Revolut Card Review
About Author: Hi, I’m Quinn Askeland. In 2014, I started Transumo after experiencing expensive, slow, and frustrating international money transfers and payments through banks. Once I discovered how to manage my own international currencies much better, I became driven to help others improve their transfers and payments. Fortunately, today, there are many excellent options. See My Full Bio.
The Revolut Card is more than just mobile money and travel freedom while avoiding the crazy fees banks charge.
Here’s the deal:
- You can use it to spend in over 150 currencies at a competitive exchange rate, with transparent fees.
- Lots of useful features such as instant payment notifications, budgeting tools, and a bunch of optional travel benefits.
- Revolut has a standard (zero monthly fee) option but it is interesting to compare with Wise which has is simpler with easy to understand fees.
In this Revolut card review, we’ll take a closer look at to see if Revolut has the right card for you.
We’ll also compare the different cards, uncover the card’s benefits, pricing, fees, and even shine a spotlight on the negative and positive customer reviews.
Disclosure: This post may contain offers and affiliate links to save you money and it also helps us to keep providing the best information. For more information, see our disclosures here.
Based on 143,600+ reviews on Trustpilot, Revolut has an “Excellent” rating of 4.3/5. Of these reviews, 75% are 5 stars and commend the Revolut app for its user-friendliness, features, support, currency exchange, ease of transferring money, and overall open-banking experience.
How to Choose the Right Card
1. Starting with Table 1 (below), you can quickly get an idea of which card/s are more likely to be best for you
2. Table 2 (below) will help to clarify your choices by comparing fees and limits
3. Finally (below) >> See the cards in your country
1. Revolut Cards Compared – The Basics
Table 1: Standard vs Plus vs Premium vs Metal vs Ultra
*T&Cs apply
**Reward amounts may vary and are subject to availability + T&Cs apply
Table 2: Standard vs Plus vs Premium vs Metal vs Ultra
2. Revolut Cards Compared – Fees & Limits
2.1 Fees
Fees | Standard | Plus | Premium | Metal | Ultra |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Monthly subscription fee 💲 | No monthly cost | £2.99 GBP €2.99 EUR | £6.99 GBP €7.99 EUR $9.99 USDA $9.99 AUD | £12.99 GBP €13.99 EUR $16.99 USD A$24.99 AUD | £45/month^ €45-50 EUR^ |
Adding money by bank transfer (in your home country) 🏠 | No cost | No cost | No cost | No cost | No cost |
Adding money by bank 🌏 transfer to a local account (outside your home country) | £8 for USA local accounts via Fedwire (wire transfer) | £8 for USA local accounts via Fedwire (wire transfer) | £8 for USA local accounts via Fedwire (wire transfer) | £8 for USA local accounts via Fedwire (wire transfer) | No cost |
Adding money using a UK or EEA-issued card 🇪🇺 | No cost | No cost | No cost | No cost | No cost |
Currency exchange limit 💱 | £1,000/month | £1,000/month | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Currency exchange fair usage fee 💲 | 1% | 0.5% | None | None | None |
Free* ATM withdrawals limit (per rolling month) 🏧 | 5 ATM withdrawals or £200/month(whichever comes first) | Up to £200/month | Up to £400/month | Up to £800/month | Up to £2000/month |
ATM Withdrawal Fee after exceeding the limit*subject to a min. fee of £1/withdrawal 🏧💲 | 2% of the withdrawal amount** | 2% of the withdrawal amount** | 2% of the withdrawal amount** | 2% of the withdrawal amount** | 2% of the withdrawal amount** |
Card Delivery fee 📫 | Depends on the location | No cost | No cost | No cost | No cost |
*Third-party ATM providers may charge a withdrawal fee and also weekend fees may apply
^Introductory offer
>> The Cards by Country
Because of the many options you can choose with Revolut, it helps to start with the right country:
For the UK use their latest price and feature comparison chart (opens a new tab to keep reading).
For Europe – choose your country here
US residents click here (opens a new tab to keep reading) for pricing in USD dollars and different offerings.
Australian residents click here (opens a new tab to keep reading) for pricing in Aussie dollars and different offerings.
All other countries select your country here.
While there are many potential fees the most important one for many people is the exchange rate.
Revolut’s currency exchange fees are subject to variability based on factors such as the time of day and your subscription plan.
- Weekdays: No fees for currency exchanges made within your plan limit between 6 PM New York time on Sunday and 5 PM New York time on Friday.
