ about the best travel cards scroll down

Revolut: Best All-Rounder

Revolut is one of the most well-known fintechs in the world because it offers services across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Oceania.

• Trust & Credibility 8.9
• Service & Quality 7.9
• Fees & Exchange Rates 8.3
• Customer Satisfaction 9.4

Revolut is available in many countries. You can double-check if it's available in yours below:

Here's an overview of Revolut's plans:

Revolut Ultra is currently only available in the UK and EU.

Like Wise, Revolut converts your currency to the local currency of your travel destination at an excellent exchange rate (called the 'Revolut Rate', which, on weekdays, is basically on par with the rate you see on Google), making it a good way to buy foreign currency before travelling abroad. As always though, bear in mind that Revolut's exchange rates might be subject to change.

Revolut's Standard Plan only allows currency exchange at the base mid-market exchange rate for transfers worth £1,000 per month. ATM withdrawals are also free for the first €200 (although third-party providers may charge a withdrawal fee, and weekend surcharges may also apply). These allowances can be waived by upgrading memberships.

N26: Good Bank For EU Travellers

One of the most well-known neobanks in Europe, N26 and its debit card operate in euros only. However, N26 is a partner with Wise and has fully integrated Wise's technology so that you never have to pay foreign transaction fees on your purchases outside of the eurozone. While N26 does not have multi-currency functionality, N26 will apply the real exchange rate on all your foreign purchases and will never charge a commission fee — making N26's card a powerful card for EU/EEA residents who travel across the globe.

• Trust & Credibility 7.9
• Service & Quality 8.0
• Fees & Exchange Rates 9.3
• Customer Satisfaction 8.1

These are the countries in which you can register for an N26 account:

And here is an overview of the various plans and account:

This low-fee option for banking is also ideal for travellers who do not belong to a European bank but frequent the Eurozone. For example, N26 is available for residents and citizens of Switzerland, Norway, and other European Economic Area countries that do not run on the Euro.

These citizens, who are in close proximity to the Eurozone, will save each time they spend with an N26 card while in Europe. N26 provides three free ATM withdrawals per month in euros but does charge a 1.7% fee per ATM withdrawal outside of Europe.

Take a look at our guide to the best travel cards for Europe to learn more.

Wise: Best For Multi-Currency Balances

Load up to 54 currencies onto this card at the real exchange rate, giving you access to truly global travel.

• Trust & Credibility 9.3
• Service & Quality 8.9
• Fees & Exchange Rates 7.6
• Customer Satisfaction 9.6

These are the countries in which you can order a Wise debit card:

Unlike banks, credit unions, airport kiosks, and foreign ATMs, Wise is transparent about never charging a hidden exchange rate margin when you convert your home currency into up to 54 currencies. The live rate you see on Google or XE.com is the one you get with Wise.

An industry-low commission fee per transaction will range from 0.35% to 2.85%, depending on the currency.

Chase: Great UK Bank For Travel

A recent arrival from the USA, Chase is one of the UK’s newest digital challenger banks and comes with a rock-solid reputation and no monthly charges, no currency conversion charges, no withdrawal fees, and no other charges for everyday banking from Chase. It’s a simple, streamlined bank account with an excellent mobile banking app and a great cashback offer. However, it doesn’t yet offer more advanced features like international money transfers, joint accounts, business banking, overdrafts and loans, and teen or child accounts.

• Trust & Credibility 10
• Fees & Exchange Rates 10
• Customer Satisfaction 8.7

Chime: Great Account For US Travelers

Chime  is a good debit card for international travel thanks to its no foreign transaction fees¹. Unlike multi-currency accounts like Revolut (which let you hold local currency), Chime uses the live exchange rate applied by VISA. This rate is close to the mid-market rate, and Chime does not add any extra markup to your purchases, although out-of-network ATM withdrawal and over-the-counter advance fees may still apply.

• Trust & Credibility 9.5
• Service & Quality 8.8
• Fees & Exchange Rates 9.8

While Chime waives ATM fees at all MoneyPass, AllPoint, and VISA Plus Alliance ATMs within the United States, this fee waiver does not extend to withdrawals made outside the country. For withdrawals abroad, Chime applies a $2.50 fee per transaction, with a daily withdrawal limit of $515 or its equivalent. This is in addition to any fees charged by the ATM owner. Therefore, we recommend Chime primarily for card purchases rather than relying on it for withdrawing cash while traveling internationally.

• No  foreign transaction fees ¹;
• Uses VISA's exchange rate ( monitor here ):
• A $2.50 fee per ATM withdrawal made outside of the United States;
• More info:  Read our  Chime review  or  visit their website .

Best Travel Money Cards in 2024 Compared by Country

In the table below, see our comparison summary of the four best travel cards for 2024 by country:

Last updated: 8 January 2024

What's The Best Prepaid Card to Use Abroad?

Travel cards come in many varieties, such as standard credit cards or debit cards with no foreign transaction fees or cards that waive all foreign ATM withdrawal fees.

What is a Multi-Currency Card?

Multi-currency cards are a specific type of travel card that allows you to own all kinds of foreign currencies, which you can instantly access when you pay with your card abroad. By spending the local currency in the region of travel , you bypass poor foreign exchange rates. ATMs and cashless payment machines will treat your card like a local card.

We have already mentioned a few multi-currency cards in this review, but we will also introduce Travelex . Travelex's Money Card also allows you to top up several foreign currencies — albeit at exchange rates slightly poorer than the real mid-market rate .

Wise Account

Wise has one of the best multi-currency cards available on the market.

Read our full review for more details.

Revolut is impressive for its vast options in currencies and its additional services.

Our in-depth review explores Revolut's services in detail.

Travelex offers a prepaid travel money card that supports 10 currencies and waives all ATM withdrawal fees abroad.

• Trust & Credibility 9.0
• Service & Quality 5.8
• Fees & Exchange Rates 7.1
• Customer Satisfaction 9.3

Travelex charges fees, which fluctuate according to the exchange rates of the day, in order to convert your home currency into the currencies that it supports. But once the currency is on the card, you'll be able to spend like a local. Learn more with our full review .

Don’t Let Banks, Bureaux de Change, and ATMs Eat Your Lunch 🍕!

Are you withdrawing cash at an ATM in the streets of Paris? Exchanging currencies at Gatwick airport? Paying for a pizza with your card during a holiday in Milano? Every time you exchange currencies, you could lose between 2% to 20% of your money in  hidden fees . Keep reading below to make sure you recognize and avoid them.

Currency Exchange Fees Eating My Lunch? What’s That?

You’re often charged a hidden fee in the form of an alarming exchange rate.

At any given time, there is a so-called “ mid-market exchange rate ” — this is the real exchange rate you can see on  Google . However, the money transfer provider or bank you use to exchange currencies rarely offers this exchange rate. Instead, you will get a much worse exchange rate. They pocket this margin between the actual rate and the poor exchange rate they apply, allowing the bank or money transfer provider to profit from the currency exchange. 

In other words, you or your recipient will receive less foreign currency for each unit of currency you exchange. All the while, the provider will claim that they charge zero commission or zero fees.

So the question now is… how can you avoid them? Thankfully, the best travel money cards will allow you to hold the local currency, which you can access instantly with a tap or swipe. Carrying the local currency avoids  exchange rate margins  on every purchase.

Top Travel Money Tips

• Avoid bureaux de change. They charge between 2.15% and 16.6% of the money exchanged.
• Always pay in the local currency and never accept the  dynamic currency conversion .
• Don't use your ordinary debit or credit card unless it's specifically geared toward international use. Doing this will typically cost you between 1.75% and 4.25% per transaction. Instead, use one of the innovative travel money cards below.

By opting for a travel card without FX fees, you can freely swipe your card abroad without worrying about additional charges. However, saving money doesn't stop there. To make the most out of your travel budget, consider using  Skyscanner , one of the most powerful flight search engines available that allows you to compare prices from various airlines and find the best deals.

With Skyscanner's user-friendly interface and comprehensive search options, you can discover cheap flights and enjoy your holidays with peace of mind and more money in your pocket.

Best Travel Money Card Tips

When you convert your home currency into a foreign currency, foreign exchange service providers will charge you two kinds of fees :

• Exchange Rate Margin:  Providers apply an exchange rate that is poorer than the true  "mid-market" exchange rate . They keep the difference, called an  exchange rate margin .
• Commission Fee:  This  fee  is usually a percentage of the amount converted, which is charged for the service provided.

With these facts in mind, let's see what practices are useful to avoid ATM fees, foreign transaction fees, and other charges you may encounter while on your travels.

Tip 1: While Traveling, Avoid Bureaux de Change At All Costs

Have you ever wondered how bureaux de change and currency exchange desks are able to secure prime real estate in tourist locations like the Champs-Élysées in Paris or Covent Carden in London while claiming to take no commission? It’s easy: they make (plenty of) money through hidden fees on the exchange rates they give you. 

Our study shows that Bureaux de Change in Paris charges a margin ranging from 2.15% at CEN Change Dollar Boulevard de Strasbourg to 16.6% (!!) at Travelex Champs-Élysées when exchanging 500 US dollars into euros for example. 

If you really want cash and can’t wait to withdraw it with a card at an ATM at your destination, ordering currencies online before your trip is usually cheaper than exchanging currencies at a bureau de change, but it’s still a very expensive way to get foreign currency which we, therefore, would not recommend.

Tip 2: Always Choose To Pay In the Local Currency

Don’t fall for the dynamic currency conversion trap! When using your card abroad to pay at a terminal or withdraw cash at an ATM, you’ve probably been asked whether you’d prefer to pay in your home currency instead of the local currency of the foreign country. This little trick is called dynamic currency conversion , and the right answer to this sneaky question will help you save big on currency exchange fees.

As a general rule, you always want to pay in the local currency (euros in Europe, sterling in the UK, kroner in Denmark, bahts in Thailand, etc.) when using your card abroad, instead of accepting the currency exchange and paying in your home currency. 

This seems like a trick question - why not opt to pay in your home currency? On the plus side, you would know exactly what amount you would be paying in your home currency instead of accepting the unknown exchange rate determined by your card issuer a few days later.

What is a Dynamic Currency Conversion?

However, when choosing to pay in your home currency instead of the local one, you will carry out what’s called a “dynamic currency conversion”. This is just a complicated way of saying that you’re exchanging between the foreign currency and your home currency at the exact time you use your card to pay or withdraw cash in a foreign currency, and not a few days later. For this privilege, the local payment terminal or ATM will apply an exchange rate that is often significantly worse than even a traditional bank’s exchange rate (we’ve seen margins of up to 8%!), and of course, much worse than the exchange rate you would get by using an innovative multi-currency card (see tip #3). 

In the vast majority of times, knowing with complete certainty what amount you will pay in your home currency is not worth the additional steep cost of the dynamic currency conversion, hence why we recommend always choosing to pay in the local currency.

Tip 3: Don't Use a Traditional Card To Pay in Foreign Currency/Withdraw Cash Abroad

As mentioned before, providers make money on foreign currency conversions by charging poor exchange rates — and pocketing the difference between that and the true mid-market rate. They also make money by charging commission fees, which can either come as flat fees or as a percentage of the transaction.

Have a look at traditional bank cards to see how much you can be charged in fees for spending or withdrawing $500 while on your holiday.

These fees can very quickly add up. For example, take a couple and a child travelling to the US on a two-week mid-range holiday. According to this study , the total cost of their holiday would amount to around $4200. If you withdraw $200 in cash four times and spend the rest with your card, you would pay $123 in hidden currency exchange and ATM withdrawal fees with HSBC or $110 with La Banque Postale. With this money, our travellers could pay for a nice dinner, the entrance fee to Yosemite Park, or many other priceless memories. 

