revolut vs post office travel card

Here Are the Four Best Travel Money Cards in 2024

François Briod

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.

Jarrod Suda

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.

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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 by Community Federal Savings Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to license by Visa.

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.

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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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The 6 Best Travel Money Cards for Europe

If you’re travelling to Europe, a travel money card can make spending and withdrawing cash when you’re away cheaper and more convenient. Different types of travel money cards, including travel debit cards, prepaid travel cards and travel credit cards, are available to support different customer needs. The right one for you will depend on your personal preference and how you like to manage your money.

Read on for all you need to know, including a closer look at travel money card types, some great options to consider, and the sorts of fees you need to think about when you choose.

Wise - our pick for travel money card for Europe

Before we get into details about different travel money card options, let’s start with the Wise card as a good all-round option that allows you to hold and spend euros, as well as a diverse range of other European and world currencies.

Wise accounts have the flexibility to hold and exchange more than 50 currencies, plus you can get a linked Wise card for a one-time delivery fee. You can either top up your account in pounds and switch to EUR, RON, HUF, NOK, DKK, SEK or any of the other supported European currencies before you travel.

Click here to read a full Wise review.

Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using the Wise travel money debit card, to help you decide if it's suitable for you.

Hold and exchange 50+ currencies including EUR and a selection of other European and world currencies

No fee to spend any currency you hold, low conversion fees from 0.41%

Mid market exchange rate on all currency conversion

Some fee free ATM withdrawals every month

No ongoing fees and no interest to pay

7 GBP delivery fee

No option to earn points or rewards

What is a travel money card?

Similar to your standard bank card, a travel money card is accepted for online and in-store transactions, as well as cash withdrawals - but the features and fees  you’ll get are tailored for international usage. That can lead to benefits such as improved exchange rates and reduced fees compared to your regular card.

If you’re headed to Europe, you could find a travel money card which supports the currency or currencies in the destinations you’re visiting is a good idea. While much of Europe uses the euro, there are actually 29 different European currencies, so you’ll need to double check what’s needed wherever you’re headed.

6 travel money cards for Europe compared

Before we get into each card option in more depth, here’s a summary of how six of the best travel money cards for Europe compare to each other.

The features of various travel money cards can differ significantly. Typically, travel debit cards are cost-effective and convenient, while travel credit cards offer advantages such as cashback or rewards, but may result in interest and late payment fees, depending on how you choose to pay.

Travel debit cards usually allow you to easily add funds online or via a mobile app, which helps you stick to your budget and avoid overspending. Conversely, travel credit cards enable you to spend up to your credit limit, and you can pay off the balance over several months. The choice between the two will come down to how you like to manage your money - we’ll dive into a few more details about each card type, next.

What are different types of travel cards?

Generally, UK customers are able to select a travel money card from either a regular bank or a specialist provider, with card types available including travel debit cards, travel prepaid cards or travel credit cards. We’ll walk through what each travel money card type is, and pick out a couple of good card options, so you can compare and choose.

1. Travel debit cards

2. Travel prepaid cards

3. Travel credit cards

1. Travel Debit Cards

Travel debit cards from specialist providers have linked digital accounts you can use to hold and convert a currency balance. It’s common to find a good selection of major currencies supported, including euros, Norwegian or Danish kroner, Swedish kronor, Romanian lei and more. While different cards have their own features, travel debit cards can usually be topped up easily online and through an app, with the option to see your balance and get transaction notifications through your phone too. That makes it easier to keep on top of your money, even when you’re away from home.

Travel debit card Option 1: Wise

Wise is our best value travel money debit card for Europe. There’s no fee to open a Wise account, and just a small delivery fee for your Wise card, with no minimum balance and no monthly charge. You just pay low Wise fees from 0.41% when you convert currencies, and transparent transaction fees when you exhaust the monthly free transactions available with your account.

No fee to open a Wise account, no minimum balance requirement

7 GBP one time fee to get your Wise card

2 withdrawals, to 200 GBP value per month for free, then 0.5 GBP + 1.75%

Hold EUR and 50+ other currencies, convert between them with the mid-market rate

Get local account details to receive EUR, HUF, RON and 7 other currencies for free

Travel debit card Option 2: Revolut

Revolut has a selection of different account tiers, so you can simply pick the account you prefer - from free Standard plans to the 12.99 GBP/month Metal plan. All Revolut accounts have linked cards, although exactly what type of card you get depends on your account tier. You can hold around 25 currencies including EUR, PLN, DKK, SEK and a selection of other major European currencies, and convert between them with the mid-market rate to your plan’s allowance.

No fee to open a Standard Revolut account, or upgrade for up to 12.99 GBP/month

Card delivery fees may apply depending on your account tier

All accounts have some fee free currency conversion with 0.5% fair usage fees after that

Standard plan holders can withdraw 200 GBP (up to 5 withdrawals in total) per month for free

Hold EUR and around 25 other currencies

Click here to read a full Revolut review

Pros and cons of using debit travel cards in Europe

Avoid interest costs and late payment fees

Hold and exchange currencies in advance or at the time of spending

Accounts can be topped up, viewed and managed using just your phone

Safe to use, as accounts aren’t linked to your main UK bank account

Travel debit cards are issued on popular global payment networks

Transaction and currency conversion fees may apply

Cash back and rewards may not be available

How to choose the best travel debit card for Europe?

The best travel debit card for Europe really depends on your personal preferences and how you like to manage your money. If you’ll be travelling widely it makes sense to look for an account with mid-market currency exchange and a large selection of supported currencies as well as EUR, like Wise. Other providers like Revolut can also be a good pick, particularly if you’ll use your account very frequently and would prefer to pay a monthly fee to unlock lots of fee free transactions and extra perks.

Is there a spending limit with a travel debit card in Europe?  

Card use limits are determined by individual providers and can vary depending on the transaction type. Limits may apply on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. For instance, there may be a cap on the number or value of ATM withdrawals allowed per day or a limit on the value of contactless payments you can make. These limits are set for security reasons and can often be adjusted using the provider's app.

2. Prepaid Travel Cards

With a prepaid travel card you’ll usually need to first order a card and then add funds in the supported currency of your choice. Once you have a balance you may then be able to switch to the currency you need, to pay merchants and make cash withdrawals. While prepaid travel cards are usually issued on large global networks - and can therefore be used pretty widely - not all cards support all currencies, so you may find you pay a foreign transaction fee if you pick a card which doesn’t support all the currencies you use.

Prepaid travel card option 1: Post Office

You can pick up a Post Office prepaid travel money card in a Post Office branch or order one online. You’ll then be able to top up in pounds or one of the 22 supported currencies, which includes EUR alongside other major European currencies like NOK, DKK and SEK. There’s no fee to spend a currency you hold in your account when you’re in Europe, but if you don’t have a balance in the currency required - or if your balance isn’t high enough for the transaction, you’ll pay a 3% foreign transaction fee.