- Weekends: A fixed 1% fee is applied to all currency exchanges made between 5 PM New York time on Friday and 6 PM New York time on Sunday, regardless of your subscription plan.
- Additional Fees: If you’re a standard customer and exceed your plan limit, an extra 1% fee is imposed per exchange. However, Plus customers benefit from a reduced 0.5% fee in such cases.
2.2 Physical and Virtual Cards
All Revolut members can create disposable virtual cards. These are debit cards that only exist in the Revolut app and can be discarded at any time. You can use these card details to make transactions online without a physical card.
Revolut users can get access to disposable virtual cards. These cards get automatically deleted after they are used. This adds a further layer of security to your online transactions and is ideal for subscriptions you are not sure you want to keep.
As a Premium user, you can choose from three stylish colours for your Premium card: black, grey, and pink. These cards have a premium design that makes them stand out.
If you are a Metal customer, you can enjoy the exclusive Metal card made of solid reinforced steel. The Metal card has a luxurious design. You can select from five elegant colours for your Metal card: black, gold, rose gold, silver, and space grey.
Ultra customers can access the world of exclusivity with their Ultra card. This card is platinum-plated and has a sophisticated appearance. The Ultra card is the most premium card that Revolut offers.
Customers cannot choose between Visa or Mastercard providers for their physical cards, this is based on location.
2.3 Managing Currencies
Features | Standard | Plus | Premium | Metal | Ultra |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Currencies to hold 🪙 | 30+ | 30+ | 30+ | 30+ | 30+ |
Currencies to spend in 🤑 | 150+ | 150+ | 150+ | 150+ | 150+ |
International money transfer Discount 💰 | No | No | 20% | 40% | 100% |
Exchange limit 💱 | £1,000/month | £1,000/month | No exchange limit | No exchange limit | No exchange limit |
Trip and event cancellation insurance ⛱️ | None | None | None | None | Yes* |
Purchase Protection Feature 🛒 | Yes* | Yes* | Yes* | Yes* | Yes* |
2.4 ATM Withdrawals and Other Perks
Revolut members can withdraw cash from ATMs in-network for free* up to a certain amount. The withdrawal limit depends on your plan. Check the below table for more details.
After hitting the withdrawal limits of your plan, you will pay a 2% fee (of the withdrawal amount**) for each withdrawal you make.
Revolut allows you to save money in saving vaults and earn interest on your savings.
There are budgeting and analytical tools as well to manage your money better.
Features | Standard | Plus | Premium | Metal | Ultra |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
ATM withdrawals without a fee** (per rolling month) 🏧 | 5 ATM withdrawals or £200/month (whichever comes first) | Up to £200/month | Up to £400/month | Up to £800/month | Up to £2000/month |
Card payments cashback 💳 | None | None | None | Up to 1%* | Up to 5%* |
Everyday Insurance ☂️ | No | Yes* | Yes* | Yes* | Yes* |
Stays booking cashback 🏨 | Up to 3%* | Up to 3%* | Up to 5%* | Up to 10%* | Up to 10%* |
Baggage damage or loss and flight delay insurance 🧳 | No | No | £1000/year* | £1000/year* | £1000/year* |
**Third-party ATM providers may charge a withdrawal fee and also weekend fees may apply
3. Best Revolut Card Alternative
Wise Card
The Wise card is the closest rival to the Revolut card. Both are great services and have their pros and cons.
In a nutshell, Wise is about function and Revolut is about style. For example, Wise has a simpler fee structure and has a bigger reach with more comprehensive multi-currency management whereas Revolut has ridiculously hip metal or ultra cards and more tools for savers, investors and travellers through their paid subscription offerings.
Check out our detailed Revolut vs Wise comparison for more.
Features | Revolut | Wise |
---|---|---|
Currencies & countries 🌎 | 29+ currencies 36+ countries | 40+ currencies 160+ countries |
Debit Card 💳 | Yes – Use in 150+ countries | Yes – Use in 170+ countries |
Fixed Exchange rate 💱 | No | Yes – minimum 2hrs |
Link Bank Account 🏦 | Yes | Yes |
Multi-Currency Account 🤑 | Yes – 29+ currencies | Yes – 40+ currencies |
Bank Transfer 🏦 | Yes | Yes |
Budgeting & Analytics 📈 | Yes | None |
Personal or Business 👨 | Personal and Business | Personal and Business |
Saving and interest payments 💰 | Yes | Yes |
4. When Standard (no fee) or Paid Plans Might Be Better
The table below presents a summary of Revolut’s standard and premium cards and their pros and cons.