Thankfully, new innovative multi-currency cards will help you save a lot of money while travelling. Opening an N26 Classic account and using the N26 card during the same US holidays would only cost $13.60.

Need Foreign Cash Anyway?

In many countries, carrying a wad of banknotes is not only useful but necessary to pay your way since not every shop, market stall, or street vendor will accept card payments. In these cases you'll have two options to exchange foreign currency cheaply:

1. Withraw at an ATM

As we've explored in great depth in this article, withdrawing money from a foreign ATM will almost always come with fees — at the very least from the ATM itself, and so it's therefore the best strategy to use a travel debit card that doesn't charge in specific ATM withdraw fees on its own to add insult to injury. That said, if you need cash, we recommend making one large withdrawal rather than multiple smaller ones . This way, you'll be able to dodge the fees being incurred multiple times.

2. Buy Banknotes (at a Reasonable Rate!)

As we've also seen, buying foreign currency at the airport, at foreign bank branches, or in bureaux de change in tourist hotspots can be surprisingly expensive. Still, not all exchange offices are equally pricey . If you're looking for a well-priced way to exchange your cash into foreign currency banknotes before you travel, Change Group will let you order foreign currency online and pick them up at the airport, train station, or a Change Group branch just before you leave for your holiday. A few pick-up locations in the UK include:

• London centre (multiple locations),
• Glasgow centre,
• Oxford centre,
• Luton Airport,
• Gatwick Airport,
• St. Pancras Station.

(Note that Change Group also has locations in the USA, Australia, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Austria, and Finland!)

Although its exchange rates aren't quite as good as using a low-fee debit card like Revolut, Change Group's exchange rates between popular currencies tend to be between 2% to 3%, which is still a lot better than you'll get at the bank or at a touristy bureau de change in the middle or Paris or Prague!

FAQ About the Best Travel Money Cards

Having reviewed and compared several of the industry's leading neobanks, experts at Monito have found the Wise Account to offer the best multi-currency card in 2024.

In general, yes! You can get a much better deal with new innovative travel cards than traditional banks' debit/credit cards. However, not all cards are made equal, so make sure to compare the fees to withdraw cash abroad, the exchange rates and monthly fees to make sure you're getting the best deal possible.

• Sign up for a multi-currency account;
• Link your bank to the account and add your home currency;
• Convert amount to the local currency of holiday destination ( Wise and Revolut convert at the actual mid-market rate);
• Tap and swipe like a local when you pay at vendors.

Yes, the Wise Multi-Currency Card is uniquely worthwhile because it actually converts your home currency into foreign currency at the real mid-market exchange rate . Wise charges a transparent and industry-low commission fee for the service instead.

More traditional currency cards like the Travelex Money Card are good alternatives, but they will apply an exchange rate that is weaker than the mid-market rate.

The Wise Multi-Currency Card is the best money card for euros because unlike banks, credit unions, airport kiosks, and foreign ATMs,  Wise  is transparent about never charging a hidden exchange rate margin when you convert your local currency into euros with them.

The live rate you see on Google or XE.com is the one you get with  Wise . An industry-low commission fee will range from 0.35% to 2.85%. USD to EUR transfers generally incur a 1.6% fee.

Learn more about how to buy euros in the United States before your trip.

There are usually three types of travel cards, prepaid travel cards, debit travel cards and credit travel cards. Each have pros and cons, here's a short summary:

• Prepaid travel cards: You usually need to load cards with your home currency via a bank wire or credit/debit card top-up. You're then able to manage the balance from an attached mobile app and can use it to pay in foreign currencies or withdraw cash at an ATM abroad tapping into your home currency prepaid balance. With prepaid travel cards, as the name indicates, you can't spend more than what you've loaded before hand. Some prepaid card providers will provide ways to "auto top-up" when your balance reaches a certain level that you can customize. On Revolut for example, you can decide to top-up £100/£200/£500 from your debit card each time your balance reaches below £50.
• Debit travel cards: Some innovative digital banks, like N26 or Monzo, offer travel debit cards that have the same advantages than a Prepaid Travel Cards, except that they're debit card directly tapping into your current account balance. Like a Prepaid travel card, you can't spend more than the balance you have in your current account with N26 or Monzo, but you can activate an overdraft (between €1,000 or €10,000 for N26 or £1,000 for Monzo) if you need it, for a fee though.

Note that even if they're Prepaid or Debit cards, you can use them for Internet payments like a normal credit card.

• Credit travel cards: You can find credit cards made for international payments offering good exchange rates and low fees to withdraw money abroad, but you'll need to pay interests in your international payment if you don't pay in FULL at the end of every month and interest on your ATM withdrawals each day until you pay them back.

Why You Can Trust Monito

Our recommendations are built on rock-solid experience.

• We've reviewed 70+ digital finance apps and online banks
• We've made 100's of card transactions
• Our writers have been testing providers since 2013

Other Monito Guides and Reviews on Top Multi Currency Cards

Why Trust Monito?

You’re probably all too familiar with the often outrageous cost of sending money abroad. After facing this frustration themselves back in 2013, co-founders François, Laurent, and Pascal launched a real-time comparison engine to compare the best money transfer services across the globe. Today, Monito’s award-winning comparisons, reviews, and guides are trusted by around 8 million people each year and our recommendations are backed by millions of pricing data points and dozens of expert tests — all allowing you to make the savviest decisions with confidence.

Monito is trusted by 15+ million users across the globe.

Monito's experts spend hours researching and testing services so that you don't have to.

Our recommendations are always unbiased and independent.

Revolut Travel Card Review: Save Money Abroad

Last Updated on August 15, 2023 by Natalia

If you’re looking to avoid unnecessary charges and bad exchange rates when you travel, then this Revolut travel card review is for you. We’ve been using Revolut since 2016, and by now we can safely say it’s saved us hundreds, if not thousands of pounds. Changing money in advance is a thing of the past, as you can now arrive at your destination and use a Revolut prepaid card to get a better rate than currency exchanges ever offer. Although there are a number of different cards available, we personally think that there’s only one winner if you compare Revolut vs Monzo vs N26 travel cards or any of the other competitors. Revolut charges just 2% if you exceed your monthly withdrawal limit compared to the 3% Monzo charge, and N26 charge 1.7% on all transactions on free accounts. On top of that, the standard free Revolut accounts allows you to convert up to £1,000/€1,000 a month with no charge. If you’re looking for better features, then there’s also the option to sign up for a Premium or Metal Revolut account, although these accounts do come at a small cost. We fully recommend signing up now, but if you want to know more then check out our Revolut travel card review below!

Sign up to Revolut today via our referral link and get your first travel card delivered completely free! Click here to sign up!

Table of Contents

Available currencies

One of the most important things with any travel card is the number of currencies supported for card payments and ATM withdrawals. Revolut allows you to make card payments and ATM withdrawals in over 150 different currencies, which means it provides you with great versatility almost anywhere you travel. All major currencies are supported through the card, so unless you’re going really off the beaten path then Revolut will support almost every currency you need. We’ve been using our Revolut travel cards since 2016 and since then have been able to use them everywhere we’ve visited throughout Europe, Asia, Central America and South America.

Some of the currencies that aren’t yet supported are the Zimbabwean Dollar, Tuvaluan Dollar, Armenian Dram, Faroese Króna and Eritrean Nakfa. Even if you’re visiting one or more of the countries where the currency isn’t supported, it’s still worth getting a card for when you travel elsewhere. More and more currencies are becoming supported, so don’t be surprised if soon you’re able to use your Revolut card anywhere in the world!

Exchange Rate

Revolut travel card uses the real exchange rate, so whatever currency you’re changing you will almost always find that Revolut offer a better exchange rate than any of your other options. If you had £10, you wouldn’t actively choose to throw it away, but if you’re getting a bad currency conversion rate then throwing away money is exactly what you’re doing. Considering a Revolut travel card is completely free, you may as well get more currency for your money! Click here to save money when spending abroad by signing up for Revolut!

As the real exchange rate changes in real-time, the rate you will receive depends on when you convert your currency. Rates will fluctuate throughout the day, so you may get slightly different rates if you make a number of payments throughout the day.

Although Revolut uses the real exchange rate, the rates are fixed over the weekend to protect against fluctuations. This means that during weekends there is a fee of 1% on any transaction that involves currency conversion.

To avoid being affected by these markups we recommend making ATM withdrawals during weekdays. It will also affect card payments over the weekend, but there is no way to avoid these and it still almost always works out cheaper than using your normal debit card or a currency exchange.

How to get the best exchange rate with Revolut

There’s a very simple tip to make sure you get the best exchange rate when paying with your Revolut card. When using your card abroad you may be asked whether you would prefer to pay in the local currency or your home currency. Always opt to pay in the local currency. 

If you don’t pay in the local currency then the merchant will make the conversion, which normally means you’ll get a very bad exchange rate and will end up paying more. Paying in the local currency allows Revolut to make the conversion (if required) using the real exchange rate, which means you will get a substantially better rate. Sometimes when making card payments abroad the merchant may select for you to pay in your home currency without giving you the choice to pay in the local currency. Always check what currency you’re being charged in and ask to pay in the local currency if you notice you’re being charged in your home currency. Some merchants will insist you will get a better rate by paying in your home currency, but that is never the case.

Make sure to also check what currency you’re paying in when making an ATM withdrawal. Some ATM machines will ask whether you want to use their conversion, but through experience we can say it’s always better to reject this. The phrasing will make it sound like you may be charged more for rejecting their rate, but as Revolut use the real exchange rate you are almost always going to be getting a better rate by rejecting the machine’s conversion and allowing Revolut to convert the currency for you.

Revolut card fees and charges

There are currently three different types of Revolut account: Standard, Premium and Metal. The standard account is completely free to use, whereas the premium and metal accounts require a monthly or yearly fee. There are a number of advantages of upgrading to a metal or premium account, so it’s important to know the difference between the accounts.

Two of the main differences between the accounts are the amount you can withdraw from foreign ATMs each month without incurring a fee, and the amount of currency you can convert each month without a fee. Find out the difference in fees and charges on the different Revolut accounts below:

Standard Revolut Travel Card Account

The standard free Revolut account allows you to make cash withdrawals abroad up to the equivalent of £200/€200 a month without any extra fees or charges. Once you go over this limit there is a 2% fee on any further withdrawals for the remainder of that month.

There is a much higher fee-free limit for transactions that require a currency exchange, such as making a card payment or ATM withdrawal in Euros and paying for it in Pounds. Revolut allows you to convert up to £1,000 a month at the real exchange rate without any charges. If you go over this limit, any payment or ATM withdrawal that requires a currency exchange will incur a charge of 0.5%. Unless you’re planning to spend huge amounts then this limit is unlikely to affect you!

Plus Revolut Travel Card Account

A new option from Revolut is to upgrade the free account to Revolut Plus for £2.99 a month. Here you get some additional perks such as up to £1000 in insurance if something you have purchased with this travel card is faulty or have fraudulent activity on the account.

As well as this there are a few other benefits from upgrading, however if you are looking to upgrade in terms of value for money in our opinion it’s worth doing one of the other options such as premium or metal.

Premium Revolut Travel Card Account

Upgrading to a Revolut premium account costs £6.99/€7.99 per month, and enables you to withdraw up to £400/€400 from foreign ATMs in the local currency without any extra fees or charges. Like with the standard account, once you exceed this limit there is a 2% fee on any further withdrawals within that month.

There is no limit for the amount of currency you can exchange on the premium plan, so if you intend to regularly convert over £1,000 a month it’s worth upgrading.

