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Revolut Travel Card Review [2024]

Our Take

4.5

S Money rating

In a Nutshell

With some of the best exchange rates around and free weekday conversions for most currencies, the Revolut card is a worthy travel companion. It comes with an easy-to-use app but strict ATM withdrawal limits can be challenging.

Revolut Travel Card

Revolut Travel Card

  • Best Exchange rates on weekdays
  • Worst Low ATM withdrawal limits

Pros

  • Free account available
  • Make payments in 200+ countries
  • Free withdrawals at over 55,000 ATMs worldwide
  • Exchange 25+ currencies
  • Great value with the interbank exchange rate
  • No conversion fees on weekdays for most currencies
  • Track your spending in the Revolut app
  • Connects with Apple Pay and Google Pay
  • Easily split travel expenses with friends
  • Over 25 million people have used Revolut

Cons

  • Weekend markup on exchange rates
  • Low ATM withdrawal limits of just A$350, or 5 ATM withdrawals per month, whichever comes first
  • Limited customer support available

Revolut Card Offer

Revolut Card Offer

Sign up and get a $15 top-up. For new customers only, T&Cs apply.

What is the Revolut travel card?

Revolut provides a virtual account that allows you to store different currencies in a digital wallet.

With this international travel card you can make payments in Australia and overseas with virtual and physical Revolut travel cards.

With your Revolut account, you can:

  • Make purchases in more than 200 countries and with 25+ currencies
  • Send money to both Australian and international bank accounts
  • Receive money in a range of foreign currencies
  • Withdraw from more than 55,000 ATMs worldwide
  • Pay like a local while you’re abroad

Unlike most other debit travel money cards, Revolut offers different plans with different fees and limits. We’ll focus on the free Standard plan in this review unless stated.

The Standard plan

Revolut is one of the best travel cards available for Australians. So what makes it so good? For a start, the Revolut Standard plan is entirely free with no monthly subscription costs or hidden fees.

You’ll get great value when converting your money since Revolut, like the Wise card, uses one of the best exchange rates globally: the interbank rate.

Unlike Wise, Revolut doesn’t charge conversion fees for weekday exchanges (except for Thai baht and Ukrainian hryvnia), making Revolut the best card option for midweek currency exchanges.

This affordability makes the Revolut card worth having if you’re likely to make most of your purchases with the card. However, if you rely on ATM withdrawals, it may not be your best choice. Revolut limits free ATM withdrawals to just A$350, or 5 ATM withdrawals per monthly billing cycle, whichever happens first, before imposing a 2% markup(minimum charge of A$1.50).

The average Trustpilot review for Revolut is 4.3 stars with many users saying they love the easy-to-use app and the ability to track their spending. However the most common complaints centre around limited customer support.

How it works

Treat your Revolut card as a prepaid travel card. As long as you have money in your Revolut account, you can use the card to make payments and withdraw cash almost anywhere in the world. You can also use it to shop online.

Revolut allows you to store 25+ currencies (although the list is continuing to grow) and you can transfer between them to lock in a favourable exchange rate before you travel.

Revolut travel card fees (Standard account)

While it doesn’t cost anything to open an account and there is no subscription fee for a Standard plan, there are still certain charges to look out for, especially when you go over your spending limits.

  • Opening an account: Free
  • Getting your Revolut card: Get your first card with your Standard account ($4.99 standard delivery fee). Additional cards are A$8.99 + delivery fee
  • Replacing a lost or stolen Revolut card
    • A$8.99 + A$4.99 per card for standard delivery
    • A$33.99 per card for express delivery
  • Adding money:
    • From Australian-issued debit cards and Australian bank accounts: Free
    • From Australian-issued credit cards: Up to 1% of the transaction amount
    • From debit and credit cards issued outside of Australia: Up to 2% of the transaction amount
  • Spending money: Free but on weekends there is a 1% markup on transactions that require a currency exchange (see currency conversion fee below)
  • Currency Conversion: For all currencies excluding THB and UAH:
    • Free for up to A$2,000 per month during exchange market hours
    • 0.5% of the value of the exchange for any amount over A$2,000 per month
    • 1% of the value of the exchange for exchanges made outside exchange market hours
    • For THB and UAH: 1% of the value of the exchange
  • Withdrawing from an ATM (Not including any fees the ATM provider may charge)
    • 5 withdrawals or a total of A$350 (whatever comes first) in a rolling month: Free
    • Any amount over A$350/month, or 5 ATM withdrawals per month, whichever comes first: 2% of the value of the withdrawal(minimum charge of A$1.50)

 

Spending limits

While spending limits can feel like a hassle, they exist to prevent fraud and provide additional security should you lose your card. You can change your spending limits within the app.