When Standard (no monthly fee) is Better
- You are not a frequent traveller
- You only transfer small amounts
- You are not a big spender
- You don’t need everyday insurance
- You don’t need full features access for Revoluts under 18 account
- You are not keen on lounge passes and purchase protection
- You don’t care about a higher savings interest rate
- You don’t need a discount on event ticket purchases
When Paid Plan is Better
- If you like to travel frequently
- Have no problem committing to an extra fee because the benefits outweigh it
- You want to save money on your transfers
- You like to save while spending hassle-free with your debit or credit card
- You want the travel insurance Revolut offers
- You want more under 18 account access with full features for more than one child
- You like to have lounge passes, cashback rewards, and purchase protection
- You want to save money on your travel booking and ticket purchases
- You like having a higher savings rate
5. Is Metal Worth It?
Lots of people want to know if paying a monthly subscription for a Metal card is worth the money.
The truth is, some of the features make the Revolut metal card a great option for frequent travellers and big spenders who want to save money and enjoy extra perks:
- Enjoy excellent exchange rates and transparent fees when you spend in 150+ currencies
- Inexpensive compared to other travel cards and digital banks
- Access exclusive airport lounges and get priority customer support
- Make 5 international transfers/month with no fees
- Enjoy travel benefit insurance for delayed, damaged, or lost luggage, delayed or disrupted flights, global medical insurance, car hire excess insurance, winter sports insurance, and personal liability insurance*.
*T&Cs apply to all insurance benefits - Earn up to 1% cashback on your purchases in any of the 29 supported currencies when you use your Revolut Metal card. Monthly cap and terms apply.
- Book your accommodation through Revolut Metal and get up to 10% cashback
- You can take out up to £800/month (or an equivalent amount in a foreign currency) from more than 55,000 ATMs in-network with no extra charge from Revolut every rolling month*.
*ATM fair-usage fees apply - Unique and exclusive reinforced Steel Metal card design with express delivery of card in 1-3 business days.
Premium, Metal, and Ultra can get you discounted airport lounge passes, global medical insurance, winter sports insurance, luggage loss and flight delay insurance***. It also allows you to share bills with your group and get phone insurance.
*Third-party ATM providers may charge a withdrawal fee and weekend fees may apply
**subject to a min. fee of £1/withdrawal
***T&Cs apply to all insurance benefits
6. Revolut Account Features
6.1 Multi-currency Account
Revolut was specifically created to cater to travellers and international professionals. Its key strength lies in its multi-currency support, which enables fast and cost-effective currency exchange. This can be done either within the Revolut app or while making card payments or withdrawing money from ATMs.
For individuals, Revolut offers multi-currency accounts that allow you to hold and manage 30+ currencies. You can also get travel insurance if you upgrade to a paid plan. It lets you split bills with your friends and family.
Regardless of the account type, all Revolut accounts, including the standard plan, come with a debit card at no extra cost from Revolut. You can also schedule payments for your bills and subscriptions.
6.2 Currency Exchange
One reason why Revolut is an attractive choice for travel cards is that they give you some of the best transparent exchange rates you can find.
Users can use the Revolut currency converter to see the real exchange rate at any moment for 30+ currencies.
Revolut has a variable exchange rate for money currency exchanges, which changes all the time. You can see this rate on the app when you make an exchange.
Sometimes, Revolut also charges an exchange fee, which depends on factors like the currencies involved and the time of the exchange. You can also see this fee on the app if it applies.
6.3 Revolut App
Revolut is a monetary app that aims to be a better substitute for conventional banks. It is called “Revolut: Spend, Save, Trade” in the Google Play Store, and in the App Store its name is “Revolut – Mobile Finance.”
As a new kind of digital service, Revolut’s major goal is to provide good money-related services to on-the-go users, and that’s why the App is an important part of the user experience. It has a user-friendly design with balances and transactions clearly shown.
The interactive nature of the whole experience also helps users to see their usage at a glance.
Revolut has a lot of features for analytics and budgeting to help users manage their money. In this section, users set monthly spending limits for each category. They can also see how they spend money by month.
Revolut app comes with industry-standard security measures and is completely safe.
6.4 Savings Vaults, Interest
When you put money into a Savings Vault, Revolut takes it from your account and sends it to a trustee, who then moves it on to the bank for you.
You can use the Revolut app to save money to Savings Vaults instantly. Savings Vaults do not charge you any fees. You can withdraw money from them as per the terms you signed when you made the deposit.
Everything that happens will be visible to you inside the Revolut app. The information inside the app is updated in real-time.