Hold and exchange 22 currencies including EUR

No fee to spend a balance in a supported currency

3% foreign transaction fee when spending a currency you don’t hold on the card

Variable ATM withdrawal fees - 2 EUR for use in Eurozone countries, for example

No interest to pay

Prepaid travel card option 2: Monese

Monese accounts can be opened by UK residents to hold GBP, EUR and RON. There are several different types of accounts, from the Simple account which has no monthly fees, to fee paying account tiers which have more features. It’s free to spend a balance you hold, so getting a EUR or RON account makes sense if you’re headed to Romania or any of the Eurozone countries. If not, you may find you pay a foreign transaction fee of 2% when you’re spending in Europe. Foreign transaction fees may be waived for higher tier account holders.

Hold a balance in GBP, EUR or RON

Choose a free Simple account, or upgrade to an account with monthly fees

Foreign transaction fees of 2% may apply if you don’t hold a EUR/RON balance, depending on your account tier

ATM withdrawal fees may apply, depending on the value of withdrawals and the account tier you hold

Track and spend Avios reward points within your account

Pros and cons of using prepaid travel cards in Europe

Manage your account, add more money or convert funds online or with an app

Accounts with no monthly fees are available

Selection of supported currencies, with no fee to spend a currency you hold

ATM withdrawals supported globally

Some accounts have extras like options to earn reward points

Typically not a huge range of currencies supported

Transaction fees apply to most accounts

How to choose the best travel prepaid card for Europe?

There’s no single best travel prepaid card for Europe - it’ll come down to your personal preference. If you hold a Monese account that supports the currency wherever you’re headed, or a Monese Classic or Premium account which waives foreign transaction fees, you might find it’s cheaper to stick with Monese when in Europe compared to using your regular bank card. The Post Office card can also be a strong pick as you can hold a balance in euros and a large selection of other major European currencies, plus you can get a card instantly by walking into a Post Office branch.

Is there a spending limit with a prepaid card in Europe?

Different prepaid travel cards set their own limits for spending and withdrawals, which can  vary between currencies. You’ll need to check your card’s terms and conditions carefully to make sure you pick a provider which suits your needs.

3. Travel Credit Cards

Travel credit cards typically offer some extra international features compared to regular credit cards, such as low or no foreign transaction fees or extra option to earn rewards when you’re abroad. In general, travel credit cards are safe and convenient but can be more expensive compared to using a debit card option. Before you select the right card for you it’s important to check the fees, rates, eligibility rules and interest rates which apply, so you can make sure it’s a good fit for you.

Travel credit card option 1: Barclaycard Rewards Visa

The Barclaycard Rewards Visa card doesn't charge foreign transaction fees or international ATM fees. Instead, your spending abroad is converted into pounds using the Visa exchange rate and added to your monthly bill. To avoid fees and interest charges, you must pay your bill in full every month. However, you can earn cashback on your everyday purchases.

No foreign transaction or foreign ATM fee

Earn cashback at 0.25% on spending

Protection on purchases over 100 GBP

International spending uses the Visa exchange rate

Variable interest rates which apply if you don’t pay off your bill in full

Travel credit card option 2: Halifax Clarity Mastercard

When you check your eligibility for the Halifax Clarity Mastercard, you'll be able to see the variable interest rate that’s available to you. No matter what rate’s offered, you won't have to pay any foreign transaction or foreign ATM fees, and all currency conversions are done using the Mastercard exchange rate.

Variable interest rates

Check your eligibility and order a card online easily

No foreign transaction fee

No ATM fee - but interest will accrue instantly when you make a withdrawal

Mastercard exchange rates apply

Pros and cons of using credit cards in Europe

Spending from 100 GBP has extra consumer protection

Spread the cost of your travel over several months

Check eligibility for a card online with no impact on your credit score

You may pay no foreign transaction fee and no ATM fee

Network exchange rates usually apply, which are usually pretty fair

Interest charged if you don’t repay in full every month

Eligibility rules apply

How to choose the best travel credit card for Europe?

Selecting the best travel credit card for Europe largely depends on individual preferences. If you aim to earn rewards and cashback on your foreign transactions, the Barclaycard Rewards Visa may be a suitable option as it does not have a foreign transaction fee and provides cashback on all purchases. Whichever card you’re considering you’ll want to weigh up the potential fees you’ll need to pay against the rewards you can earn to make sure it’s worthwhile.

If you regularly travel to Europe, getting a travel money card which supports the currencies you need frequently can help you save money. Travel money cards have different features, and can be picked up via regular banks, online specialists and even the Post Office.

You could opt for a low cost travel debit card which comes with a linked account to hold a selection of currencies - like the Wise account. Or you might prefer a prepaid travel money card like the Monese card which can be linked to either a fee free account or an account which has monthly fees in exchange for lower transaction charges. Finally, another option is to get a travel credit card either to earn cashback and rewards, or to avoid foreign transaction fees.

The good news is that the UK market is well served for all types of travel money cards - use this guide to start your research and pick the right option for your specific needs.

FAQ - Best travel cards for Europe

You can usually make cash withdrawals with a credit card in Europe at any ATM that supports your card network. You’ll often find that a fee applies, and you may start to accumulate interest on the withdrawn amount immediately. Travel money debit cards from providers like Wise and Revolut can be a lower cost option for cash withdrawals overseas.

You can use your debit card anywhere you see the card network’s logo displayed. Visa and Mastercard networks are very well supported globally, including in Europe, making these good options to look out for when you pick your travel debit card for Europe.

Prepaid cards from reputable providers are safe to use at home and abroad. They aren’t linked to your main bank account which can offer extra peace of mind, and may also make it easier to manage your travel budget. However, you’ll need to check the card features and fees carefully to make sure you're getting the best match for your needs.

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.

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Revolut Review: The pros, the cons, what it does, and what it’s not

This Revolut Review has been updated here .

I’m a pretty old school traveller, the kind that usually brings loads of cash on a trip. I still remember carrying S$3,000 worth of cash for my three-month solo backpacking trip around South America because I wanted to avoid getting crappy debit/credit card exchange rates! Yet it’s a pain exchanging money before a trip. Other than physically heading to a store somewhere, there’s the struggle of figuring out which money changer has the best rates.

Read also : Which Multi-Currency Travel Card is best for me?

When Revolut reached out to us to review their product, I thought it was a good idea to travel around Germany without any cash (ok I had maybe €2.8 of coins).

We’re not finance people, but we tried our best to experience it as a normal traveller and see what worked and what didn’t. Hopefully you’ll find this Revolut review useful!

Disclosure : While the writer was provided with spending allowance to test the card, it’s in The Travel Intern’s interest to protect the editorial integrity of our website. We have taken every reasonable effort to ensure a realistic and honest review for our readers. 

But first, what’s a Multi-Currency Travel Card?

The basic premise is that credit cards charge too much for currency exchange, and multi-currency travel cards try to level the playing field with better exchange rates (very close to the physical money changer). You can also typically hold multiple currencies in your account, allowing you to plan ahead and exchange money when the rates are more favourable. 

Revolut Review: How it works

Compared to many other multi-currency debit cards, Revolut has plenty of interesting features. Here’s an overview of the important stuff.

