Revolut prepaid card

(second time lucky, disappearing post)

Anyone had a revolut pre paid card? Won’t need to tale out cash beyond the £200 limit. Seems an easy option for the summer where I need to pay some hotels in chf but also need access to euros.

Any pros cons I’m not seeing.

Yep. Works well for me uk and abroad.

Ios is app is pretty good too.

Yep, made money abroad cheaper and easier.

Very good, imo the best of the travel cards and ive used most of them. App works very well. Just bear in mind like any prepaid card you cant pre auth which causes problems with fuel pay at pump and some hotels. The multi currency thing is very good, you just put gbp on there and it draws whichever currency you use, just make sure you select the native currency on the card terminal when you use it to get the revolut rate. Then must bang anything left back to your uk account if you want.

The right credit cards have better rates. A lot of prepay cards have loaded rates despite no fees, though still better than exchange places at the airport etc. Watch out with some prepay for hidden fees, especially withdrawing remaining cash and non use.

And as said can’t use them where reserves are placed on the card before payment, like deposits at hotels, rental companies, petrol stations. Well, you can but you end up losing the balance until the reserve is cleared.

Barclaycard Travel Card gives you bank rate, no fees and interest free period for foreign cash withdrawals. Also a promotional no interest on foreign purchases until next year. Nationwide credit card is also bank rate (in EU) and no fees. No interest free for cash though.

Also finding with Europe and North America I’m barely using cash now. Just credit card, and a lot are taking contactless now.

The right credit cards have better rates.

Thought Revolut was almost the interbank rate without fees

I got one last year. Used it on a trip to Ireland, topped it up, bought some stuff, withdrew cash, tested it thoroughly.

Next trip was in the US, tried to top it up and the bank refused to do it, just a message to call their fraud department. Two calls costing £80 later the fool on the phone said I’d need to come into a branch (he knew where I was). I’ve never been abusive to call centre staff before but used every sweary insult I could think of. To cut a long story short it finished with wifey having to top the card up from the UK.

I got my call charges refunded then changed banks, it was RBS if you’re interested. Apparently their automated fraud detection system doesn’t like these sort of cards. I had a couple of backup cards which I was reluctant to use because of the charges they attract. It’s probably worth checking with your bank before leaving home with the card to make sure they’re systems are happy with it.

I use the Starling bank app. 0 fees abroad and no limits. Well worth a look.

I have a Revolut which works well. I also have a Curve card which works equally well – I prefer Curve as you can add all your cards in the Curve app and use whichever one you want by selecting in the app so day to day spending can be on your debit card, but should you require extra funds for a discretionary bigger spend abroad, you can wang it on a cc. All transactions in GBP. Usual fees for cash etc.

Both apps work well in iOS with Toich ID to log-in and show PIN. Apps like these have been fantastic since roaming charges abolished. (Although I suppose you’d need to check roaming charges if travelling outside EU and not on a some kind of roaming plan – I’m not sure how much data they use.)

EDIT: With Curve, you can chuck all your cards in your man drawer and just use it day to day but I can’t quite make that leap, I dunno why. 🙂

i got one of these a few years ago when it first started and stuck a tenner or so in it but ive never used it.  could i ask what difference it makes in use please?

i have a halifax clarity card.  we go abroad and take a few hundred euros cash.  if i pay for a hire car ill use the clarity card, maybe the odd other supermarket buy.

if i needed more cash i think id use the clarity card again at a hole in the wall.  id then pay off the card in full when back home.

would the revolut card save me money in any of these uses?

I’ve had revolut for a year or so now – as well as using it for travel we have 2 cards on one account so use it instead of a joint account.

I don’t think it’s that different to things like Halifax clarity in use, and for the amount you’re likely to spend any difference in rates is naff all.

As mentioned above I’ve had hotel deposits taken from the balance (but then refunded a few days later) and did have some trouble using the card in South America as some of the terminals were unable to process it. (mainly out in more isolated areas, worked fine in towns)

Also if you need to pay foreign currency into a foreign bank account the app makes that as easy as paying your gas bill.

I use my Revolut card a lot, but only abroad, and think it’s great.

I don’t think you can beat the exchange rate and I really like the app for changing settings/topping up.

Never had any problems, seems very straightforward.

EDIT: With Curve, you can chuck all your cards in your man drawer and just use it day to day but I can’t quite make that leap, I dunno why.

I was the same for a while 😆

Took the leap eventually though. Combined with Stocard for all my loyalty/points cards, I now just carry my phone and Curve card. Bought a phone case with single card slot on the back and don’t carry a wallet at all anymore. 👍

Well it looks like a good thing. It’s for an mtb trip to the alps. Everyone has been paying into an account it was just how we best divvy it up. Looks like just using the card to pay for hotels meals etc will work and stop the who had what moan .

Why would you go on holiday with a bunch of moaners?

Over in Canada earlier in the year and nice thing was the bar/restaurant staff kept track of who’s ordered what and offered to split the bill with no complaints even each of us paying card (many took contactless and seemed to allow a higher limit than in UK, and can pay with phone too).

mwg it’s for some old blokes 60th so almost a charity event .

I haven’t seen a better card than Halifax Clarity. Better rate than e.g. TransferWise card, no £200 limit (as far as I’m aware?).

We use the split wise app on group trips. Great way of keeping a tally and splitting costs.

I use mine several times a month and had no issues. You can use one for pre-auth stuff like petrol and hotels, but unless you have sufficient credit on the card it won’t work.

Only do work spending on it and particularly handy for cash withdrawals abroad.

Another advantage is that they put a bit of an air gap between your real bank account and the place you’re paying, ideal when you’re in touristy places where the chance of getting ripped off is higher. I’ve had a card cloned before and it was a pain, at least with a Revolut the damage is limited to what’s in the account. (And yes, I did get the money back – but it took over a month…)

The right credit cards have better rates.

Oh no they don’t. Revolut gives you the interbank rate, most cards give you the mastercard/visa rate at best which is almost always worse due to fees that you don’t see. If the Mastercard rate is better, it’s because of market movements (interbank is a spot rate during market hours, Mastercard is delayed a bit). In reality, there isn’t a lot of difference, but the “right cards” certainly don’t have “better rates” than Revolut.

Monzo is different, but getting good write ups as an alternative (it is a bank account rather than a prepaid card). I’ve used Revolut loads, works well for me and better than equivalents. Don’t see my starting to use Monzo although it does look good.