Using Revolut card abroad: How and where it works

Are you looking at heading abroad soon? Maybe you are thinking of visiting family, have a business opportunity you’d like to pursue or just want to explore and experience somewhere new. Whatever the reason you’ll want to make sure you have a cost effective way to spend while away.

To help you decide how to handle your international spending we’re going to take a look at the Revolut card and whether you can use it abroad, including the fees, limits and supported currencies.

We’ll also look at how it measures up against the Wise card, which allows you to spend and withdraw in 150+ countries, so you can see if Revolut is the best option for you.

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Can I use my Revolut card abroad?

The quick answer is yes. You can generally use your Revolut card when you’re travelling abroad to spend money and withdraw cash at an ATM.¹

In terms of location the Revolut card works almost anywhere Mastercard and Visa are accepted.¹ One of the main exceptions is if a country is under international sanctions, such as Russia during the war in Ukraine.

There are over 100 currencies that are available for spending using the Revolut card.¹

Using Revolut virtual card abroad

You're also able to generate Revolut virtual cards that are linked to your account.

You can use them to spend money online and in person where contactless payments using digital wallets are accepted, such as Apple Pay or Google Pay.²

The only restriction that sets the virtual card apart from the physical card is that it can’t be used to withdraw cash.² This is because it lacks a chip and magnetic strip.

🔎 Read more: Bank of Ireland debit card abroad

Revolut card fees abroad 💰

The fees for using your Revolut card when travelling abroad are the same as they are when you’re in Ireland.

Here’s a comparison of the charges of the Revolut card versus Wise card, an alternative that it's also available in Ireland..

Keep in mind that the Revolut fees vary depending on which of their four plans you’re on - Standard, Plus, Premium or Metal.³

Fee Type	Revolut	Wise card
Monthly account fee	Standard: Free³ Plus: €2.99⁴ Premium: €7.99⁵ Metal: €13.99⁶	No fee
New cards (After free allowance)	Standard: €6 + delivery³ Plus: €10⁴ Premium: €10⁵ Metal: €10 or €40 for metal⁶	€7 for the first card then €4 per replacement
Card payments abroad	Standard & Plus: €1000 free per 30 day period then 0.5% currency exchange fee⁷ Premium & Metal: No fee Additional 1% fee for weekend currency conversions	No fees for currency you hold Variable currency conversion fee starting at 0.43% for currencies you don't hold
ATM fees	2% of the withdrawal with a minimum fee of €1³ Free allowance per rolling month. Standard: 5 withdrawals or €200³ Plus: €200⁴ Premium: €400⁵ Metal: €800⁶	Free below €200 per month and up to 2 withdrawals.¹⁰ 1.75% of transactions above the limit and €0.50 per withdrawal.

Spend in 40+ currencies and in 150+ countries with a Wise card

If you’re not convinced Revolut is the right choice for you then maybe take a deeper look at Wise.

If you open a Wise Account then you can order your very own Wise debit card. It’s free to sign up for the account and along with the card you can also hold and convert 40 currencies and get local account details for 9+ of those.

Once you have a Wise card you can use it to spend and withdraw cash in 150+ countries. You won’t get charged extra just because you’re overseas, instead there’s just a small variable fee that only applies when a currency conversion is involved.

Speaking of currency conversions, anytime you convert between two currencies Wise will convert your money using the mid-market rate (the same you see on Google). This rate is the midpoint between the current buy and sell prices on the currency exchange market, with no profit margins or weekend fees to worry about.

When you use your Wise debit card abroad it prioritises your local currency Balance first. If you’re out of local currency it will automatically convert funds for you using the mid-market rate. This makes spending overseas that little bit simpler.

Other benefits of the Wise card:

✅ Create virtual cards for free; no need to wait physical card to arrive
✅ Add it to digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Fitbit Pay and Garmin Pay)
✅ Spend in 40+ currencies using the mid-market rate
✅ Use it to take out up to 200 EUR in cash a month for free¹⁰

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FAQ: Using Revolut card abroad

Jumping back to Revolut, here’s some more information about using their card outside of Ireland.

What is the Revolut withdrawal limit abroad?

When you use Revolut while travelling the withdrawal limit on your card stays the same as it is in Ireland.⁸

• Limit of €3000 or equivalent
• Renews on a rolling monthly basis

Keep in mind that any foreign ATMs you use will likely have a withdrawal limit that applies per transaction. The amount can vary between providers and countries.

What is the Revolut spending limit abroad?

In general you don’t have a spending limit with Revolut unless you set one for yourself using their budgeting tools.⁹

Do I need to tell Revolut I am going abroad?

Revolut doesn't ask you to let them know you’re travelling, but it’s a good idea to double check that your contact details are correct in case they need to get in touch.

Is Revolut free to use abroad?

While it isn’t necessarily free to use Revolut abroad, as we mentioned earlier the fee schedule stays the same. This is a good thing because it means you won’t be surprised by any unexpected foreign transaction fees.

If you’re still not sure who to go with or you’re leaning towards Wise, why not just give the Wise Account a try? There’s no fee to sign up and you can register online. After that, you can order your debit card for internacional spending.

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Sources used:

1. Revolut - What currencies are supported for spending
2. Revolut Blog - What is a virtual card?
3. Revolut - Personal Fees: Standard
4. Revolut - Person Fees: Plus
5. Revolut - Personal Fees: Premium
6. Revolut - Personal Fees: Metal
7. Revolut - Will I be charged for exchanging foreign currencies?
8. Revolut - What are the ATM withdrawal limits?
9. Revolut - Setting a monthly spending limit
10. Wise will not charge you for these withdrawals, but some additional charges may occur from independent ATM networks.

Photo:

1. Clay Banks on Unsplash
2. Photo by Blake Wisz on Unsplash

Sources last checked on date: 28 April 2023