Main Revolut Features & Pricing Plans

Revolut Multi-currency Debit Card & Wallet Your Revolut card works like a debit card, and you can use it in any place that accepts Visa . Simply top-up using your debit/credit card, and you’re free to exchange and store up to 28 currencies in your multi-currency wallet. When you make a purchase, the card will automatically deduct from the relevant currency. If there are insufficient funds in that currency, it will automatically convert any leftovers from your other currencies, starting from your base currency (SGD in our case). This ensures that payment is always seamless as long as you have money in your account.

Revolut Budgeting Tools

Other than acting as a multi-currency wallet and overseas debit card, there are also budgeting and analytics tools on the App to make spending more organised. Revolut automatically categorises all your purchases instantly, making it easier to track and manage your expenses. You can even set monthly budgets by categories and easily tell when you overspend.

To make it more effortless in saving towards your goals, there is also a feature called  Vault  that can add your spare change into a savings vault. It does this by automatically rounding up your purchases to the nearest dollar and saving it in your account.

Revolut is free to use, but if you want even more features, there are three Revolut Visa cards with monthly subscription plans .

The paid Revolut Pricing Plans gives you a higher limit for ATM withdrawals, a lower currency exchange fee, priority customer support, nicer physical cards, and  LoungeKey  Pass access. The Metal Card also offers 1% cashback on overseas spending.

Interestingly, the paid Revolut cards also provide travel insurance coverage from Tokio Marine . They mainly cover: – Emergency Medical Treatment & Related Expenses with a maximum aggregate limit of S$10m per Policy – Emergency Dental Treatment up to S$2,000 – Delayed baggage cover up to S$200

Currency Exchange Rates & ATM Withdrawal

Currency Exchange Fees : 0-2.5% depending on membership and market hours Overseas ATM Withdrawal : Free up to S$350 (Standard), S$700 (Premium), S$1050 (Metal) every month, 2% Fair Usage Fee after

Currency Exchange Rates Revolut uses the real-time interbank mid-market rates to calculate currency exchange rates, which is really close to the rate you see on Google. The rate refreshes every few seconds, keeping it as close to the real-time rates.

The good thing about using a multi-currency wallet is that you can lock in favourable exchange rates ahead of time before you need it. Revolut allows you to pre-set auto-exchange targets , so you don’t have to monitor them constantly. Simply set your target and let the App do the rest. Alternatively, you can set up Price Alerts if you want to do it manually.

Currency Exchange Fees A  currency exchange fee  is charged based on a few factors — your membership level (standard, premium or metal card), amount you exchange each month, and London’s market hours. With Revolut, you are split into either a “Regular” or “High Frequency Standard” customer.

*High Frequency Standard rates are charged to standard users (free membership) who have exchanged  more than S$9,000 or equivalent in any rolling month.

Revolut also locks in the closing rate for the weekend (UTC) and charges more currency exchange fees to protect against market fluctuations when it’s closed. Here’s the breakdown:

Exchange Fees during market hours (UTC, Mon-Fri)

Exchange Fees after market hours (UTC, Sat-Sun, trading holidays)

Overseas ATM Withdrawals ATM withdrawal is free up to certain amounts depending on your membership level. Standard:  S$350/month Premium:  S$700/month Metal Card:  S$1050

A 2% usage fee is charged for amounts exceeding your limit but that shouldn’t be an issue when travelling in places where card payment is widely accepted.

Revolut Security Features Review

Easy control over security features What I especially loved about Revolut is the control you have over all the security features. If you happen to lose your card, you can deactivate your card temporarily Through the Revolut App . This temporary feature is great because I’m sure many of us have been in situations where we think we’ve lost our credit card, only to find them a few days later after going through the trouble of calling the bank and having it deactivated permanently. You can also easily toggle security features like location-based security, use of contactless payments, ATM withdrawals, online payments, or magnetic stripe usage. This means even if you lose it without realising, the card cannot be misused since the features only work when you activate them.

Disposable Virtual Cards For Premium  &  Metal  Card users, you create  Disposable Virtual Cards  — perfect for times when you need to make an online payment through a dodgy looking website.

According to Revolut, the Disposable Virtual Card will automatically be destroyed and a new one is generated each time an online payment is made. This reduces the risk of online credit card fraud since it can only be used once.

Card Limits You can also set your own spending limits in the App easily without going through the hassle of calling your bank and waiting forever for a customer service staff to answer your call.

User Experience

In general the App’s User Interface is clear and easy to use. Everything you need to do can be accessed within a few clicks from the Home Screen. Tutorials can also be easily accessed via the (i) icon at the top right of the App.

Revolut Review — Putting the Revolut Card to the Test

Having not exchanged any cash before the trip, reliability was a very important factor for me. Here are some common situations with the corresponding internet exchange rate to see how well Revolut fared. I used the Premium Card, which gave me some extra perks like being able to withdraw more money from the ATM at lower currency exchange fee.

(1) Using the Revolut Card for food, activities, and transport 

I used Revolut everywhere. At restaurants, paying for museum tickets, and even on the subway. While I generally always made sure I had Euros in my account, there were occasions where I put the exchange rates to the test by letting the account automatically convert from my remaining SGD.

ATTRACTIONS: BMW Museum Entrance x2 (27 Nov 2019) Revolut Exchange Rate SGD1 : EUR0.6653 Internet Exchange Rate (xe.com) SGD1 : EUR0.6658 Difference = – EUR 0.0005

ATTRACTIONS: Airport Transport x2 (28 Nov 2019) Revolut Exchange Rate SGD1 : EUR0.6647 Internet Exchange Rate (xe.com) SGD1 : EUR0.6650 Difference = – EUR 0.0003

ATTRACTIONS: Overseas ATM Withdrawal (26 Nov 2019) Revolut Exchange Rate SGD1 : EUR0.6646 Internet Exchange Rate (xe.com) SGD1 : EUR0.6649 Difference = – EUR 0.0003

The rates were pretty good and there was hardly any difference between Revolut’s Rate and the Internet’s Rate.

(2) Withdrawing Money from the ATM

Unfortunately there were still places that required cash. For those situations, I was able to draw cash at ATMs that accepted VISA.

Since I had already pre-exchanged Euros and have not exceeded my limit of S$700 for the Premium Card, there were no additional charges or surprises on the exchange rate. Pro-tip : Avoid tourist ATMs that charge a processing fee. I only encountered one during our trip to Germany, so I’m pretty sure you can just look for another ATM that does not charge extra.

(3) Testing the security features

Just to make sure everything worked as described, I decided to test a couple of the security features. For the main test, I basically deactivated the card and tried using it at a restaurant. The card didn’t work and I had to quickly activate it so I didn’t hold up the queue! I also tried withdrawing money after toggling ATM Withdrawal off. As expected, the card wouldn’t work!

Revolut Review — Pros, Cons, and Final Thoughts

All in all, the Revolut card worked as described. Despite not changing any cash beforehand, travelling around Germany with the Revolut card turned out pretty seamless. It might not be a replacement for credit cards but for its preferential currency exchange rates, it’s a pretty convenient option for overseas spending.