Metal Revolut Travel Card Account

A Revolut metal account costs £12.99/€13.99 per month, and allows you to withdraw up to £600/€600 from foreign ATMs in the local currency without any extra charges or fees. If you exceed this monthly limit then there is a 2% fee on any further withdrawals.

Like with the premium plan, there is no limit to the amount of currency you can exchange on a Revolut metal account.

Click here to compare the fees and charges of the standard, premium and metal Revolut accounts!

It’s easy to check how much you’ve withdrawn or how much money you’ve converted each month by going to the profile section of your app and selecting ‘Price plan’. That way you can avoid accidentally going over these limits and ensure that you don’t get any charges you aren’t expecting!

In our opinion, Revolut’s fees are more reasonable than their major competitors. For example, Monzo charge a 3% fee on any withdrawals that exceed the £200 monthly limit. Another competitor, N26, charge 1.7% on all withdrawals using their standard free account. Considering Revolut only charge when you exceed £200 a month but charge less than Monzo, then in our mind the best option is Revolut.

Personally we think it’s quite easy to avoid withdrawing over £200 a month, which means you won’t be charged any extra fees. If you prefer withdrawing cash and think you’re likely to exceed this limit regularly then it’s probably worth upgrading to either the premium or metal Revolut account. These accounts not only allow you to withdraw more money without extra fees, but also have a host of other advantages which we cover at the end of this article!

Hold multiple currencies simultaneously

As well as allowing you to spend in over 150 different currencies, Revolut also has the capability to hold money in a number of currencies at once. It’s currently possible to hold money in British Pounds (GBP), American Dollars (USD), Euros (EUR) as well as 27 other currencies including New Zealand Dollars (NZD), Turkish Lira (TRY) and South African Rand (ZAR).

The ability to hold different currencies at the same time is a useful one if you’d rather change some money to another currency all in one go, instead of the conversion being made each time you make a card payment or ATM withdrawal.

It’s important to know that Revolut travel cards are unable to draw from 2 currencies to make one payment. For example if you want to pay $100 USD using the card, it will only be possible if you have a high enough balance in one currency to make the transaction. If you do not hold the equivalent of $100 USD in one currency the transaction cannot go through, even if between currencies you have enough money. This is a relatively unlikely scenario, but should you find it happens to you then just use the app to convert enough money to one currency in order to pay.

There are a number of ways to top up your Revolut travel card, all of which are extremely easy. One of the options, and our personal favourite, is to top up using your debit card. Once you’ve registered your debit card this means you can top up within the app in a matter of seconds from anywhere in the world. Competitors like Monzo and N26 don’t allow you to top up directly from your debit card, which in our opinion gives Revolut a slight edge over the competition.

Another way of topping up your Revolut account is by bank transfer. To find your account details to do this you just need to select the ‘transfer to your Revolut account’ option when you’re on the top up screen of the app. You will then be presented with your Revolut account number and relevant details to top up for both local and international payments. This option takes slightly longer than topping up by debit card as you will need to log in to your online banking to actually make the payment. If you would prefer to do it this way then you have the option, but we personally prefer to top up via our debit card as it’s quicker and can be done instantly from within the Revolut app.

Another great feature of Revolut is the ability to set an automatic top up from your bank card once your balance falls below a certain amount. This is an ideal way to make sure you don’t run out of money when you’re travelling but don’t have any access to the internet access in order to top up.

Although signing up for a Revolut travel card itself is free, you normally have to pay for the delivery of your card. Fortunately for you, if you sign up using our link then standard delivery is completely free too!  That means you won’t have to spend a penny to get yourself set up on Revolut – so you can start saving money on your next trip!

Click here to sign up for Revolut today and get free delivery of your first card!

Tracked and express delivery options are available too, but you will have to pay for these. The timeframe for delivery depends on the option you select. Standard delivery and tracked delivery both have a timeframe of 9 working days until you receive your card, although in our experience the cards are often delivered in 4-5 working days anyway. Express delivery has a timeframe of 3-4 working days to receive your card. Check out the list below to see the cost of different delivery options when you sign up for a Revolut card:

Standard Delivery – 9 working days – £4.99 GBP/€5.99 or completely free if you click here and sign up via our link!

Tracked Delivery  – 9 working days – £7.99 GBP. Tracked delivery is only available in Great Britain, Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man.

Express Delivery  – 3-4 working days – £11.99/€19.99 although the cost may be higher depending on the delivery address.

Please note that prices may vary depending on your currency and location.

Alternatively, if you sign up for either a premium or metal Revolut card account then express delivery is completely free.

Make sure to order your card in plenty of time before your trip, especially if you’re opting for the standard delivery. It’s worth planning ahead to make sure you have your card in time so that you can spend your money hassle-free on your travels.  Click here to sign up to Revolut now and get your first card completely free!

Revolut Card Limits

Although we’ve gone over some of the spending limits above, we thought it deserve its own section so that everything you need to know is in one place. The following limits apply to a standard Revolut account:

• No fee ATM withdrawals up to £200 per month. If you exceed this amount you will be charged a 2% fee.
• Convert up to £1,000 fee-free per month. If you exceed this amount you will be charged a fee of 0.5%.
• £3,000 limit for ATM withdrawals within 24 hours.

Customer service

Revolut offer great customer service for all users. There is a help chat function in the app which allows you to speak to a bot named ‘Rita’ who is able to provide generic answers to any queries you may have. If this doesn’t solve your issue then just type ‘Live Agent’ and you will be connected to a Revolut customer service representative who will be able to help. It usually only takes a few minutes to be able to speak to a representative, but if the chat function is busy it may take longer. The customer service chat is available 24/7, with priority support available for customers with a premium or metal account.

There are loads of other great benefits that come with signing up for a Revolut account, some of which don’t fit into any of the categories above. These range from push notifications on your phone when you make a payment to the ability to buy travel insurance to make sure you’re covered for your trip. The list below covers some of our favourite extras that come with signing up for a standard Revolut account:

• Alerts on your phone when you make a payment.
• Ability to disable your card instantly using the app if you lose it.
• Option to enable location based security to help prevent fraud.
• Option to buy travel insurance and device insurance through Revolut.
• Option to disable any of the following: Swipe payments, Contactless payments, ATM withdrawals and Online Transactions.
• Special edition cards are sometimes available. For example, rainbow-coloured cards were released for free to celebrate Pride in 2019.
• Revolut Vault – a money saving tool that rounds up every payment you make and puts the spare change aside in order to help you save up for a target amount of money.  Click here to find out more!
• Ability to set monthly spending limits.

What do you need to sign up for Revolut?

Revolut need to verify your identity, which means you will need to provide some ID during the sign up process. You can easily provide your ID through the app, which has easy to follow instructions to guide you through the process of signing up. To further verify your identity you will need to provide personal information including your name, address, phone number, email address and date of birth in order to set up an account.

Premium options

If you like the sound of the above but want higher limits and added perks then upgrading to either a premium or metal Revolut account is probably worth it. Signing up for a Revolut premium account costs £6.99/€7.99 per month, whereas a Revolut metal account costs £12.99/€13.99 per month. Alternatively, both plans are discounted if you pay for a year up front. Find out the additional benefits that come with Revolut premium and metal below:

Revolut Premium Account

• Ability to withdraw up to £400 per month from ATMs without any fee.
• Exchange money in 29 fiat currencies with no monthly limit.
• Free overseas medical insurance.
• Free delayed baggage/flight insurance.
• Free global express delivery.
• Priority customer support.
• Access to 5 cryptocurrencies.
• Exclusive card designs only available to Premium members.
• Disposable virtual cards for safe online shopping.
• Ability to instantly book access to over 1,000 airport lounges around the world.

Revolut Metal Account

• Ability to withdraw up to £600 per month from ATMs without any fee.
• 0.1% cashback on card payments within Europe and 1% cashback on card payments outside of Europe.
• Exclusive Revolut Metal card only available to Metal customers.
• One free airport lounge pass, plus the ability to instantly book access to over 1,000 airport lounges around the world.
• A concierge to help you manage your lifestyle.

So, is Revolut worth it?

Simply put, yes. In our opinion, you’re actively choosing to throw money away if you don’t sign up for a Revolut account. It’s completely free to sign up, and it’s certain to save you money in the long run even if you only spend a few days abroad a year. Considering there’s absolutely no cost to you, we recommend signing up now so you can start saving money on your next trip!

Ready to sign up? Click here to apply for a Revolut travel card today!

Please note that some links in this article are affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase we make a small commission at no extra cost to you. This money is used to support this website and cover the costs of keeping it online and free to access!

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• Lost cards and leftover funds

Do I have to pass a credit check to purchase a Travel Money Card?

No. We’ll carry out an electronic address verification check based on the information you provide. This will be stored but will not affect any credit rating.

How long will my card take to arrive?

If you order your card online it will be delivered to your home address in two to three working days. If you require a card in a shorter time please check with your local Post Office branch. Exchange rates vary between online and branch.

What do I need to do before I travel?

Before leaving the UK, make sure you have activated your Travel Money Card. Activation can be done through the free Post Office Travel app – download now from the Apple App Store or Google Play . The app allows you to top up, track spend, view balances and freeze spend.

Activation can also be done by calling our automated line on +44(0) 20 7937 0280. Full details can be found on the letter that comes attached to you your card.

How do I get my PIN / Change my PIN?

To get your PIN, download the free Post Office Travel app from the App Store or Google Play , create an account and you can check your PIN wherever you are in the world.

Alternatively, you can call our automated line on +44 (0)20 7937 0280 and select Option 1. Your change of PIN can only be done at UK ATM’s that accept Mastercard and offer the PIN change facility.

Which currencies can I load on my card?

You can load any of the following currencies on to your card. The card can hold up to 22 currencies at once, but they can only be loaded one at a time:

Euro, US dollars, Australian dollars, Canadian dollars, New Zealand dollars, Thai baht, UAE dirham, Turkish lira, South African rand, Swiss francs, Polish zloty, pounds Sterling, Chinese yuan, Czech koruna, Danish kroner, Hong Kong dollar, Hungarian forint, Japanese yen, Norwegian krone, Saudi riyal, Singapore dollar or Swedish krona.

Which currency should I load?

We recommend that you load the currency of the country that you’re travelling to. If we don’t offer that currency we recommend that you load pounds Sterling on to your card.

Should I pay in Sterling if given the choice while abroad?

We recommend that you always pay in the local currency and not Sterling. This will prevent high fees and very poor exchange rates being applied at an ATM or retailer. This is known as Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) . We include information about DCC in every card pack.

Using your card abroad

Where can i use my card.

Your card can be used wherever Mastercard is accepted.

Is there anywhere that my card won’t work?

We have to authorise your card immediately which means a small number of locations may not be able to take your card. This includes unmanned petrol pumps, toll booths and on board cruise ships or aeroplanes.

Anywhere I shouldn’t use my card?

We recommend that your card is not used to pay deposits on car hire or used when checking in to hotels that require a deposit. Both of these could lead to funds being held by the retailer, which would prevent you from using them.

Can I withdraw money from ATMs?

Yes you can. You can use any ATM that’s accepts Mastercard. Fees will apply for every cash withdrawal. These fees are detailed online or on your welcome letter. Please be aware that some ATMs may also charge you and this should always be displayed on the ATM screen. We always recommend that you withdraw cash in local currency and don’t choose to pay in Sterling or accept their currency conversion.

Topping up and managing currencies

How can i top up my card with more money.

The easiest way is via our mobile app, which is available to download from the App Store or on Google Play .

You can also top up via our website if you’ve created an account. And you can ask friends or family to top up on your behalf in any UK Post Office branch, too. All they need is your card number.

