If you haven’t been living under a rock, you’ve probably already heard about the Revolut card. Revolut is a digital bank that was launched in 2015.
One of the main reasons it has gained so much popularity in such a small window of time is primarily due to the fact it has everything you would need from an online bank in a simple, modern, and easy-to-use app.
Before we do a complete Revolut review and how travelers can use the Revolut travel card abroad, let’s first look at the basics.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Revolut is good for traveling, especially if you choose a paid plan.
- You can use Revolut safely abroad, and you can block and unblock your card as much as you want. This can be helpful if you think an ATM or a shop seems a bit dodgy.
- The Revolut Premium and Metal plans offer travel medical insurance options and discounts on airport lounges, which are ideal for travelers.
Revolut Card: The Basics
Revolut has three different card types and four main plans, including Standard, Standard Plus, Premium, and Metal.
The Standard card has no fee and offers some basic benefits.
However, the Premium and Metal cards provide some exciting features, especially if you are a frequent traveler.
Here is a quick breakdown of the main benefits/prices of each of the cards:
| Standard |
| No fee |
| Everyday Benefits
→ Revolut Junior → Standard Card → Revolut Gifting → ATM withdrawal (200€ / per month) Travel Savings and Protection → Interbank exchange rate (up to 1,000€ without hidden fees) |
| Plus |
| 2,99€ / month |
|
Everyday Benefits → Revolut Junior → Standard Card → Revolut Gifting → No-fee card delivery → Priority support → ATM withdrawal (200€ / per month) Everyday Protection → Purchase Protection → Returns Production → Ticket Protection Travel Savings and Protection → Interbank exchange rate (up to 1,000€ without hidden fees) |
| Premium |
| 7,99€ / month |
| Everyday Benefits
→ Revolut Junior → Standard Card → Revolut Gifting → No-fee card delivery → Priority support → ATM withdrawal (400€ / per month) Everyday Protection → Purchase Protection → Returns Production → Ticket Protection → Discounted device insurance Travel Savings and Protection →No fee for the first FX $10K a month → Overseas Medical Insurance → Winter Sports Cover → SmartDelay → Airport lounges via LoungeKey |
| Metal |
| 13,99€ / month |
| Everyday Benefits
→ Metal Cashback → Revolut Junior → Standard Card → Revolut Gifting → No-fee card delivery → Priority support → ATM withdrawal (800€ / per month) Everyday Protection → Purchase Protection → Returns Production → Ticket Protection → Discounted device insurance Travel Savings and Protection → Unlimited FX → Overseas Medical Insurance → Winter Sports Cover → Car-Hire Excess → Personal liability → SmartDelay → Airport lounges via LoungeKey |
**Revolut also has Revolut Business for companies, big and small, that do business beyond borders.
Another major advantage of the Revolut card is that it takes minutes to open an account.
All you need is a working phone number, and with that, you’ll be able to open an account and get a virtual bank card.
To get a physical card, you’ll need to order one, and it takes around 14 days to deliver. You will also need to verify your identity.
One of the disadvantages of Revolut is that, at the moment, it isn’t available to residents of all countries.
Currently, only legal residents of the European Economic Area (EEA), Australia, Singapore, Switzerland, Japan, and the United States can download the online bank.
Once you have your card and your identity is verified, you are ready to take full advantage of your Revolut card. This is where the fun begins.
If you are a meticulous traveler who loves planning and budget travel, then the Revolut travel card is the perfect solution for you.
Revolut Travel Card: Spending, Budgeting & Saving
The best part of the Revolut card is that the account section grants you the ability to look at all of your transactions by day, week, and even month.
You can also group transactions into specific categories. So, for example, if you budgeted 200 dollars for restaurants at X location for June, you can track all those costs in the app.
You can also download statements, upload receipts and add notes to each transaction to keep track of your spending.
You can even split the bill if you are traveling with someone or send them money by scanning their QR code.
If you are traveling abroad, the app allows you to create multiple accounts in various currencies.
This means that you can exchange your US dollar for Euro and have two separate accounts in two different currencies.
This also means that whether you are traveling in France or the US, you can pay in the local currency. Be aware that not all currencies are currently available.
Nevertheless, if you are paying for something in a different currency, Revolut converts your account balance into the local currency using the real interbank exchange rate.
This allows you to avoid being charged a fee and a mediocre exchange rate set by the ATM provider or merchant acquirer.
Another great feature is that the app sends you a notification the second you pay with your card, even before the receipt has finished printing (as long as you are connected to the Internet).