Pros – Works as described with good currency exchange rates – Robust security controls – Intuitive UI

Cons – Weekday/weekend Exchange Rates can be more obvious – Requires an Internet Connection for card management or top-ups – No credit card benefits

Quick Tips for Maximising your Revolut Card

(1) Use Auto-Exchange or Price Alerts to lock in exchange rates Plan ahead and utilise the in-app Auto Exchange or Price Alert features. If you know that you’re heading to Europe, set a target for auto-exchange rate so to lock in favourable rates! (2) Exchange currency on weekdays There’s an additional 0.5-1% surcharge on weekends. Unless you absolutely need to, I’ll try to do the bulk of my currency exchange on weekdays. (3) Monitor currency exchange rates. It refreshes really often If you hover around the currency exchange screen on the Revolut App, you will notice that the currency exchange rates fluctuate every few seconds. Monitoring it for a bit can score you a slightly more favourable exchange rate. Those extra dollars saved can go towards your travel fund! (4) Always make sure you have spare SGD in your account Despite using a local sim card with data, there were instances where there wasn’t any internet connection. To avoid being in a situation where you don’t have enough money in your account, plan ahead and top up more.

During my trip, I only exchanged enough Euros for our needs, while maintaining some spare SGD in my account. I wanted to avoid situations where I ran out of Euros and didn’t have internet connection to top up my card on the Revolut App, especially in smaller towns and rural areas!

As Germany and the rest of the world become more cashless, I can see how multi-currency debit cards like Revolut becoming an essential for overseas spending. It was honestly a joy bringing only a small card holder around instead of a bulky wallet!

If you’re planning on getting the Revolut Card, sign-up here for an additional S$5 bonus credit when you sign up. We get a small commission too so it’s win-win! Do note that you’ll need to complete the identity check, top-up the minimum sum, and order the FREE physical card for the S$5 bonus credit!

Hope you found this Revolut Review useful. Do let us know if you have any questions or suggestions to improve this review.

This post was brought to you by  Revolut .

For more travel inspiration, follow us on  Facebook ,  Instagram , and  YouTube .

View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Travel Intern (@thetravelintern) on Jul 11, 2019 at 6:27am PDT

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I normally use Wise formally Transferwise. Does Revolute offer a better service in terms of security and value for money. Transferwise has always given fantastic exchange rates and VERY LOW fees. IS Revolute a better service?

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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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7 Honest Reasons Why Revolut is the Best Travel Card in 2024 (A Review of the Prepaid Travel Card)

• Written by Post author: Michael Smulian
• Post last modified: Updated on April 24, 2024

If you’re looking for the best prepaid card to travel with in 2024, Revolut has it all, and more! Get FREE ATM withdrawals around the world and buy foreign exchange at the cheapest rates.

It feels like an eternity ago since our first Revolut card was delivered in the post. To be honest, we tried several other mobile bank cards including Bunq, Monese, Starling, Monzo, and N26. We simply couldn’t be sure which one was the best. We had to try them all.

Since then, we’ve travelled the world and used this time to try every nook and cranny of the Revolut app . And after a year, we came to the conclusion that Revolut is simply the best travel card we’ve ever used.

This review covers why the Revolut travel card is better than it’s competitors. It also lists 7 honest reasons why you should never travel again without ordering your travel card today.

We’ll also throw in 3 months of Revolut Premium for free. So you can try out the best travel card for yourself.

What is Revolut and How Does the Travel Card Work

If you’ve heard of Revolut, you can move right along. Your time should be spent in the next sections finding out why you should get the best travel card.

But if you’ve never heard of it or you’re wondering how does Revolut work, we’ll be happy to enlighten you.

Revolut claim to be a Fintech company that offers banking services in several countries across the world.

We figured they don’t call themselves a bank because they don’t actually have any branches where you can walk into. The magic happens in the Revolut mobile app which is how you manage your money.

We’d personally like to think of Revolut as a mobile bank that truly is, as they claim, radically better.

They offer a prepaid travel card jam packed with amazing features, which we can’t wait to fill you in on. You’ll receive a Visa or Mastercard and get to manage everything from spending to withdrawals all from the app.

Let’s jump straight into what you get with the Revolut travel card.

Note: You can access the full list of countries where you can get a Revolut card here.

Revolut Travel Card Review: Why You Need to Get the Best Travel Card

The moment of truth has finally arrived! Here’s why you should get the Revolut travel card today. You can thank us later.

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1. A Prepaid Card with No Hidden Fees

Why pay bank fees when you don’t have to?

You get free benefits with Revolut’s transparent standard pricing plan . It’s not the first mobile bank to offer free stuff and certainly won’t be the last. This is simply how they attract customers.

But what really sets Revolut apart vs mobile banks such as N26, is that you’re getting a lot more value. And it’s absolutely free!

Here’s what you’ll get for FREE with a Revolut travel card on the standard plan:

• Free local bank account (Euro IBAN for EEA residents)
• Spend in 136 currencies at the interbank exchange rate
• Exchange in 36 currencies up to £1,000 / €1,000 / $1,000 / A$2,000 per month with no commission
• Free International ATM withdrawals up to £200 / €200 / $400 (Out-of-Network ATMs) / A$350 per month

Just stick to these limits when you travel and you’ll never have to pay any bank fees again.

The best way to stick to these limits is to budget. We always estimate our travel costs to make sure we don’t over spend and pay any fees.

Tip: If you’re travelling in a group or as a couple, you should each consider getting a Revolut travel card. You’ll increase your limits if you spend collectively.

Note: The interbank exchange rate is what banks use to swap or exchange currencies. It’s a real-time or live rate, which is why it is constantly changing in the Revolut app.

2. Get the Best Exchange Rate and Pay Zero Commission

If you’re travelling abroad, you’ll likely need foreign currency to fund those excursions and new experiences.

With Revolut you can now exchange currencies in the Revolut app at the real interbank exchange rate. That’s like getting the same rate you see on Google or on apps such as XE .

Yeah, you read that right! Don’t believe us? See for yourself!

If you need foreign currency (Forex) for your travels, simply exchange currency in the app to lock in the best rate. Just bear in mind that Revolut charges fixed rates when exchanging currency on weekends. So that’s between 5pm New York time on Friday and 6pm New York time on Sunday. Keep reading to learn how to buy Forex on the app.

Useful Tip: To guarantee the best rates and avoid foreign transaction fees, only exchange currencies on weekdays between 6pm New York time on Sunday and 5pm New York time on Friday. Check the current time in New York .

Note: Exchanging currency on the weekend or if you’ve exceeded your exchange limit on the Standard Plan will incur an extra 1% fee (0.5% on the Plus Plan). But we can assure you that these are still the best rates you’ll find anywhere even if you have to exchange on the weekend. You can find more information about Revolut exchange rates here.

3. Free and Easy to Top Up Your Revolut Prepaid Card

Saving money with Revolut sounds awesome, but how exactly do you buy Forex for travel with your local currency?