Can I top up with a different currency to the one I loaded in the first place?

Yes, you can. Our multi-currency card allows you to load any of the 22 currencies we offer.

Do I have to move money from one currency to another?

No, you don’t have to move money. If you have money in one currency and spend in a different currency we’ll automatically move this for you to authorise a transaction. Alternatively, you can move the funds using the "Transfer" icon on the free Post Office Travel app ( App Store , Google Play ) or "Transfer to another wallet" icon if managing your account online .

How can I track my balance?

The easiest way is to use our mobile app. This shows clearly what your remaining balance is in each currency. We do not recommend the use of ATMs to check your balance as they will provide a GBP figure using a different exchange rate. Remember, your balance is held in each currency so is not affected by exchange rates unless you change it to other currencies.

Download the Post Office Travel app from the Apple App Store or Google Play .

What do I do if my card is lost or stolen?

You need to call us immediately on +44 (0) 20 7937 0280. We’re here 24 hours a day.  

We’ll cancel your card and work out the best way to replace it. A fee may be charged if we need to courier a replacement card overseas.

If you think you have misplaced your card and want peace of mind, you can freeze spend on your card using the Post Office Travel app, available on the App Store and Google Play . You can unfreeze just as easily if you find your card again.

I have money left on my card. What do I do?

You have 4 options available to you:

• Leave the money on your card for your next holiday
• Visit any Post Office branch and withdraw the balance over the counter in Sterling. There is a daily withdrawal limit of £300 per day
• Spend your money in the UK as normal. We will move the money to Sterling every time you pay for something. Anything you don’t spend stays in the currency you have on the card. No fees apply, we just use the day’s exchange rate
• Call us to ask for a refund. Please note that you will get a better exchange rate by spending on your card or withdrawing cash from a Post Office branch
• Other sections:

Manage your card with our app

Order, top up and view the balance of your Travel Money Card, and transfer leftover currency funds to a new currency of your choice.

Post Office Travel app

Download our free app for your mobile device:

Lost or stolen cards

If your card’s been lost or stolen, we’re here to help. Lines open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Call us 24/7

Please call our Travel Money card team immediately on: 0207 937 0280

We’ll cancel your card and work out the best way to replace it.

Contact us about using your card

Need help managing your Travel Money Card and transactions and can't find the answer you need in our FAQs above or self-service tools? Our team's here for you.

Transactions and managing your card

For enquiries about transactions or managing your card online or via the app, call: 0207 937 0280

Manage your card online

Log into your online account top up your Travel Money Card, view your transactions and more all in one place.

Top up with currencies, check recent transactions, freeze your card and more online.

Contact Post Office about in-branch services

If you have a question, feedback or a complaint about services provided in Post Office branches, including getting a Travel Money Card there, here's how to get in touch with us.

Send us a message

Please complete our enquiries form to tell us what you’d like to know or share feedback on your experience.

Make a complaint

If you’re not happy with your Post Office experience, please let us know and we’ll do our best to put things right.

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Post Office Travel Card review

The Post Office Travel Card is a prepaid travel card you can load in cash or online, to switch to the currency you need for spending and withdrawals. It’s not linked to your regular bank account, and can be managed from your smartphone, for secure spending across 23 currencies.

Before you order a Post Office Travel Card check out this full review - we’ll look at what the card can do , how to order your card and how much it’ll cost .

And to help you compare we’ll also touch on Post Office Travel Card alternatives like Wise and Starling, which may offer cheaper and more flexible options for taking travel money abroad.

TL;DR - it's a solid prepaid card

• The card supports most major currencies for holidays, including Euros (Europe), Lira (Turkey) and UAE Dirhams (Dubai)
• Several top-up methods , with the option of doing so online or in-store
• Only convert what you want to spend; good for holiday budgeting

However, there are some downsides.

• There are better exchange rates available with other travel cards
• You'll get a worse exchange rate (a.k.a "buy-back rates") when converting leftover foreign currency to pounds

Find out more about the card on the Post Office website or click the button below to purchase a card. Order a card

Not sure yet? Continue reading to decide whether this is the right prepaid card for you.

What's in this guide?

What is the post office travel money card, how does it work.

• Fees & limits

How do I get a Post Office Travel Money Card?

What happens when the card expires, what are the alternatives.

The Post Office Travel Money Card is a prepaid card you can top up in cash or from your bank account, in any of 23 supported currencies.

Once you have funds on your card you can use it as you would a regular debit card, for contactless and mobile payments, and cash withdrawals. There’s no fee to spend currencies you hold on your card, although other transaction fees do apply depending on how you use the account.

Use your Post Office card to buy travel money before you head off on holiday, or top up as you go online.

As pictured, you can also manage, view and freeze your card in the Post Office app for security.

• Top up your card in cash at a Post Office or online by purchasing one of 23 different currencies
• If you choose to top up in GBP and convert later, you’ll be charged an administration fee of 1.5%, from a minimum of 3 GBP up to a maximum of 50 GBP
• Exchange rates are shown in the Post Office app, and may include a markup on the market exchange rate - but rates often improve if you top up more
• It’s free to spend currencies you hold. You can also spend unsupported currencies, but a foreign transaction fee of 3% will apply

It’s worth noting that the Post Office exchange rates are shown in the Post Office app before you convert your funds. They may include a markup, which is an extra fee added into the rate applied to switch to the currency you need.

Another thing worth noting is that the exchange rate gets better for higher top up amounts - meaning you’ll pay a smaller markup the more you add to your card.

Using a markup is pretty common but does make it tricky to see what you’re really paying for your foreign currency transactions.

Spending limits and card fees

Before you order a Post Office Travel Card it’s good to know a bit about the fees and limits that apply to card usage.

When you transact with your Post Office Travel Money Card, there are also fees to pay.

While these do vary slightly by currency, they’re roughly similar.

It’s easy to get your Post Office Travel Card online or in person by calling into a Post Office near you. Here’s what you’ll need to do.

• Head to the Post Office website
• Select "Order Your Card >"
• Top up in your preferred currency - there’s a minimum top up of 50 GBP, through to a maximum of 5,000 GBP
• Input personal details following the prompts
• Delivery of your card will take 2-3 days by post
• Head to your local Post Office branch
• Show a valid form of ID (driving licence, passport or EEA ID card)
• Apply in branch and load your card

The expiry date for your card will be printed on the back of the card - usually it’s valid for 3 years from the point you order it.

Once your card has expired you’ll pay a monthly inactivity fee of £2 per month if you don’t redeem your balance within 12 months of the card expiring. This fee continues until there’s no remaining balance, at which point your account will be closed.

If you’re not sure whether the Post Office Card is right for you, check out a few alternatives to see which gives you the best balance of cost and convenience.

The Wise card allows you to hold and exchange 50+ currencies, and spend in 170+ countries. It's a fully-fledged debit card, meaning it works at home just as well as it does abroad.

There’s no markup on the exchange rate, and they are super transparent about the fees (usually around 0.4% for foreign spending) they'll charge you.

Starling card

The Starling debit card is a good option for international spending as there are no foreign transaction fees and no ATM fees .

You can sign up entirely online for an account with no monthly fees which you can manage from your phone, with instant notifications and a whole range of banking features. Get a Starling Card

Frequently Asked Questions

Post Office is a trusted institution and will keep customer funds safe according to all applicable legal requirements.

When it comes to travel money, the Post Office works in partnership with First Rate Exchange Services, which is a registered business and holds a Money Services Business License in the UK.

You can hold up to 23 different currencies:

• Australian dollars
• Canadian dollars
• New Zealand dollars
• Croatian kuna
• Turkish lira
• South African rand
• Swiss francs
• Polish zloty
• Pounds sterling
• Chinese yuan
• Czech koruna
• Danish kroner
• Hong Kong dollars
• Hungarian forint
• Japanese yen
• Norwegian krone
• Saudi riyal
• Singapore dollar
• Swedish kronor

Revolut review – Is it still worth it?

Our rating:

As editor of Money Saving Answers, I discuss Revolut in a number of our travel articles. It stands out as one of the best cards for foreign travel . 

Despite me personally using Revolut since 2016, neither myself nor the team at Money Saving Answers have ever written a complete review. Today I’m going to change that which my personal Revolut review. 

Revolut review – Pros and Cons

What is revolut.

At its core Revolut is a digital banking service offering borderless multicurrency accounts, and frictionless currency exchanges. It can be used as a main bank account to receive your salary or pay bills, direct debits and standing orders, but where it really shines is currency exchange and foreign travel.

Founded in London in 2015, Revolut started as a prepaid travel card similar to that of the former TravelEx Supercard . I remember using the card in Ireland in 2016, and was impressed by the speed at which the spending notifications popped on my phone even before the cashier had handed me a receipt.  

Since then, Revolut has expanded its services and is no longer a pure prepaid travel card, but a digital account that covers ‘ all things money .’ It has over 25 million customers worldwide, and operates in over 20 countries. 

Is Revolut a bank?

Yes, and no. It is a fully licenced bank in the EU, and has applied for a banking licence in the UK, and a bank charter in the USA. 

Interestingly, it doesn’t look likely to be granted a UK banking licence anytime soon. It originally applied in January 2021, but since then has had a number setbacks, the latest being it’s company accounts which as of January 2023 were seven months overdue. 

Who is Revolut for?

Revolut can be used in many of the same ways you’d use a normal bank account from the likes of Barclays, Santander etc… but I’d argue that’s mainly for people who want to save money when either travelling abroad, spending in foreign currencies, or exchange money without the exorbitant fees or poor rates offered on the highstreet. 

That might be digital nomads (or which there are around 2.4m Brits), Frequent travellers, foreign home owners, students taking a semester abroad, those with friends and family abroad etc. the list is endless. 

Revolut fees and plans

Revolut offers four different price plans:

• Standard – free
• Plus – £2.99 
• Premium – £6.99
• Metal – £9.99

The difference between standard and plus is mostly the fees and limits involved when using various Revolut services. Metal and Premium step this up and include travel insurance, airport lounge discounts, and other benefits. In this article though I’m mainly going to focus on the free standard plan, as that the one most will opt for. 

Fees and limits

Revolut is generally open and upfront about its fees, but there are still a few gotchas around, especially for those on the free standard plan. 

Firstly, you can exchange foreign currency fee-free up to your £1,000 fair use allowance. After that you’ll be charged 1%.

Local payments i.e., those in the UK in GBP are always free, as are transfers to other Revolut users, and bank accounts within the Single Euro Payment Area (SEPA).

On weekends, Revolut adds a 1-2% (depending on currency) mark-up on currency exchanges to cover any movement in the exchange rate when FX-markets are closed. Try to avoid exchanging any currency during these times if you can. 

Revolut ATM limits and fees

ATM withdrawals are free up to £200 per 30 day period, and up to 5 withdrawals. After this there is a 2% fee with a minimum of £1. Those who need more can withdraw up to £3,000 equivalent per day, which is the highest limit we’ve seen amongst any card. It will cost though. At 2% you’ll be charged £20 for every £1,000. 

Casual users should be able to avoid most of the fees, especially given the prevalence of contactless payments in popular holiday destinations. 

Those relying on cash, or travelling for extended period (or with a family), are likely to run into the fair use fee, and the ATM withdrawal fee. 

Exceeding the free ATM withdrawal limit catapults Revolut from one of the cheapest cards around to one that should be avoided. If you’re a heavy cash user then Starling or Chase would be better, as although the maximum daily limit is lower, you won’t be charged for withdrawals. 

Revolut prepaid card(s)

On joining Revolut you are given a free virtual card. This can be used for online, and point of sale transactions (via ApplePay or GooglePay) in either GBP or a foreign currency. 