There are just two limits to watch out for in the Revolut Standard plan. The first is a A$2,000 currency exchange limit per month

The second — the ATM withdrawal limit — is restrictive, even by prepaid travel card standards. You can only withdraw up to A$350, or 5 ATM withdrawals, whichever comes first in any rolling 30 days without charge. After that, there’s a 2% markup(minimum charge of A$1.50) on all withdrawals.

Revolut card exchange rates

When it comes to exchange rates, few travel cards surpass Revolut. It can hold 25+ currencies, there are no conversion fees for most weekday exchanges, and Revolut uses the interbank exchange rate, which is one of the best rates globally.

The flip side is that there is a fee of 1% for foreign currency conversions on the weekend when the markets are closed (Friday 5pm to Sunday 6pm New York Time).

Card Provider

Exchange Rate

A$ → GBP (3pm 13 Feb 2023)

Conversion Fee

You Get

Loading A$1000

Revolut Travel Money Debit Card

£0.5727

No fee on weekdays

£572.70

£0.573575

£0.5505

£0.5422

A$5.14

No fee

No fee

£570.63

£550.50

£542.16

What is the interbank exchange rate?

The interbank exchange rate is the rate banks use when they trade foreign currency with one another. It’s generally a better rate than the one you’ll find with a currency exchange provider.

The interbank rate is calculated by finding the midway point between the buy and sell rates of each currency. It’s sometimes also called the mid-market rate or the spot rate.

How the Revolut card compares

Revolut has 3 account plans, ranging from free to paid accounts but to give you the best travel card comparison, we’ll focus on the Revolut Standard plan.

Revolut (Standard plan) Wise Qantas Travel Money Travelex Money Card
Account Fee Free Free Free Free
Exchange rate Mid-market rates Mid-market rates Set by Qantas Set by Travelex
Conversion Fee Free on weekdays, 1% on weekends Starting from 0.41% Free Free
ATM Fee Free ATM withdrawals up to $350, or 5 ATM withdrawals, whichever comes first. 2% thereafter(minimum charge of A$1.50) 2 free withdrawals. $1.50 + 1.75% thereafter $1.95 up to $3000 Free up to A$3,000 per day
Currencies available 25+ 53 10 at any one time 10 at any one time
Comparison table of Revolut

Comparing the different plans

Revolut Australia offers 3 account plans to cater to different budgets and needs. Revolut Standard is a free account that covers the basics but it also imposes tighter spending and exchange limits.

Revolut Premium and Metal are paid plans with more features and greater flexibility but you may be charged a fee if you choose to downgrade your account more than 14 days after signing up and within 10 months.

Because of this, we recommend starting with the Standard plan and upgrading if you decide the additional features are worth it.

Standard Premium Metal
Monthly subscription Free A$9.99/month A$24.99/month
Fee-free currency exchange on weekdays Up to A$2,000/month Up to A$20,000/month Unlimited
Free ATM withdrawal limit Up to A$350/month, or 5 ATM withdrawals per month, whichever comes first Up to A$700/month Up to A$1400/month
ATM Fee Free ATM withdrawals up to $350, or 5 ATM withdrawals, whichever comes first. 2% thereafter(minimum charge of A$1.50) Any amount over the Premium ATM withdrawal allowance will incur 2% fee(minimum charge of A$1.50) Any amount over the Metal ATM withdrawal allowance will incur 2% fee(minimum charge of A$1.50)
Discounted lounge access Unavailable Included + complimentary access for flights delayed by more than an hour Included + complimentary access for flights delayed by more than an hour
Priority customer support Unavailable Included Included
Card delivery Free standard shipping (first card only) Free express delivery Free express delivery
Revolut over 18 accounts 1 (limited access to features) 2 (full access to features) 5 (full access to features)
Cashback rewards Not available Not available Earn up to 1% cashback in any supported currency on eligible card payments
different Revolut plans

Get your Revolut card

Revolut makes it as easy as possible to open an account, choose your plan, and apply for a Revolut card.