You get a free virtual card or you can order a prepaid debit card with your Revolut account. Depending on where you live, you may either get a Mastercard, Visa card, or Maestro card.

As Revolut doesn’t have any branches (remember, it’s a mobile bank), you’ll have to load your Revolut card using your existing bank account. Luckily, there are several ways you can add money to your Revolut account.

The easiest way to top up your Revolut card is by using a debit card. Simply add your card details in the Revolut app, insert an amount, submit and your funds will appear instantly.

You can top up your Revolut account using a debit card in 17 different currencies. Revolut adds new currencies from time to time, but here is the list of currencies they currently support:

• AUD – Australia
• BGN – Bulgaria
• CAD – Canada
• CHF – Switzerland
• CZK – Czech Republic
• DKK – Denmark
• GBP – United Kingdom
• HKD – Hong Kong
• HUF – Hungaria
• JPY – Japan
• NOK – Norway
• PLN – Poland
• RON – Romania
• SEK – Sweden
• ZAR – South Africa

To get the most out of your Revolut travel card, top up with a debit card as it is usually free. Depending on the currency, they may add a fee of about 2%. But this will be clearly indicated before you confirm the top up.

Revolut fees are always displayed in the app before you top up, so you always know what you’re paying.

💡 Bonus Tip: To avoid paying conversion fees on your debit card, top up in your local currency. In other words, if your card is in USD, load your Revolut card in USD.

Note: You can also add money using bank transfer, with cash or cheque, and with Apple Pay or Google Pay. You can find more information about how to top up to your Revolut card here.

Save Me For Later

4. Free Worldwide ATM Withdrawals

If you’re loving the top 3 tips, tip #4 is the cherry on top. Free cash withdrawals!

Revolut gives you free ATM withdrawals up to the equivalent of £200 per month on the standard plan. It’s €200 if you live in the European Economic Area (EEA), $400 at Out-of-Network ATMs for Revolut card holders living in the USA , and A$350 for residents of Australia .

These limits seem to be the same compared to what other mobile banks offer with their free standard plans. So it’s not quite enough to classify it as the best travel card.

But Revolut makes their deal a whole lot sweeter. Their travel card includes worldwide withdrawals in their ATM limit, giving you access to your money abroad.

This means that you can also withdraw foreign currency to the equivalent of the monthly ATM withdrawal limit (£200, €200, $400, A$350).

And what’s really cool is that you can monitor your monthly ATM withdrawal limit balance all in the Revolut app. It’s really a great way to stay on top of your limits.

Just be wary of cash machine operators. Some of them may charge you an extra withdrawal fee on top of the normal fees. Luckily, these charges are usually displayed on the screen before you accept.

Knowing which ATM to use will certainly save you a ton of money on your travels. Simply check out the Revolut Community to search for a list of ATMs that don’t charge any fees.

Useful Tip: If you’re withdrawing Forex, make sure you calculate the amount in your local currency before heading to the ATM. Or you may go over your free limit and pay a 2% withdrawal fee above this amount.

5. Exchange and Hold up to 36 Currencies with No Commission

While we love travelling the world, we hate the thought of having to buy Forex before our trips. But with Revolut, you can exchange and hold 36 different currencies all in one card.

And the best thing is that there aren’t any hidden fees or commissions if you stay within your limit. You get £1,000 / €1,000 / $1,000 / A$2,000 per month with your travel card on the Standard Plan. But you’ll have to pay a 1% fee (0.5% on the Plus Plan) if you exceed this limit.

The Revolut card removes all of the stress of carrying all your Forex with you on your trips. What’s even better is that you’ll never have to walk into a ‘bureau de change’ ever again.

Here’s the full list of currencies you can exchange and hold on your card:

• AED – United Arab Emirates
• CLP – Chilean Peso
• COP – Colombian Peso
• EGP – Egyptian Pound
• GBP – Great Britain
• ILS – Israel
• INR – Indian Rupee
• ISK – Iceland
• KRW – South Korean Won
• KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge
• MAD – Moroccan Dirham
• MXN – Mexico
• NZD – New Zealand
• PHP – Philippine Peso
• QAR – Qatar
• RSD – Serbia
• SAR – Saudi Arabia
• SGD – Singapore
• THB – Thailand
• TRY – Turkey

Tip: Exchanging currencies back to your local currency also uses up your limit. So monitor your limits in the app so you don’t exceed them. You may also want to consider waiting for your limits to reset in the next month to avoid paying fees.

6. Spend in 136 Currencies

If like us, you love exploring hidden gems and you find that you can’t hold the currency of the country you want to travel to, don’t despair. Revolut has you covered! There’s almost no place on earth where you can’t use your Revolut card.

You can use your card to make payments in 136 currencies. So pretty much any where Mastercard and Visa is accepted.

Revolut simply uses the interbank exchange rate to process your payment. In other words, they use the available currency on your travel card and exchange it using this exchange rate. And that’s how you’re able to pay for your stuff abroad.

The real game changer here, is this exchange rate. It’s the live rate you see on Google or in your Forex app. And it’s yet another reason why Revolut is the best travel card on the market.

Useful Tip: If you can’t hold the currency you want to pay with on your Revolut card, always pay in USD. The USD is the most traded currency on the planet. This means that you’re most likely to get the best conversion rate if you pay using USD.

Note: You can access the full list of currencies supported by Revolut card here.

7. Your Money is Safe with the Revolut App

Revolut doesn’t have any physical branches, so you won’t need to worry about bank heists (just kidding). The app is your bank and because of that, you get card security like no other.

You’ll get an instant notification the second you make a payment with your card. You’ll also have full control of all your cards, allowing you to freeze, adjust limits and even change your pin.

And if you really need to speak to someone, you get chat support 24/7 to resolve any issue you encounter. It’s like having a bank round the clock at your fingertips.

💡 Bonus Tip: For extra security, use the Revolut virtual card to safely pay for your travel adventures. You can freeze it as soon as you’ve complete the transaction. You can also use your virtual card for those 30 day trials we always forget to cancel and end up paying for.

Unlock More Benefits with Revolut Paid Plans

Revolut offers you a whole lot more than just the best travel card on the market. We’ve only told you why the card is great for travel.

To be honest, we’ve just scratched the surface because there are many more reasons to use Revolut.

With Revolut’s paid plans , you can get insurance, invest in shares, transfer money abroad, get rewards and more. The list just goes on.

Related Guide: Revolut is not only the best travel card. It’s also great for trading and investment too! Find out how we use Revolut to deposit money to the trading app Binance for FREE and use the savings to grow our investment portfolio.

Revolut has changed the way people bank and that’s the reason why we’ve made the best travel card our only card.

Here’s a comparison of the travel benefits you get with the different plans that Revolut offers:

Disadvantages of Revolut Travel Card

If you’ve read this far, you’re either sold and can’t wait to get your hands on the card. Or, you’re starting to suspect that we work for Revolut. We don’t blame you, we would too!

Honestly, what Revolut offers is just brilliant! And there’s simply nothing else out there we’ve tried that even comes close.