You can also have a free physical card, but you might need to pay a delivery free of £5. Often this is waived though. 

There’s also a disposable card. This is designed for online shopping where you may not fully trust the website to store your details. On each use the card is destroyed, and replaced with a new one. Refunds still make their way to your Revolut account, but retailers cannot charge the card again. 

This is a great security feature, that I’ve found especially useful in taking advantage of free trials that require card details to be entered. 

Another useful feature for travellers is the mix of Visa and Mastercard products. The physical and disposable cards are Visa debit, while the virtual card is a Mastercard debit. It’s rare that stores won’t accept both, but it has happened to me on my travels that my Mastercards were rejected whereas Visa cards went through fine. 

The Revolut app

The Revolut app has grown over the years to encompass the company’s ‘ all things money ’ strategy. And while it offers a number of great features, I have found it has become quite bloated. 

It’s still quick and easy enough to use, and shouldn’t cause anyone any problems, but the interface is a little busy for my tastes.

It makes heavy use of icons, which is fine, but the sheer number of products and services means some things can get lost in the clutter. 

When I open a banking app, I expect my money to be the main focus of the app. Revolut does show your balance when opening the app, but only in one currency. If you have balances in other currencies you have to click on a little drop down arrow to switch.

If you want to total up how much you have in your account across all currencies, you need to scroll down towards the bottom of the page past Revolut’s suggestions and cashback offers, and analytics to see your ‘net worth’ as it’s called in the app.

Adding money and transferring money options are right there up top which is great, but the option to exchange money is hidden away under a sub-menu. I find this strange as the main benefit of Revolut over other neo banks is the currency exchange feature. 

I’d really like to see that exchange button next to the ‘add money’ and ‘transfer money’ options. 

By default, the home screen shows just a single recent transaction, with the option of clicking ‘See all’ to access more. I’d like to see more transactions listed here. Instead, the bottom third of the screen is taken up by suggestions of things Revolut thinks you might be interested in. It’s basically just advertising for Revolut’s other services. 

Overall, the app is fast and functional, with most options available in one or two clicks, but with so much going on, some ability to customise at least the Home Screen would be a welcome addition.

How to open a Revolut account and get 3 months free premium

Signing up to Revolut takes less than 5 minutes, and because Revolut isn’t a bank, you don’t need to jump through as many hoops as you do with some accounts. There are no credit checks, and you don’t even need proof of address. 

For those reasons, it’s also a great first account for those new to the UK. And in some cases your Revolut account statement, can be used as proof of address when opening accounts elsewhere such as Virgin’s M account. See out guide on basic bank accounts for more information on this. 

Steps to open a Revolut account

If you sign up to Revolut via the link here , you’ll get three months of Premium for free. That includes free travel insurance so it is definitely worth it if you are travelling within the next few months. 

Download the app by clicking our link and using the QR code.

Sign up for an account: Open the app and select “Sign up”. You’ll be asked to provide some personal information, such as your name, email address, and phone number.

Verify your identity: Revolut uses a secure process to verify your identity, which typically involves taking a photo of your passport or driving licence, and a selfie.

Add a funding source: To start using your Revolut account, you’ll need to add a funding source or top up your account. You can do this by linking your bank account or debit/credit card, or via ApplePay and GooglePay.

Activate your card: Once you’ve completed the sign-up process and chosen your plan, you can order your Revolut card. You can choose between a physical or virtual card, and it will be delivered to you within a few days.

Revolut Crypto fees

Revolut launched its cryptocurrency platform in 2018. It allows all Revolut customers to buy, sell, and hold cryptocurrencies in-app. The fees for which depend on the subscription held.

• Standard and Plus users – 1.99% of the value of the transaction or £0.99 whichever is greater
• Premium and Metal users – 1.49%

Standard and Plus users should also bear in mind that crypto exchanges count towards their £1,000 monthly fair usage limit. 

I tested the platform back in 2018 amidst the Bitcoin hype. It was easier to use and understand than a dedicated crypto exchange, and used the same familiar interface you get when exchanging foreign currency. 

The fact that I had money sitting in my Revolut account at the time, made it quick and easy buy a few fractions of BTC or XRP or whatever I dabbled in at the time. 

The only drawback I found came later, when I wanted to move my crypto to an external wallet. It just wasn’t possible. Fortunately, that has now changed and you can move your crypto assets to other wallets or cold storage. 

Obviously, it’s not as detailed or full featured as dedicated crypto exchange, but it’s this simplicity that makes it great for those who are curious to learn more about crypto in general. 

Revolut vs Wise

Revolut is by far the most popular multicurrency card, but it’s not the only game town. Wise (formerly Transferwise) also has a large following. 

Both offer free multicurrency accounts with debit cards. Both can be used a bank accounts if you wish to have your salary paid into them, or set up direct debits and standing orders. There are some key differences though. 

Wise focuses on low fees, while Revolut focuses on versatility. That doesn’t mean Wise is cheaper though. In fact, in the exchanges I have conducted Revolut always won out. 

There are caveats to that though. Both use the midmarket rate for currency exchanges but and for 15 of the most common currencies Revolut is cheaper as it doesn’t charge a fee, provided you stay within the fair use policy of your plan (which for the free plan is £1,000 a month). 

Wise does charge a free, but it’s up front and transparent about this. Where is beats Revolut is on exchanges in more exotic currencies where Revolut adds a 1% mark up, and on exchanges outside of market hours, which can incur as much as a 2% mark up. 

In terms of the debit cards, Revolut edges out Wise. Both allow spending in over 150 currencies, but Revolut customers on the free standard plan withdraw up to £200 a month fee free (in one go), whereas Wise offers two free ATM withdrawals of just £100 each, then charges up to 2% thereafter. 

Bearing in mind that my experience with Wise is limited to a few small transfers in testing and a few card transactions. It is a popular card in its own right especially amongst ex-pats and is said to be better with dealing with transfers to the USA. 

Chase vs Revolut

It may seem odd to compare Chase and Revolut, but in terms of spending abroad, they both perform a similar function. The main difference is that Revolut offers in-app currency exchange and foreign bank transfers in over 15 different currencies, and spending in over 150. Chase doesn’t yet offer international transfers, nor does it offer a currency exchange function. 

In terms of holiday spending, Chase is the clear winner. Both offer fee free point of sale spending aboard, but when it comes to ATM withdrawals it’s a different story.

The free Revolut account limits monthly ATM withdrawals to just £200 equivalent. Withdrawals over this amount are charged a 2% fee. Foreign ATM withdrawals via Chase, are limited to £1,500 a month, with a maximum daily amount of £500. In addition, Chase users visiting the USA can use Chase ATMs to avoid and ATM fees charged by the foreign bank. 

That’s not all though, Chase previously offered 1% cashback on spending via its debit card even when abroad. It has now amended this offer. Customers can still earn 1% cashback on spending, but must deposit at least £500 a month into their account. The cashback is also now limited to £15 a month. 

Is Revolut safe?

In the UK Revolut is not a bank, it’s an e-money institution. Although it is still regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, it isn’t part of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. 

Instead, customer deposits are ring-fenced at Barclays and Lloyds, and cannot be used by Revolut for its own business activities. This provides a good degree of protection should anything happen to the company, but isn’t as iron-clad as full FSCS protection. 

Additionally, Revolut isn’t signatory to the voluntary Contingent Reimbursement Model Scheme (CRM) , and has receive criticism in the past for refusing to reimburse victims of fraud where seemingly authorised payments were made. 

This is something that has been highlighted recently on the BBC, as a few victims of this type of authorised fraud have had trouble claiming anything back from Revolut. 

Is Revolut still worth it?

With the growth in digital banking and increased competition across the ‘travel money’ sector, I must admit I don’t find myself using Revolut anywhere near as much as I did in the past. 

That being said, there still many reasons to love Revolut. For one, it’s just so quick and easy. Exchanges are simple, and transfers to euro accounts are always via SEPA instant, which isn’t something that can be said for Starling. It also has a ton of services and features that just available from any other UK bank or fintech. Cryptocurrency and commodities investing for example right there in the same app. Shared vaults, group bills etc..

It’s also constantly innovating and adding new features. Many of these features aren’t just limited to Premium members either, but available to all account holders. An example of this is the virtual disposable card, which is great for online shopping security. A Premium feature on Monzo, but included in free standard plan for Revolut customers. 

For mainstream currencies it’s cheaper than Wise for the most part, and wins out as a travel card against Currensea (see our Revolut vs Currensea article) provided you can live within the tight limits of the free standard account. A top foreign travel credit or debit card, such as the Barclaycard Rewards, or Starling debit card still better for day-to-day spending abroad though. 

It’s not all positive though. Critical support is abysmal, you can’t actually talk to human. There’s also the question of fees. The standard plan is free, but only to a point. The fees for going over what are quite small allowances can add up if you aren’t careful, and on top of these, you can be hit by out-of-hours fees on currency exchanges. 

The company and its management are also questionable. It has been involved in a number of scandals over the years, from a culture of bullying, to disabling money laundering checks .

The latest negative headlines centre around the lack of support for victim of fraud where seemingly ‘authorised’ transactions were made. It was also more than 7 months late filing its annual accounts . Not something you expect from a would-be bank.  

Fortunately, the vast majority of customers remain unaffected by these incidents, but it certainly doesn’t help public perception, especially in an age where banks are increasingly adopting a more ethical stance. See Kroo for example. 

As a long-time account holder, my opinion is that Revolut certainly has its benefits, and although I’m not thrilled about its corporate governance, or public image, I do still see a use case for it in certain circumstances. In particular for currency exchange and transfers to foreign accounts. Always making sure never to leave large sums of money in the account for any length of time due to the lack of FSCS protection. 

Got a Revolut story? Good or bad, we’re keen to hear your experiences.

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The original multi-currency account, and still one the best

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Travel Money Options Compared: WeSwap vs Travel Cash, Debit & Prepaid Cards

Then there's the jargon. Oh, the jargon! FX, Forex, Mid-market exchange rate, commission, a spread.

It's hard work figuring out how to get the best deal. So, we've put together this blog for you to show you how WeSwap compares with the other options on the market.

If you really want to get to grips with the FX markets, give our Understanding How the Foreign Exchange Market works blog a read.

Travel Cash

If you're abroad, we all know it's good to have some cash in your wallet. What some people don't know is that most companies will change the exchange rate when you're buying that cash, meaning you rarely get anywhere near the mid-market rate*. All though most companies do this, the price hikes are much larger in certain places (we're looking at you, airport bureax de change), so the key is to order in advance and scout out the best deals.

If you're ordering in advance, be wary of delivery charges.  These are often added if your order isn’t big enough. Whilst these providers didn't include a delivery fee for our test order of £1000 , many will charge £3-£5 to deliver smaller amounts of less than £500 or so. If you are taking lots of cash with you, make sure you keep it somewhere safe once you arrive at your villa/hotel/canal boat/yurt.

* Also known as the true exchange or the interbank rate, the mid-market rate is the mid-point between the buy and the sell prices of two currencies in the FX market. I.e. the average rate a currency is being bought and then sold at. This tends to be the ‘real’ rate before banks or bureaux add their fees.

Rates checked 13.11.2018 12:00. The Mid-market rate then was  1.14779 . Rates were those quoted on the respective provider websites, at MoneySavingExpert.com, or over the phone.

Debit Cards

In 2016, UK holiday makers spent £26.4 billion using their cards overseas, with travellers making almost 14 transactions every second (via paymenteye.com ).

That's a lot of conversion fees!

Conversion what?

Fees, yes. Most banks will charge you an extra fee to convert your money when you're using your debit card abroad.