Open account

Download the Revolut app on your phone and open your Revolut account in a matter of minutes. You’ll need ID.

Add money to your account

You can add money to your account with the Revolut app using a bank transfer, credit card, or debit card. You can even set up automatic top-ups when your balance gets low. It’s best to start with AUD in your account and then exchange currencies as needed.

Apply for your Revolut card

You can apply for a Revolut card via the Request Card tab in the app.

Activate your Revolut card

Activating your physical Revolut card is easy. All you have to do is make a payment at any store or withdraw from an ATM. Virtual cards are automatically activated.

Where can you use the Revolut card?

According to the Revolut website, you can use your Revolut card in more than 200 countries worldwide. Card payments and ATM withdrawals are accepted in more than 130 currencies.

Despite this, you can actually only hold 25+ currencies in your account. Once you’ve loaded Australian Dollars into your account, you can exchange them for any of the following currencies:

AED, AUD, BGN, CAD, CHF, CZK, DKK, EUR, GBP, HKD, HUF, ILS, JPY, MXN, NOK, NZD, PLN, QAR, RON, SAR, SEK, SGD, THB, TRY, USD, ZAR.

 

Can Revolut be used in Australia?

Your Revolut card works just like a bank card in Australia. With it, you can make payments in local stores, withdraw from local ATMs, and send money to local banks.

But it’s worth keeping in mind that the same spending limits apply whether you’re using your card in Australia or overseas. You may prefer to use a debit card from your Australian bank for purchases and withdrawals in Australia.

Revolut virtual cards & app

The Revolut app is a godsend when it comes to tracking your daily expenses overseas and managing payments in different currencies. It’s the perfect modern travel payment solution for the 21st century.

Revolut has refined its app, making it easy to create an account, load money, and view your account activities. You can exchange currency within the app and transfer money to Australian and international bank accounts.

Revolut embraces digital payment technology. While Revolut cards are compatible with digital wallets like Apple and Google Pay, the app also enables disposable virtual card technology for online payments.

This means that you can add single-use virtual cards to your account to use in addition to your physical card. Once you’ve made a payment online, the card will be destroyed and the number replaced, making it impossible to use them more than once.

FAQ

Which Revolut card is best for travel?

Working out which is the best debit card all depends on how you like to travel and how you plan to use the card.

Many frequent travellers combine a Revolut Standard card with an additional card — such as the Wise card — to make the most of the free accounts and expand on their spending limits.

Frequent travellers and big spenders may quickly see the benefits of the Metal plan with its more generous free withdrawal and currency exchange limits — along with the added luxury of discounted lounge access (and free access for flight delays beyond one hour).

Not to mention Metal cardholders may be able to recoup the subscription costs quickly by making purchases through the cashback program.

How long does it take for a Revolut card to arrive in Australia?

It can take up to nine days to receive your Revolut card with standard shipping across Australia. Choosing express shipping can speed up the process, delivering your card within 3 business days.

Can you get travel insurance with your Revolut card?

Premium and Metal cardholders in the UK and the European Economic Area (EEA) have access to comprehensive travel insurance provided by Allianz.

While this feature isn’t available to Australian cardholders yet, it’s likely only a matter of time until Premium and Metal members here have access to it.

Are Revolut cards safe to use?

The advantage of Revolut is that you can manage your card and control your payment settings in the app.

To fortify your account, the Revolut app has a fingerprint ID log-in option and customisable features to allow you to disable things like contactless payments or ATM withdrawals.

You can freeze your card if it is lost or stolen to prevent further unauthorised purchases and, of course, you can also use the virtual cards we’ve mentioned above for added security.

Revolut uses the 3D Secure payments (which requires in-app payment verification) and the Sherlock anti-fraud system to receive real-time alerts on fraud activity.

Revolut Australia is regulated by Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) and your money is guaranteed up to $250,000 by a licensed bank in Australia, under the Payments Systems (Regulation) Act.