But not everything is perfect. There are certain things Revolut can improve, and it’s only fair that we share them with you.

1. Live Chat Customer Support Response Time

Although their live chat customer support is extremely helpful, we find that they sometimes take a little too long to respond.

On some days you may wait 5 minutes for a live agent, but on another day it can take up to an hour.

Their response time is simply inconsistent but we hope they improve this by connecting us to a live agent faster.

2. No Credit Card Top Up

Revolut stopped allowing credit card as a payment method for top ups on 8th July 2022. So you can no longer top up your Revolut travel card with a credit card.

But we must admit that we miss the convenience of topping up our Revolut card using a credit card.

So if like us you just can’t wait to go on holiday or maybe you also get great rewards for using your credit card, Wise is the only other travel card that accepts credit card top ups.

3. Limited Ways on How to Contact Revolut

As you already know, Revolut offer its services only via their app. That means they don’t have any branches you can walk into if things go pear shaped.

So if your mobile phone is lost, you won’t be able to contact Revolut without installing the mobile app on another device.

We hope they address this by offering email support or a website based chat support in the future.

Revolut Alternatives

There are clearly advantages and disadvantages of getting a Revolut card. We still firmly believe that it is the best travel card on the market. But if you want to explore other options, here are a few alternatives to Revolut:

Wrapping Things Up

We’ve given you more than 7 reasons why Revolut is the only travel card you’ll need in 2024. But don’t take our word for it, try it for yourself! Sign up for Revolut today and get 3 months of Revolut Premium on us.

If you need a reminder of why you should sign up for Revolut, here’s a summary of why we think it’s the best travel card on the market:

• Free standard account with transparent fee structure
• Best exchange rates with no commission
• Free and easy to top-up
• Free worldwide ATM withdrawals
• Exchange and hold up to 36 currencies
• Spend in 136 currencies
• End-to-end full stack app security

Are you planning a scuba diving trip? Or maybe you’re planning to spend the summer in Greece ? Whatever your plans are, make sure you take your Revolut card with you on your next adventure.

If you need any more money saving tips on how to get the most out of your travel card, we’d love to hear from you so we can share all our secrets with you.

Thank You For Reading

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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!

Want to join WeSwap? Sign up for free now.

Words by WeSwap, the clever way to get travel money that’s up to 10 times cheaper than banks, bureaux or airports.

Discover WeSwap

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• Travel Money

A safe-to-use, prepaid, reloadable, multi-currency card that’s not linked to your bank account

No charges when you spend abroad*

Make contactless, Apple Pay and Google Pay™ payments

Manage your account and top up or freeze your card easily with our Travel app

*No charges when you spend abroad using an available balance of a local currency supported by the card.

Win £5000 with Post Office Travel Money Card

A chance to win £5000 when you top up a new or existing Travel Money Card*. Offer ends 12 May

*Exclusive to travel money cards. Promotion runs 4 March to 12 May 2024. 1 x £5,000 prize available to be won each week. Minimum equivalent spend of £50 applies.

Why get a Travel Money Card?

Carry up to 22 currencies safely.

Take one secure, prepaid Mastercard® away with you that holds multiple currencies (see ‘common questions’ for which).

Accepted in over 36 million locations worldwide

Use it wherever you see the Mastercard Acceptance Mark – millions of shops, restaurants and bars in more than 200 countries.

Manage your card with our travel app

Top up, manage or freeze your card, transfer funds between currencies, view your PIN and more all in our free Travel app .

It’s simple to get started

No need to carry lots of cash abroad. Order a Travel Money Card today for smart, secure holiday spending.

Order your card

Order online, via the app or pick one up in branch and load it with any of the 22 currencies it holds.

Activate it

Cards ordered online and in-app should arrive within 2-3 working days. Activate it by following the instructions in your welcome letter.

It’s ready to use

Spend in 36 million locations worldwide, and top up and manage your card in the app or online.

Stay in control

Manage your holiday essentials together in one place on the move, from your Travel Money Card and travel insurance to extras like airport parking.

New-look travel app out now

Our revamped travel app’s out now. It makes buying, topping up and managing Travel Money Cards with up to 22 currencies a breeze. Buying and accessing Travel Insurance on the move effortless. And it puts holiday extras like airport hotels, lounge access and more at your fingertips. All with an improved user experience. Find out what’s changed .

Order a Travel Money Card

Order your card online – or through the Post Office travel app – and we'll deliver it within 2-3 days. Just activate it and go.

Need it quick? Visit a branch

Pick up a Travel Money Card instantly at your local Post Office. Bring a valid passport, UK driving licence or valid EEA card as ID. 

Need some help?

We’re here to help you make the most of your Travel Money Card – or put your mind at ease if it’s been lost or stolen

Lost or stolen card?

Please immediately call: 020 7937 0280

Available 24/7

To read our FAQs, manage your card or contact us about using it:

Visit our Travel Money Card support page

Common questions

How can i order my card.

There are three ways that you able to obtain a Travel Money Card, each very simple.

Please note, you must be a UK resident over the age of 18 to obtain a Travel Monday Card.

• Via our travel app: you can order and store up to three Travel Money Cards in our free travel app . Delivery will take 2-3 working days.
• Online: follow our application process  to order your card online. Your card will take 2-3 working days to be delivered. Once it arrives you can link it to our Travel app to manage on the go. 
• In branch: simply find a nearby Post Office branch and pop in to get your Travel Money Card there. Please remember to take a valid passport, UK driving licence or a valid EEA card in order to obtain your card, and you can take it away the same day.

Whichever way you choose to order your card, don't forget to activate it once it arrives. Full details of how to activate your card will be provided in your welcome letter, to which your card will be attached if it’s been sent in the post.

How do I use my card?

Travel Money Card is enabled with both chip & PIN and contactless, so you can make larger and lower-value value payments with it respectively. For convenience, you can also add it to Apple Pay and Google Wallet.

You can load it with between £50 and £5,000 (see more on load limits below). You can use it to pay wherever the Mastercard Acceptance Mark is displayed. And you can withdraw cash with it at over 2 million ATMs worldwide (charges and fees apply, see 'Are there top-up limits?' below).

Your Travel Money Card is completely separate from your bank account so it’s a safe and secure way to pay while you’re abroad.

How can I manage my card?

After you've activated your card, you can manage it using our travel app or via a web browser. You can check your recent transactions, view your PIN, transfer funds between different currency ‘wallets’, top up your card, freeze your card and more.

Our travel app brings together travel essentials including holiday money, travel insurance and more together in one place. As well as managing your Travel Money Card you can buy cover for your trip, access your policy documents on the move, book extras such as airport parking and hotels, and find your nearest ATM while overseas or Post Office branches here in the UK.

Which currencies can I use?

The Post Office Travel Money Card can be loaded with up to 22 currencies at any one time. You can top up funds on the card and transfer currencies between different ‘wallets’ for these currencies easily in our travel app or online.