When it comes to withdrawing cash, we get charged if you use an ATM so we do charge for smaller cash withdrawals, but we don't charge anything for withdrawals over £200 . We've done the sums to show you what this means in real terms for you, below.

Card charges checked 13.11.18 on Money Saving Expert.

Prepaid Cards

Prepaid cards are great: they’re secure (because they’re not linked to your bank), they’re brilliant for budgeting (you can track your spending online or on your mobile) and if you lose one, your funds are protected. But as with any deal, do check the numbers.

Card charges checked 13.11.18 on card provider websites.

So there you have it, a long way of saying that we all get more to spend abroad with WeSwap - because we swap your money direct with other travellers. More sangria. More pizza. More happy. That's people power!

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Monzo vs revolut: which is best for travel in 2024 [full comparison].

When packing for a trip abroad, one of the biggest things you need to consider is which travel card to take with you.

Ever since we began backpacking in 2016, we have taken our Revolut and Monzo cards with us on every trip.

We first started with Revolut on our journey around South America and then also started using Monzo shortly after.

As of now, we have used these cards in over 40 countries, and have worked out the many pros and cons that each card offers.

Though they seem to offer a very similar service, there are a few key differences between Monzo and Revolut that might make them better suited to your personal use.

Below I’ll take you through these differences we’ve picked up on and give you, what we believe to be, the clear winner in the battle of Monzo vs Revolut .

Just one thing to note, this review and our decision is based purely on the purpose of using these as travel cards to get the best bang for your buck when abroad.

So, without further ado, let’s get stuck in...

Travellerspoint

Which countries have we used Monzo and Revolut in?

To help give you a basis for this review, here’s all of the countries that we have used our Revolut and Monzo cards in.

As you can see, collectively this involves 5 of the 7 continents and dozens of different global currencies.

England / Ireland / Estonia / Finland / Germany / Latvia / Lithuania / Malta / Norway / Poland / Spain / Sweden

Indonesia / Sri Lanka / India / Nepal / The Philippines

North America:

Mexico / Guatemala / Nicaragua / El Salvador / United States of America

England / Ireland / Austria / Bosnia & Herzegovina / Croatia / Czech Republic / Estonia / Finland / France / Germany / Italy / Latvia / Lithuania / Malta / Netherlands / Norway / Poland / Spain / Sweden

Indonesia / Thailand / Cambodia / Vietnam / Laos / Sri Lanka / India / Nepal / The Philippines

Mexico / Guatemala / Nicaragua / El Salvador

South America:

Brazil / Argentina / Chile / Bolivia / Peru / Colombia / Galapagos Islands

Great features of Monzo for travel

• Best exchange rates possible - Based on Mastercard rates settled 3 days after transactions are made
• Unlimited fee-free cash withdrawals abroad in the European Economic Area (EEA)
• £200 worth of free withdrawals elsewhere abroad - 3% charge above this
• The ability to apply for an overdraft - we love this!
• Compatible with Google Pay and Apple Pay
• Ability to freeze your card - Great for if you lose your card or just want to pause it when not in use
• Order a replacement card to 100+ countries - £30 to ship internationally, free within the UK (however, the card costs £5 if it's not been stolen, subject to fraud, or expired).

Additional Monzo features

• Savings pots - A range of different solutions dependant on how much money you have ready to save
• Syncing up your salary - You can even get paid the day BEFORE your work is set to pay you!
• Clear monthly budgeting
• Set up joint accounts - Perfect if you’re travelling as a couple
• Monzo Flex - It's essentially a new take on a credit card and is fantastic for spreading the cost of purchases
• An awesome bill-splitting feature

Paid Features: Monzo Plus vs Mono Premium

For those wishing to upgrade their Monzo account, you've got two options! 

Aside from all the great features of a free account, you'll benefit from other fantastic features too. When comparing the differences, sometimes it just makes sense to upgrade depending on your situation.

Monzo Plus - £5 per month

• Up to £400 no-fee ATM withdrawals
• The ability to use virtual cards - Great against fraud!
• Credit Tracker - This way, you can keep an eye on your credit score as you go along
• 1 free cash deposit a month in the UK - Otherwise it's £1 for cash deposits
• Interest on your instant access saving pot - 4.60% AER interest (variable) on balances up to £100,000
• Custom categories for payments - This helps you to keep track of your spending
• You'll benefit from offers when it comes to some companies - This includes HelloFresh, Naked Wines, Babylon Health, RAC, and others
• Exclusive holographic card

Monzo Premium - £15 per month

Includes all of the above plus:

• Up to £600 no-fee ATM withdrawals
• Worldwide travel insurance - Covers you and your family when traveling together
• Phone insurance - This covers loss, damage, theft, and scratches
• Discounted access to over 1,100 airport lounges
• 5 free cash deposits a month in the UK
• Up to 4.60% AER interest (variable) interest on your instant access saving pot - Again, up to £100,000
• Exclusive metal card

Great features of Revolut for travel

Here’s a quick overview of the key features that help make Revolut an awesome choice for your next travel card.

• The best exchange rates possible - The exact rate as offered by Visa or Mastercard (+ 0.5% to 1% markup fee on weekends)
• Clear account overview of all expenses made
• Ability to freeze your card - ideal for if you lose your card abroad, or simply want it deactivated when not being used
• Offers an easy sharing bills feature - Once you pay for something, you request a percentage of the amount paid from someone else who uses Revolut
• Quick currency conversions - You can add whichever currency you’re using abroad and then get quick comparisons of the live exchange rates
• £200 free withdrawals every month - 2% fee thereafter (can be upgraded using the paid features discussed below)
• Ability to purchase gadget insurance - As well as travel insurance through the paid plans (see below)
• Order a replacement card to 180 different countries - These cost £5 and you'll need to pay a delivery fee
• Get up to 10% cashback when booking accommodation through Revolut - a great feature for frequent travelers! 

Additional Revolut features

• Cryptocurrency trading - Bitcoin, Ether, Litecoin, Ripple, Bitcoin Cash
• Stock trading - More than 300 stocks
• The ability to set budgets
• Typical UK current accounts - Use to pay direct debits, receive salary and cover bills etc...
• The ability to receive international payments
• Make charity donations - Without paying fees
• Receive cashback when purchasing certain products - this can be done through a Revolut credit card too! 

Paid Features: Revolut Premium vs Revolut Metal vs Revolut Ultra

If you wish to pay to upgrade your Revolut account, then you get access to a whole host of great perks for a small monthly sum .

It’s worth noting that Revolut is always expanding these perks so check ahead of time to see if this list is still up-to-date.

When we first started using Revolut 4 years ago, the perks were only a fraction of what’s on offer today, and the option to upgrade now makes much better financial sense.

Premium features - £7.99 per month

• Unlimited foreign exchange Monday-Friday
• Up to £400 free international ATM withdrawals per month - a 2% fee afterward
• Full purchase protection - up to £2,500
• Up to 5% cashback on accommodation
• Up to 20% off fees on international transfers
• Up to 2.34% interest paid into saving vaults daily - depends on the currency
• 5 commission-free stock trades every month
• Revolut Junior - can create cards for two children under the age of 18
• Perks Plus - higher discounts off top brands
• ‍ Personalised debit card - As opposed to the standard colours ‍
• Commodities trading - This includes gold, silver, platinum, and palladium ( read more here )
• ‍ Disposable virtual card - The number changes after every online payment, helping protect against online fraud ( read more here ) ‍
• Express global card delivery - to 180 countries in 4 days ‍
• Priority customer service support from Revolut
• Travel insurance included within your monthly fee - Be sure to read more about this here . Personally, I always have a separate annual travel insurance policy that I know is custom-designed for my travels & wouldn’t rely solely on this. I recommend checking out my SafetyWing review which is a good option to go for! ‍
• Other insurance perks - Emergency medical assistance with expenses paid directly to your Revolut account; delayed travel insurance; discounted devices insurance + more. ‍
• Access to airport lounges at discounted rates
• SmartDelay - Free lounge access for you and 1 friend if your flight is delayed by over an hour ( more info )

Metal features - £14.99 per month

Includes all of the above, plus:

• Up to £800 free international ATM withdrawals per month - a 2% fee afterwards
• Full purchase protection
• Earn up to 4% AER/Gross (variable) paid daily on your savings
• 10 commission-free stock trades every month
• 40% off fees on every international transfer
• Up to 10% cashback on accommodation - compared to 5% on premium
• Cashback on card payments - up to 0.1% on transactions in Europe and UK, and 1% elsewhere
• Personal Liability Insurance - up to £1 million
• Five accounts for under 18s with full access ‍
• ‍ Free concierge service - Check out this thread for people’s experiences
• ‍ StartDelay free lounge pass for you and 3 friends -  As opposed to you and 1 friend on premium

Ultra features - £45 per month (introductory offer, usually £55 per month)

The bonuses of using Revolut Ultra, include:

• Up to £2000 free international ATM withdrawals per month - a 2% fee afterwards
• Free International Transfers
• Earn up to 4.75% AER/Gross (variable) paid daily on your savings
• Five accounts for under 18s with full access
• Trip and event cancellation insurance
• Perks worth £4,000+ in annual benefits
• Unlimited lounge access
• Platinum-plated card
• Subscriptions for Sleep Cycle, Headspace, NordVPN, and Picsart
• Can request a call back when it comes to priority customer support

For more information you can check out our in-depth Revolut guide here...

What are the important differences between Monzo and Revolut?

Based on important features when it comes to travel, here’s a look at how I think these 2 awesome challenger banks stand up:

1. Withdrawing money from foreign ATMs

Under the free plans, each allow £200 of free withdrawals each month. Above this you are charged a fee. With Revolut this is 2% and with Monzo this is now 3%. It used to be just 2% from Monzo as well, but this has now changed. As such, Revolut wins here .

2. Paying by card when abroad

Monzo wins purely because of the overdraft feature. Having this on Cazzy’s card means we never have to worry about running out of money when out and about for the day. Be aware though that you do have to apply for the overdraft and not everyone gets approved.

3. Splitting bills

Both Monzo and Revolut offer a feature where you can request money from another user in order to split a bill. A really great feature that both apps do really well .

4. Dealing with fraud

When you start to move your banking ever more online, there is always a fear of fraud and other people somehow getting a hold of your details. Both Monzo and Revolut have advanced safety features in place to help prevent this. 

Namely, the ability to freeze your card at any time and reactivate it at the click of a button. I also like that, if you enter the wrong access pin to the app, you actually get blocked from accessing the bank account and have to verify your identity in order to regain access. 

With Monzo, this requires you to take a picture of your photo ID and record a quick video of you saying something, in order for the Monzo security team to verify it's you who is trying to access the app. We have had no issues with either, except for with Revolut back in 2016. 

Somehow, when paying for something online in South America, a man in Canada got a hold of Cazzy’s card details and used them to buy flight tickets out of Canada (valued at just under £200). I believe that them accessing the details in the first place was our fault and nothing to do with Revolut. 

Either way, we contacted Revolut about the issue and after a few weeks managed to get the money refunded! At the same time, there are plenty of stories online about both Monzo and Revolut where users have been unable to recover stolen funds. 

Whether this is the fault of Monzo and Revolut isn’t always clear; but from personal experience we can vouch for Revolut. Overall, we’ve had great experiences when it comes to fraud with both companies .

5. Replacing lost cards

For some reason, Cazzy and me have a bad habit of leaving our cards in ATMs! We’ve each done it a couple of times and luckily it’s never been a major issue as we each always have a backup card. 

What I love about both apps is that you can immediately freeze and block your card if you’ve lost it or had it stolen, so that no money can be taken. If you do need to order a replacement card outside of the UK, then this is 100% possible with both Revolut and Monzo. 