The app also has vaults, where you can save money for travel. You can create multiple vaults, like a “travel to Egypt” vault or a “weekend spa getaway” vault.
You can fund the vaults with a one-time transfer, recurring transfer, or something the Revolut card calls spare change.
Spare change means the app will round up the spare change from your Revolut card spending and place it in this vault.
Using Revolut Abroad
Can Revolut be used abroad? Yes!
Now, you may be wondering “Is Revolut good for traveling?” It is!
I’ve been using Revolut abroad for a few years now, and it’s my go-to card.
So, how does Revolut work abroad?
With the Revolut travel card, you can transfer money abroad in 30+ currencies with the interbank exchange rate, with a small 0.5% fee for anything above €1,000 each month during the weekdays.
However, one disadvantage is that when markets are closed on the weekend, fees are charged at 0.5% and 1% on currency exchange rates no matter the transfer amount.
Revolut also charges an international fee, which will be listed in the payment breakdown when you are sending your money.
The major advantage of Revolut is that it offers the ability to send money around without hidden fees and provides fast and secure money transfers.
The foreign exchange rate can be viewed on the Revolut app before exchanging currency or making a bank transfer involving foreign exchange.
The Revolut travel card also allows you to withdraw cash from an ATM using your Revolut card without fees.
The disadvantage of this is that if you have the standard plan, that means that you’ll only be able to take out 200 dollars per month.
That being said, using a Revolut card abroad is fairly easy and safe.
Security: Preventing Fraud
One of the worst feelings in the world is realizing that your main travel card has been lost or cloned.
What usually ends up happening is a mad dash to call your main bank abroad to freeze the card and ask for a replacement.
Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. The problem is that some banks can take up to 3-4 weeks before they can send you a replacement card, which can ruin your time abroad.
Revolut claims that it is 7x better than a regular bank in stopping card fraud. This is due to their anti-fraud system that helps keep fraudulent transactions under 0.01%.
But that’s not all. Revolut allows users to freeze and unfreeze their cards easily in the app, it takes seconds.
You can also enable location-based security to reduce fraudulent transactions, disable contactless, online, swipe payments or even choose a monthly card spending limit for extra peace of mind.
And, if you do lose your card, you can order a replacement card in the app and ask for express delivery, which usually takes around 2-3 days, depending on your location.
Also, if you lose your phone, Revolut has an automated phone line to block your card instantly.
Extra Perks When Using Revolut Abroad
Although there aren’t many perks with the Standard and Standard Plus plans, if you are a frequent traveler, then you might consider opting for the Premium or Metal Plans.
These plans have perks like pay-per-day travel medical insurance, which means that you can get location-trigger coverage and only pay for the days you use.
You can also upgrade for the delay and lost baggage insurance, emergency dental, and medical coverage, and even insure up to three adults and all your children.
These plans also have lounge access to +1000 airport lounges globally and SmartDelay, which allows you to get an airport lounge pass if your flight is delayed more than an hour.
Revolut Sign-Up Bonus Promotion
Upgrade to a global lifestyle with Revolut. Transform your finances when you level up to Premium with Revolut’s Premium trial.
You’ll get features to help you save, spend and invest smarter than ever.
Get a 3-month Revolut Premium subscription trial, effective today.
Note that this promotion work everywhere except for Australia and Singapore, where the offer is a cash bonus of $15 AUD in Australia and $15 SGD in Singapore.
All new Revolut customers are eligible.
Final Thoughts On Revolut Travel Card
It seems as if the Revolut card is the travel card of the future.
Not only can it be one of the best cards to use while you are abroad, but it also can be a great day-to-day bank card.
Although the card has a lot of advantages, it is also important to note that there are still some countries where the card might not work.
For example, Revolut users have noted in previous years that the Revolut card didn’t work in many establishments in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Also, be wary that their online support service is not always the best, unlike your local bank.
If you do run into problems, there isn’t a physical location where you can go and talk with a manager. You’ll need to use the chat feature on the app, which can be better than having to call from abroad.
All in all, the Revolut card is a great card to travel with, but it shouldn’t replace your main bank card and instead might be a great backup card that you can use when abroad or if you’re a European expat.
If you’re American, read our Revolut USA review.
Read more about the best banking options for expats.
If you’re not sure if Revolut is the right card for you, you may want to open a multi-currency account with Wise. Learn more about Wise here or compare both Wise and Revolut.
If you want to keep cash flowing even while abroad, you must check out these ways to make money while traveling!