Currencies available:

• EUR – euro
• USD – US dollar
• AUD – Australian dollar
• AED - UAE dirham
• CAD – Canadian dollar
• CHF – Swiss franc
• CNY – Chinese yuan
• CZK – Czech koruna
• DKK – Danish krone
• GBP – pound sterling
• HKD – Hong Kong dollar
• HUF – Hungarian forint
• JPY – Japanese yen
• NOK – Norwegian krone
• NZD – New Zealand dollar
• PLN – Polish zloty
• SAR – Saudi riyal
• SEK – Swedish Krona
• SGD – Singapore dollar
• THB – Thai baht
• TRY – Turkish lira
• ZAR – South African rand

What are the charges and fees?

Full details of our charges and fees can be found in our   Travel Money Card terms and conditions .

The Post Office Travel Money Card is intended for use in the countries where the national currency is the same as the currencies on your card. If the currency falls outside of any of the 22 we offer on your card, you’ll be charged a cross-border fee. For example, using your card in Brazil will incur a cross-border fee because we do not offer the Brazilian real as a currency. 

Cross border fees are set at 3% and are only applicable when you use your currency in a country other than the ones we offer. 

For more information on cross border fees, please visit our cross border payment page.

There are no charges when using your card in retailers in the country of the currency on the card. This means that a €20 purchase in Spain would cost you €20 and will be deducted from your euro balance. 

To avoid unnecessary charges to your card, wherever asked, you should always choose to pay for goods or withdraw cash in the currencies of your card. For example, if you are using the card in Spain you should always choose to pay in euro if offered a choice; choosing to pay in sterling (GBP) in this example would allow the merchant to exchange your transaction from euro to sterling. This would mean your transaction has gone through two exchange rate conversions, which will increase the total cost of your transaction. 

For loads in Great British pounds, a load commission fee of 1.5% will apply (min £3, max £50). A monthly maintenance fee of £2 will be deducted from your balance 12 months after your card expires. Expiration dates can be found on your TMC; all cards are valid for up to 3 years. 

A cash withdrawal fee will be charged when withdrawing cash from a UK Post Office branch or from any ATM globally that accepts Mastercard.  

We have listed all available currencies and their associated withdrawal limits and charges below: 

EUR – euro Max daily cash withdrawal: 450 EUR Withdrawal charge: 2 EUR

USD – US dollar Max daily cash withdrawal: 500 USD Withdrawal charge: 2.5 USD

AED – UAE dirham Max daily cash withdrawal: 1,700 AED Withdrawal charge: 8.5 AED

AUD – Australian dollar Max daily cash withdrawal: 700 AUD Withdrawal charge: 3 AUD

CAD – Canadian dollar Max daily cash withdrawal: 600 CAD Withdrawal charge: 3 CAD

CHF – Swiss franc Max daily cash withdrawal: 500 CHF Withdrawal charge: 2.5 CHF

CNY – Chinese yuan Max daily cash withdrawal: 2,500 CNY Withdrawal charge: 15 CNY

CZK – Czech koruna Max daily cash withdrawal: 9,000 CZK Withdrawal charge: 50 CZK

DKK – Danish krone Max daily cash withdrawal: 2,500 DKK Withdrawal charge: 12.50 DKK

GBP – Great British pound Max daily cash withdrawal: 300 GBP Withdrawal charge: 1.5 GBP

HKD – Hong Kong dollar Max daily cash withdrawal: 3,000 HKD Withdrawal charge: 15 HKD

HUF – Hungarian forint Max daily cash withdrawal: 110,000 HUF Withdrawal charge: 600 HUF

JPY – Japanese yen Max daily cash withdrawal: 40,000 JPY Withdrawal charge: 200 JPY

NOK – Norwegian krone Max daily cash withdrawal: 3,250 NOK Withdrawal charge: 20 NOK

NZD – New Zealand dollar Max daily cash withdrawal: 750 NZD Withdrawal charge: 3.5 NZD

PLN – Polish zloty Max daily cash withdrawal: 1,700 PLN Withdrawal charge: 8.5 PLN

SAR – Saudi riyal Max daily cash withdrawal: 1,500 SAR Withdrawal charge: 7.50 SAR

SEK – Swedish Krona Max daily cash withdrawal: 3,500 SEK Withdrawal charge: 20 SEK

SGD – Singapore dollar Max daily cash withdrawal: 500 SGD Withdrawal charge: 3 SGD

THB – Thai baht Max daily cash withdrawal: 17,000 THB Withdrawal charge: 80 THB

TRY – Turkish lira Max daily cash withdrawal: 1,500 TRY Withdrawal charge: 7 TRY

ZAR – South African rand Max daily cash withdrawal: 6,500 ZAR Withdrawal charge: 30 ZAR

Are there top-up limits?

Yes, all currencies have top-up limits and balances. See full information below, which is applicable to all currencies available on the Travel Money Card.

• Top-up limit: minimum £50 – maximum £5,000
• Maximum balance: £10,000 at any time, with a maximum annual balance of £30,000
• Read more Travel Money Card FAQs

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Find out more information by reading the  Post Office Travel Money Card's terms and conditions .

Post Office Travel Money Card is an electronic money product issued by First Rate Exchange Services Ltd pursuant to license by Mastercard International. First Rate Exchange Services Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales with number 4287490 whose registered office is Great West House, Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9DF, (Financial Services Register No. 900412). Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

Post Office and the Post Office logo are registered trademarks of Post Office Limited.

Post Office Limited is registered in England and Wales. Registered number 2154540. Registered office: 100 Wood Street, London, EC2V 7ER. 

These details can be checked on the Financial Services Register by visiting the  Financial Conduct Authority website  and searching by Firm Reference Number (FRN).

Currensea vs Revolut which one is best for your holiday

Currensea vs  Revolut , as these two cards vie for the your holiday cash we dive into the differences (and similarities) to help you choose the one that best fits you.

Both are mentioned in our guide to the best travel and debit card for spending abroad , but whilst they both work to maximise your travel money, they differ in some pretty fundamental ways.

What is Revolut and how does it work?

Founded in London, Revolut started life as pre-pay travel card in 2015, but has grown to become on the largest new FinTech’s in the world serving over 15 million customers. It not only offers banking services but also investments and crypto purchases too.

UK customers get a sort code and account number just like a regular bank, plus an IBAN for international payments. You can hold cash in multiple currencies, exchange between various currencies, and use your card to spend abroad without incurring fees.

How much does Revolut cost?

The basic Revolut account is free to open and use. You’ll be issued with a virtual card for online or contactless spending, but can also order a physical card too. Whilst the physical card is free, there is a delivery fee.

There are multiple membership packages, free, plus, and premium. We’re only going to focus on the free version in this article.

ATM withdrawals are free up to five or £200 per month. After this there is a 2% fee is applied, with a minimum free of £1.

Spending in store or online is generally free up to the £1,000 exchange limit. After which there is a 0.5% mark up, or 1% at the weekends.

What is Currensea and how does it work?

Currensea is a debit card account, that links to your existing bank accounts. Its aim is to shield you from the loading and exchange fees that most high street banks charge when using your regular debit card abroad.