With Monzo, it costs £5 to replace a card that hasn't been stolen, subject to fraud, or expired in the UK. Monzo also charge a flat £30 fee to ship outside the UK (sent with DHL tracking).

You are allowed some free replacements but that all depends on your plan.

With Revolut this is at least €19.99 and possibly more depending on which international country you are in. To ship within the UK, Revolut charges £5. However, if you're a member of Revolut Premium, Metal or Ultra, you're eligible for free delivery.

It’s hard to give a winner here, because I think both services are very similar in price and incredibly easy-to-use .

6. User-friendliness

Both Monzo and Revolut have a very modern and straightforward feel to them. All of the features are easy to access, except for the currency conversion tool which to me can often seem a bit clunky and delayed. Though this does depend on the quality of the internet connection!

For some reason, I personally prefer the feel of Monzo, possibly because I seem to use it more often these days. That being said, I would have to give the overall award for user-friendliness to Revolut . 

Simply because of the fact that they let you save a UK bank card to your account allowing you to top up directly from within the app, rather than having to head to your alternate internet banking app.

Also, their currency conversion tool is extremely handy, and gives you a very quick overview of whichever exchange rates you choose.

7. Additional perks

As you can see from the detailed description above, Revolut has clearly put a lot of work into the paid plans. Great travel-related perks include the chance to access free travel insurance included within your plan, as well as the chance to get free lounge passes with flight delays. 

Their concierge service is also an interesting idea, though reviews online seem to be more negative than positive .

So in the world of additional perks, Revolut is the winner .

Overall verdict: Monzo vs Revolut - Which is better for travel?

As you can see, both Monzo and Revolut offer a very appealing travel card service, well suited to help you save money when travelling almost anywhere in the world.

Our policy is to take both our Monzo and Revolut cards with us everywhere we go, partly due to the fact that one is a Mastercard (Monzo) and the other is a Visa (Revolut), so we are covered no matter what.

It also means that we don’t have to pay a monthly subscription charge in order to maintain free withdrawals.

With 4 cards, it means we can access £800 worth of free withdrawals between us each month, which has never proved to be an issue.

However, if I had to pick one that I prefer, it would have to be Monzo , purely because of the overdraft feature.

It has come in handy so many times when we unexpectedly need access to money and don’t have any WiFi or data to top up at that time.

It’s not to say that Revolut is bad, but up until now Monzo has proved more reliable.

That being said: I’m wondering if Revolut will soon overtake Monzo as my favourite.

They already have a lot of very obvious perks.

Notably that once you add a card, you can then top up from within the app and never have to leave.

With Monzo, once you've checked your balance and seen you need more money, you have to go to your banking app and send a bank transfer from there.

Also, many of the premium features listed above are relatively new and we haven’t yet had a chance to trial them.

On previous trips, the paid Revolut plans have never been very financially appealing, but with the addition of the lounge pass system and their awesome perks; they are well worth the monthly fee.

In fact, we now have the Ultra Plan and can safely say that it's well worth the money, as there are tons of fantastic perks.

As we continue to try out the additional paid features, I will update this article accordingly in the coming months...

Advice for new users

So, what would be my advice if you’re planning a trip and trying to decide whether to download Revolut or Monzo.

If you want to just go for one and be done with it, opt for Monzo .

Or if you want to access all of the other cool features, like cryptocurrency and stock trading, then Revolut is the obvious choice.

However, one of my favourite travel tips is to download both and order cards for each one.

Take them each with you abroad and give them both a go.

The fact that they are both free to use and download means that it’s more than worthwhile trying each one.

Plus, you get the bonus of twice as many free ATM withdrawals each month.

The future of Monzo and Revolut

It seems that the aim of both Monzo and Revolut are to become well-rounded financial service providers, helping you to handle all aspects of your finances.

As of writing, it seems to me that both providers have done a great job of diversifying these offerings.

When we originally wrote this article, it was only Monzo that offered joint accounts and loans, whereas now Revolut offer these too.

However, with the ability to easily access overdrafts, Monzo seems to be ahead in the race to help people more easily and comfortably switch from traditional banking to this new digital banking revolution.

But in the 4 years we’ve been using each of these services, they have both come a long way.

And it’s exciting to see what the future holds and which new services each one starts to roll out.

How to sign up for Monzo and Revolut

Getting your hands on a Monzo or Revolut card is sooooo simple!

Just go and download the app.

• Find Monzo here
• Find Revolut here

You’ll then need to go ahead and enter a few basic details such as your name, email address and home address.

When you’re all signed up you can then request your card to be sent out to you and you’re good to go!

Other similar travel cards to try

As well as Monzo and Revolut, there are 3 other travel cards that we have tried abroad.

1. Starling Bank

The main appeal they offer above Monzo and Revolut is that they have no cap on free monthly withdrawals.

Which is obviously a massive perk if you are worried about paying high monthly fees with Monzo or Revolut.

That being said, Starling is well behind in offering any additional features and Cazzy and I never really grew very fond of it.

Perhaps the biggest issue we had was that the exchange rate we received with them often tended to be slightly worse than what Revolut and Monzo offers.

I’m not sure why as it’s meant to be the same but hey that’s just what we’ve found. 

I do know that both Starling and Revolut apply a 0.5% - 1% surcharge to exchange rates on weekends so as to protect themselves against big currency fluctuations (markets close over the weekend).

However Monzo doesn’t do this!

I used this a few times abroad and just never got on with it.

At least with Starling they have the clear bonus of no maximum withdrawal amount each month, but N26 just never offered any benefits above Monzo and Revolut so we quickly stopped using them.

Their card also just seemed very tacky (a poor excuse I know!).

Anyhow, they’re no longer available in the UK anyway so best to just ignore them.

When it comes to using these cards for travel, Wise (formerly TransferWise) simply can’t compete with Monzo or Revolut.

This is because they charge you conversion fees for using your card abroad (if you don't hold the local currency in your multi-currency account).

What I absolutely love about Wise though is that they have the lowest conversion fees when it comes to receiving international money transfers and converting it into GBP.

As such we use our Wise account a lot for our business!

For more information, you can check out our in-depth guide of Wise Vs Revolut ...

Well that’s about it!

I hope this has been a pretty useful and detailed comparison between Monzo and Revolut , more specifically with regards to how they can help you when travelling abroad .

Once again, be aware that both of these companies are constantly upgrading their features so exact prices and services may be different at the time you sign up.

Now over to you, have you used Monzo or Revolut?

If so, which one do you prefer?

Drop a comment below, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Be sure to check out these other helpful guides we've put together:

• The Best Ways To Get Cheap Hotels
• The Best Travel Apps
• The Best Travel Jobs

Leave a comment

Let us know what you think.

5 million people can't be wrong

Dominican Peso card

Travelling from the UK ? Spend effortlessly in Dominican Pesos (DOP) with a multi-currency card.

40+ million worldwide customers use Revolut

Revolut offers so much more than a travel card. Exchange currencies, send money abroad, and hold 36 local currencies in-app. These are just some reasons why our customers rely on us for their travel spending.

How does a Dominican Peso card work?

How to get your DOP card

Get your Dominican Peso card in 3 steps

Join 40+ million people worldwide saving when they spend abroad with Revolut.

Order your free Dominican Peso card. Top up your balance in GBP or 36 other currencies.

Start spending in Dominican Pesos.

Currency exchange fees subject to fair-usage limits and weekend markups. Currency exchange shown is only an indicative example.

Why should I get a Dominican Peso card?

Where is the Dominican Peso card available?

Spend confidently with a Dominican Peso card

How to save money when spending in Dominican Pesos

Tips for saving money

No need to exchange cash before you travel — use your travel money card to spend or withdraw money from an ATM.

Choose the local currency when spending with your card in shops and restaurants.

Spend in Dominican Pesos like a local with Revolut.

How to avoid unwanted ATM fees

Need to make DOP withdrawals ?

Fee-free Dominican Peso ATM withdrawals

Fee-free atm withdrawals up to £200, fee-free atm withdrawals up to £400, fee-free atm withdrawals up to £800.

ATM withdrawals are subject to fair-usage fees depending on plan. Currency exchange fees may apply.

What are you waiting for?

Save when you travel with a DOP travel card

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Need a little more help?

Dominican Peso currency card FAQs

Is it better to use a travel money card rather than cash .

There is no 'best' way to spend in Dominican Pesos, but here are some tips to help you save money:

• Don’t exchange cash at the airport. It’s much cheaper to withdraw money from an ATM with your Dominican Peso card.
• Don't carry more cash than you need. When you return home to the UK, you’ll have to re-convert this cash back to GBP.
• Always choose DOP as the local currency when spending with your card in shops and restaurants.
• Download the Revolut app, then sign up to get instant notifications on what you spend and manage your balance.

Are travel money cards safe and secure?

Where can i use my dop travel money card, how much can i pay using my dominican peso card.

There is no limit to the amount that you can spend using your Dominican Peso card. Just top up in-app with however much you want and enjoy your travels.

How can I avoid unwanted ATM fees ?

There are tonnes of benefits to a Dominican Peso card. Let’s look at a few:

• Send and spend in Dominican Pesos and 150+ other currencies.
• No need to exchange or carry cash. Pay with your Dominican Peso card, either contactless or with chip and PIN.
• No need to wait for your physical card to arrive. Instantly add your card to Google Pay or Apple Pay.
• Create single-use virtual cards for safe online shopping or travel bookings.
• Enjoy fee-free ATM withdrawals between £200 and £2,000 monthly, depending on your plan.
• Get instant payment notifications to keep track of how much you spend.
• Stay in control of your card’s security, with card freezing and spending limit controls.
• Easily manage your spending around the world with the free Revolut app.

How do I get a Dominican Peso travel money card?

To order your Revolut debit card and start spending in Dominican Pesos, simply:

• Download the Revolut app on your Android or iPhone and sign up for free.
• Order your free Dominican Peso card. Top up your balance in GBP or 150+ other currencies.
• Get your card in the post or add it to Google Pay or Apple Pay to use it immediately.
• Start spending like a local in Dominican Pesos.

Money blog: Cost of £7 pint broken down - how much is tax and profit?

The cost of draught lager has gone up nearly 30% since January 2019, according to the Office for National Statistics. Read this and more in the Money blog, your place for personal finance news. Leave a comment on stories we've covered, or a question for our experts, in the form below.

Thursday 4 April 2024 18:00, UK

• British Savings Bonds announced in the budget go on sale - but experts aren't convinced
• What makes up the cost of a £6 pint - and how much is profit?
• How to make your money work harder while it's sat in your current account
• How much will your take-home pay increase this month with NI cut? Use our calculator
• 'Are they going to go around sniffing people?' Big Issue founder says government has 'lost the plot' over homelessness plan
• Eight big price hikes this week - and six boosts to Britons' pockets
• All the places kids can eat cheap or free this Easter

Ask a question or make a comment

We've all found ourselves stuck on a delayed train and wished we'd chosen any other route to get home. You might even be on one right now.

Well, thanks to a new study you can at least take note of routes you might want to avoid.

It has listed the worst offending companies on the UK's rail network by looking at official data from the Office of Rail and Road between January 2021 and September 2023.

It looked at trains that were cancelled or delayed by 15 minutes or more during that time period.

The research found Avanti West Coast had 15.36% of its services delayed or cancelled. 

The study's second worst offender, with 12.32% of all trains either cancelled or seriously late, is Grand Central Rail . 

And  CrossCountry was the third least reliable operator, with 12.26% of trains arriving 15 minutes or more late, or being cancelled altogether. 