You can choose from fixed or variable interest rate Saving Vault.
6.5 Insurance (UK, USA, EEA, Australia)
Travel and medical insurance are part of the plan for Premium, Metal, and Ultra Revolut customers in the UK, and the European Economic Area (EEA).
Global medical insurance is not available for US and Australian customers and it seems like there are no plans to add it.
Revolut travel insurance has specific benefits and limits in each country, so we advise you to check them for your country.
The Revolut travel insurance* covers:
- Trip disruption and cancellation
- Emergency dental care
- Emergency medical expenses abroad
- Lost or damaged baggage protection
- Luggage delays (4 hours or more)
- Flight delays (1 hour or more)
*T&Cs apply to all insurance benefits
7. Safety, Security and Fraud Prevention
Revolut is completely safe to use. It has been around for several years and has never been compromised.
They have a full Banking Licence in Lithuania but not in the UK.
Likewise, Revolut uses location-specific security and only allows transactions when the card and phone are at the same location.
Virtual disposable cards help prevent payment fraud by automatically getting deleted after a single use. You can also disable any card from the app with a single click.
The Revolut vault app uses the latest safety protocols. It has four layers of safeguards:
- Pin & password
- 2-factor authentication (2FA)
- Fingerprint (biometrics)
- Face recognition.
All your personal data is protected using a state-of-the-art encryption protocol. They also conduct regular security audits to keep up with the latest trends.
8. What others are saying (Real Reviews)
The Good
Revolut card users like the most:
- Travel and savings made better
- Robust budgeting and expenditure tracking
- Streamlined money transfer services
- Instant card freezing and unfreezing options
“I’ve had my metal card for a few years now. An example of my use over the last couple of weeks is that, whilst waiting for a flight to Cape Town took advantage of the heavily discounted lounge access with 3 fellow travellers. Before the flight, I changed from Sterling to Zar at a great rate without charges. What’s not to like about that? I don’t use any other card whilst away.
I live in Gibraltar and flip across into Spain a couple of times a week, so I have both Sterling and Euro in my Revolut wallet permanently of course.
I don’t need another card and can’t find one better than Revolut.”
– Neil Crawford
The Bad
What Revolut users don’t like:
- Freezing Accounts
- Customer Service
“My cards were stolen and money were withdrawn from both of my cards, so I made an objection to both of the banks and Revolut was the only bank to refuse my objection and not pay me back. They even suggested that I was informed about the withdrawal of this money (700€), although I have tried to block my card as soon as I was aware that it was stolen. I was one minute late!”
– JH
By far the majority of reviews are positive but the negative ones indicate the challenges that services like Revolut face. For example, regulators require services like Revolut to jump through hoops which can often mean they need to freeze funds but generally, this gets sorted out with a small delay and some ID. Customer service is also designed to be efficient at the expense of being able to speak to a real human easily.
Verdict
With Revolut card, you can experience a new way of managing your finances. It is a convenient and versatile payment card that is packed with awesome features. You can also upgrade to Revolut’s premium plans and enjoy more perks, such as no-fair usage limits on currency exchange, higher ATM withdrawal limits, lounge access, travel discounts, and more.
Revolut offers a flexible alternative to traditional banking products, especially for those who travel frequently or have a global lifestyle.
For us, one of the standout features of the Revolut card is its ability to offer multi-currency accounts with competitive exchange rates. This is very convenient for frequent travellers, freelancers, and international businesses, who don’t need to open multiple traditional bank accounts or pay excessive transaction fees. The card also gives you real-time exchange rates and instant transfers between Revolut users, simplifying and speeding up financial transactions.
Revolut is not a replacement for your regular bank, but it can be a useful addition to your financial toolkit. It is important to be aware of the fees (above), plan limitations (above), and security (above) before signing up. Reading customer reviews (above) can also give you more insight into the service.
A comparable choice to Revolut cards is Wise card. Wise has wider coverage, as you can transact in over 160 countries. No subscription fees and lets you exchange at the mid-market rate. There are still fees but you can also check the real amount your recipient gets with the Wise calculator (no sign-up required).
Happy Money!
The opinions expressed within the content are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of Revolut. However, please be aware that a commission may be earned through affiliate links.
- T&C’s apply. See https://www.revolut.com/legal/terms/ for more detailed information
Revolut Card Review (Uncovered) → 8 Things You Must Know
In this Revolut card review, we compare the card's features, different plans and pricing, fees, benefits and perks, and customer reviews.
4.3