It does this by acting as a middle man between your foreign spending and your bank. Foreign spending and ATM withdrawals are automatically converted from the local currency to pounds. Currensea then deducts this pound sterling amount from your bank account.

As far as your UK bank is concerned you’ve spent in pounds, and so won’t incur any fees.

£10 free cashback

Sign up for a free Currensea card via our link, and you'll get £10 cashback when you use your Currensea card abroad and spend £100.

How much does Currensea cost?

Like Revolut, Currensea also offers three price plans, but most will likely opt for the ‘Essential’ plan. This is free to open and operate. It charges 0.5% mark up on foreign exchange, and has an ATM withdrawal limit of £500 per month. Withdrawal amounts over the £500 limit will result in a 2% charge.

The Premium plan is £25 a year, but removes the 0.5% markup. The £500 stays, but additional amounts are then charged at just 1%. This plan only really starts to pay for itself if you’re planning on spending more than £5000 abroad in a year.

There’s also an Elite plan at £125 a year. Like the Premium plan it removes the 0.5% mark up, and ups the free withdrawal limit to £750. It also offers a host of other benefits, such as a concierge service, airport lounge access, and various memberships.

How safe is my money with these accounts?

In the UK Revolut is an e-money provider rather than a bank (as it is in the EU). That means money in your Revolut account is not protected by the FSCS.

Instead, there a ‘safeguarding’ system in place where customer deposits are stored and ringfenced in an account with a major UK bank, completely separate from Revolt’s own funds. As such the risk to your money limited. Using it purely as a holiday and foreign spending card and there’s even less risk. Just don’t store large amounts in the account for long periods.

As for Currensea, you can’t physically deposit or load money onto your card/account. Instead, it links directly to your current bank account, so as long as your money is stored in a UK bank you enjoy fully FSCS protection.

Currensea vs Revolut – which is better?

A year or two ago, I would have heavily leaned towards Revolut for most usage cases. Since then, it’s slowly been eroding its free and plus products and increasing its charges.

That being said, the best card is going to depend on your indented use, and also who you currently bank with, so we’re going to look at a variety of scenarios. These assume that you don’t currently bank with Kroo ( see our review ), Monzo  (there a free £5 for signing up via our link), or Chase , which are the absolute cheapest method of spending abroad.

Travelling abroad to the Eurozone and spending less than £1,000 in foreign currency. In this case Revolut will still be the cheapest as there would be no fees to pay. Currensea’s 0.5% fee would end up costing you £5.

If spending over £1,000 in foreign currency or exchanging money on the weekends then Currensea works out cheaper, as although the 0.5% fees will cancel each other out, Revolut’s weekend fee bumps this up to 1% for common currencies (e.g., Euro, USD etc..), and 2% for less common currencies.

One way to get around the weekend exchange fees, is to convert your money into the local currency beforehand. This also gives you the benefit of locking the current rates at the time.

Travel to Thailand however and things start to change. This is because Revolut keeps a list of what it considers illiquid currencies. On these currencies such as the Thai Bhat, it charges 1% on weekday exchanges and plus 2% at weekend. As such, £1,000 spend would now cost between £10-20. Spending over that £1,000 limit would also trigger the 0.5% fair usage fee. Meaning spending via Revolut could cost as much as some of the worst high street debit cards.

How to lock in the best exchange rates – Revolut

One big advantage of Revolut is the ability to lock in an exchange rate before you go, or whenever it is favourable.

Holding your money in pounds, and spending in Euros, means you get whatever the interbank exchange rate is on the day (minus any fees previously mentioned). This is the same with all debit and credit cards including Currensea.

If, however you exchange pounds to your chosen currency when rates are good, you lock in that rate, and enjoy increased spending power. For example, if you had a holiday booked for mid-September 2022, and spent £1,000 equivalent in Euros with Currensea, you would have gotten roughly €1,140 for your money. Had you exchanged that £1,000 in Revolut back in August you could have gotten €1,180, and those that really planned ahead, exchanging money in July would have had closer to €1,200.

Of course, this is can also go the other way too. You are essentially Forex gambling, but you aren’t necessarily trying to beat the market, just trying to lock in best exchange rate you can when you can.

News articles regularly mention the strength of the pound against popular currencies such as the dollar and Euro. Big events can often lead to currency fluctuations too. An example would be the appointment of a new PM, a rise in interest rates etc… Over time you tend to get a feel of when the rate is strong and when it is weaker, especially if you regularly spend in both pounds and euros. In any case, that is an entirely different topic and not one can advise on.

How to beat Revolut’s fair use policy

Exchanging money in advance also allows you to beat Revolut’s 0.5% fair usage fee. This is measured on a rolling monthly basis and resets on the day of the month your plan started. So as long as your exchange happens before that day you effectively double your limit.

For example, if you signed up to Revolut on 27 th July, your allowances would reset on the 27 th of each month. So, in the scenario above exchanging £1,000 pounds to Euros on 26 August 2022 would have locked in a £1 to €1.18. The £1,000 fair usage limit would reset the next day, meaning you’d then be able to exchange another £1,000 afterwards. Leaving you with double the amount for that mid-September break.

More on Revolut and Currensea

I’ve personally been using Revolut since 2015. You can read my personal thoughts on the card in this  long term Revolut review .

We also have a detailed breakdown of Currensea for those looking for more information in MSA’s Currensea Review .

The best alternatives to Revolut and Currensea

In my opinion, the best alternative to these cards for frequent travel or family holidays is Kroo . I’ve personally been using it for travel since its launch in more than 7 countries, and found it not only to be a breath of fresh air compared to traditional banks, but also compared to many digital bank accounts and travel cards.

Firstly there’s no monthly ATM withdrawal limit that you need to worry about. No hidden fees, and you always get the Mastercard exchange rate. The security features and additional virtual card, also provide great piece of mind when travelling.

You can read more of thoughts on Kroo in my long term Kroo bank account review .

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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

Travelling from the UK to Europe? Spend effortlessly in Euros (EUR) 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 Euro card work?

How to get your EUR card

Get your Euro card in 3 steps

Get revolut.

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

Order your card

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

Spend like a local

Start spending in Euros.

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

Why should I get a Euro card?

Where is the Euro card available?

Spend confidently with a Euro card

How to save money when spending in Euros

Tips for saving money in Europe

Don't exchange at airports or at home.

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

Choose EUR as the local currency

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

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Spend in Euros like a local with Revolut.

How to avoid unwanted ATM fees

Need to make EUR withdrawals in Europe?

Fee-free Euro 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.

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Need a little more help?

Euro currency card FAQs

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

There is no 'best' way to spend in Euros, 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 Euro 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 EUR 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 eur travel money card, how much can i pay using my euro card.

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

How can I avoid unwanted ATM fees in Europe?

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

• Send and spend in Euros and 150+ other currencies.
• No need to exchange or carry cash. Pay with your Euro 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 Euro travel money card?

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

• Download the Revolut app on your Android or iPhone and sign up for free.
• Order your free Euro 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 Euros.