Axel Hernborg, founder of Tripplo , which conducted the study, said: " It's no secret that the UK's rail network is a far shout from those within mainland Europe in terms of efficiency and reliability, and these findings simply underscore that."

Look at the table below for the full list of the 10 least reliable train operators, as ranked by the travel website. The column on the right shows the number of minutes customers lost in delays.

By Faith Ridler, news reporter

At the start of the year, I set myself what felt like an impossible challenge - to make enough cash to finally go on my dream holiday to Japan – all through side hustles.

After a few false starts – and a lot of cat sitting – I discovered Vinted, a second-hand selling app which had the very convenient side effect of helping me declutter my very tiny London flat.

I set up my account at the very end of January, listing a few items that were spilling out of my wardrobe – jackets, dresses and shoes I hadn’t worn once since purchasing them.

I also listed some craft supplies that had become a hobby graveyard on my cluttered desk during COVID lockdowns.

To my surprise, pretty much everything sold.

And to date, I've made the hefty sum of around £1,500. 

This was more than enough for my flight to Japan, a new suitcase, and a hotel for my arrival in Tokyo this summer.

Here are the tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way…

Do your research

The biggest piece of advice I could give you if you’re thinking about selling on Vinted is to make sure you know the value of what you're selling.

I was surprised to find through my own selling experience that some brands hold their value much better than others. 

For example, a dress I bought for £40 from a brand called Louche sold (after some weeks) for only £4.

On the other hand, a Lucy & Yak T-shirt I bought for £30 sold used for £20.

You may ask, how do I know what something is worth?

The best way to investigate this is to check what other people are doing on the app. That way, you don’t list things too cheaply and end up losing out.

Other items I found hold their value are Nintendo Switch games, some of which I sold on for face value after completing a playthrough myself.

An important note – make sure you check which items you can sell through Vinted before listing. If you have listings deleted too often, you can get your account banned. You can find this information through the app itself.

No printer? InPost lockers are your friend

A key element of Vinted selling is physically posting the items, which can become a bit of a headache if you don’t know the ins and outs of the app.

I fell victim to the many shipping options at the start of my selling journey – until a kind friend mentioned you can actually switch off methods not available in your area in the Postage tab of Settings.

My advice would be to have a good look at what you can offer for delivery, and make sure those are the only options available for people buying items through your page.

If – like me – you don’t have a printer, you can turn off every option but InPost lockers.

These are postal lockers you simply need to scan a QR code to open and leave the parcel inside.

No label, no problem.

Learn how to haggle

This was something that shocked me about the app.

Although you set a price for your items, almost everybody will try to haggle the price down.

You can ask for people not to send offers in the description of the items, but I’ve had very limited success with that method.

What I find works best is to list the item for slightly more than you would accept, and just let people haggle down. You're still earning the best price, and the buyer goes away with a "deal".

Everybody wins.

Taxes and Vinted

When it comes to earning money through any method, you always have to consider the tax ramifications.

However, as Vinted explains clearly on its website , if the money you make on the app over a year is less than what you paid for the items initially, you pay no tax.

It adds: "The only time that an individual item might be taxable is when you sell it for more than £6,000 and there is a profit from the sale.

"Even then, you can use your capital gain tax-free allowance (which is £3,000) to reduce this profit."

Essentially, if, like me, you're simply decluttering your way to Japan, you're very unlikely to find yourself crossing paths with HMRC.

Trade groups have warned of higher food prices and empty supermarket shelves because of new post-Brexit border fees being introduced this month.

A maximum charge of £145 will apply on imports of plant and animal products, such as cheese and fish, entering the UK through the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel from 30 April.

The fees are intended to cover the cost of operating new border control posts required after Brexit, and will not apply to goods brought into the UK for personal use, the government said.

But importers warned the new charges could lead to higher prices for consumers.

Read more here ...

Ted Baker is the latest in a string of high-street giants to call in administrators in recent years. 

But how does it affect you? 

Let's use Ted Baker as an example. 

Purchases and returns

You can still purchase online or walk into a Ted Baker shop and buy items, but you could run into trouble returning them. 

If the retailer stops trading, it may not be able to get your money back to you.

If that is the case, you would have to file a claim with Teneo (Ted Baker's administrator) to join a list of creditors owed money by Ted Baker – and even then there's no guarantee you'd get your money back.

You could also file a claim with your debit or credit card provider - but again, no guarantees. 

TL;DR: If you have one - use it as soon as possible. 

Teneo has made no changes to the way gift cards can be used at Ted Baker, but as is the case with all administrators, it can change the terms and conditions at will. 

As above, if you lose out on cash because of a company going into administration, you can raise it with the administrators themselves. 

Credits and debits

As we mentioned earlier, you can file a claim with your debit or credit card provider to recover lost funds - but how exactly does that work?

• Credit card:  If you bought any single item costing between £100-£30,000 and paid on a credit card, the card firm is liable if something goes wrong. If any purchase was less than £100, you may still be able to get your money back via chargeback
• Debit card:  Under chargeback, your bank can try to get your money back from Ted Baker's bank. However, be aware that this is not a legal requirement and it can later be disputed and recalled back to Ted Baker's bank

A US state is considering a bill giving employees the right not to respond to calls, emails and texts from their bosses outside of paid work hours.

The so-called "right to disconnect" would allow California's labour commission to fine employers for interrupting personal time, reports our partner network NBC News.

The bill makes exceptions for emergencies, scheduling and collective bargaining.

The state's Chamber of Commerce called the proposed legislation a step backwards for flexibility.

However, Professor Amira Barger told NBC the changes would help tackle an "epidemic of burnout" and were a "necessary adaptation" for the future of work.

The planned £15bn mega-merger of UK mobile networks Vodafone and Three is to face an in-depth investigation by the competition watchdog.

The Competition and Markets Authority confirmed it will launch a so-called Phase 2 probe after both firms told the regulator they would not be offering measures to ease its concerns ahead of the deadline, 2 April.

The CMA said last month that the tie-up could have a "substantial" impact on competition, warning it may lead to higher prices and reduced quality.

Read more in our full story .

School strikes over teachers' pay and funding could be staged in September, the leader of a teaching union has warned.

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), the largest education union in the UK, did not rule out launching a ballot on walkouts for the autumn term.

Teachers at the NEU’s annual conference in Bournemouth will vote today on whether the union should "build capacity" to deliver national industrial action.

Ofgem is considering plans for rules on the use of artificial intelligence in the energy industry amid fears the technology could risk "tacit collusion", reports  The Times.

Algorithms that make pricing decisions for companies would make it more difficult to identify who is accountable when it comes to competition issues, the regulator said.

Customers also need to be protected from higher-risk AI used to help balance supply and demand that could cause power outages if they fail.

By Daniel Binns, business reporter

The FTSE 100 is up more than 0.4% this morning, after a rise in the price of gold boosted precious metal mining firms.

Also up is British fintech Cab Payments. Its shares have shot up 11% in early trading.

It comes after the firm secured a payment provider licence in the Netherlands, paving the way for it to expand in the country.

Meanwhile, the cost of oil continues to slowly creep up in the wake of investor concerns over the Middle East and Ukraine's attacks on Russian refineries.

A barrel of Brent crude is currently trading at just over $89 (£70).

The currency markets remain stable, with £1 buying you $1.26 US or €1.17, with the rates almost unchanged from yesterday.

Google is considering charging for premium AI-powered features, the Financial Times reports.

It would be the first time the tech giant put any core products behind a paywall, as it seeks to gain ground in the fast-moving AI space

The FT cited sources familiar with Google's plans as saying it could incorporate a generative AI-powered search engine in its subscription services, which already provide access to its new Gemini AI assistant in Gmail and Docs.

Google's traditional search engine would remain free of charge and ads would continue to appear alongside search results even for subscribers.

"We're not working on or considering an ad-free search experience. As we've done many times before, we'll continue to build new premium capabilities and services to enhance our subscription offerings across Google," the company told Reuters.

Google, which invented the foundational technology for today's AI boom, is locked in battle with two industry players that have captured the business world's attention - ChatGPT's creator OpenAI and its backer Microsoft.

Every Thursday we look at a different savings option, explain the pros and cons, and reveal the best deals on the market (see table below for that).  This week we're talking about the top interest-paying current accounts. Savings Champion founder Anna Bowes  writes...

From time to time there are plenty of incentives available to attempt to encourage people to switch their current accounts - but switching is not always necessary. There are also some current accounts that offer competitive interest rates, even if there's not a switching incentive. 

While not as prevalent as they have been in the recent past, interest-paying current accounts can offer some very competitive interest rates – especially bearing in mind that most current accounts offer no interest at all. In fact, according to the Bank of England, there is £253bn currently held in these non-interest bearing accounts.

These accounts are usually more complicated than a traditional savings account and there are a number of hoops to jump through and potential hazards to avoid, in order to get the returns on offer. 

Potential traps to look out for are: low maximum balances, introductory rates, monthly fees, a requirement to set up direct debits, a minimum amount to pay in each month and a minimum amount to maintain in the account.

All of these factors need to be taken into account when choosing an account and if you feel that you may fall foul of the rules, take a look at one of the alternatives that will suit your circumstances better. 

Setting up standing orders is an easy way to ensure you deposit and withdraw the qualifying amounts each month and can be effective in managing multiple current accounts. It may take a while to set it all up, but the rates on offer could make it worthwhile. It is also worth remembering that many of these accounts can be opened without having to switch your main current account. 

A final point to bear in mind is that some of these accounts give you access to exclusive savings accounts, which often pay competitive rates - especially true with regular savings accounts.

By Ollie Cooper, Money team

Many of us have noticed the price of pints creeping up in recent years. 

The cost of draught lager has gone up nearly 30% since January 2019, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The ONS says the cost of the average pint in Britain is £4.70 (it was £3.67 in January 2019), but many pubs frequently sell beers for over £5, £6 or even £7 in cities like London, Edinburgh and Brighton. 

The beer doesn't taste any different despite the increase in price - so where exactly does that £6-7 for a pint go? 

Sky News spoke with management at The Duke of Greenwich pub in Greenwich, London, for some insight. 

A pint of The Duke of Greenwich's eponymous lager costs £6 - but just 83p (about 13.8% of the cost to the consumer) is profit for the pub.

They pay the brewery £1.36 per pint and allow for 5% wastage - which people in the industry say is perhaps a little on the low side, given the number of top-ups and over-lively pints poured. 

Nearly 30%, or £1.76, of your £6 goes towards paying staff - with hospitality wages needing to rise given inflation, the national minimum wage and in order for pubs, restaurants and cafes to compete in the worsening inter-industry dogfight for employees. 

£1.16 may seem steep for rent and utilities per pint - but remember they aren't just paying for the building and the lights. They also need to wash your glass with very hot water using a dishwasher or glass cleaner, provide heating for punters, water for the bathrooms and electricity across the wider pub for bandits (aka trusty fruit machines), music and for that bloke at the bar to charge his phone. 

No one will need reminding that there's a cost of living crisis that affects pubs as much as everyone else. 

There's also beer gas that needs to be paid for. 

This goes some way towards explaining why pubs charge so much - they simply have to survive. 

More expensive means more profit, right?

As you go further up the scale, the trend continues. 

Despite a pint of Crush IPA by the Drop Project Brewery in Mitcham costing £1.80 more than the lager (£7.80), there's actually a decrease in the profit margin - from around 13.8% to around 12.7%. 

Less than £1 of that £7.80 is profit for the pub itself - and this is before we've accounted for extra expenses like refurbishments, cleaners, breakages, expired products, etc. 

While being aware of these facts may not make you wince any less when that card machine turns around, you will have a better idea of where that money is going. 

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