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St.George Worldwide Wallet card. The fees, rates & need-to-knows
While travelling abroad it’s always a good idea to make sure you’re getting the best value for money when your AUD is converted to local currency. Depending on your travel plans, the St.George Worldwise Wallet card might be a good solution.
We’re going to take a closer look at this travel money card including how it works, the fees you might be charged and where it can be useful. We’ll also let you know about the Wise Card, an alternative option if you’re looking for an easy and cost effective way to spend foreign currency.
| 💸 Hold 40+ currencies in your account and spend at the mid-market exchange rate with the Wise Debit card while abroad. |
|---|
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What is the St.George Worldwide Wallet card
The St.George Worldwide Wallet is a prepaid travel money card that helps you save money on foreign transaction fees when spending in certain currencies.¹
Before using the card you need to load it with AUD. Once that’s done, you can choose to convert the AUD to one of the 10 supported foreign currencies, locking in your exchange rate and making it so you know exactly how much foreign currency you have on hand.
Who is this card for?
The St.George Worldwide Wallet can be used as a travel money card or for online shopping.¹ While it will work almost anywhere that Mastercard is accepted, it’s primarily designed for use in places that accept the supported currencies.
When travelling you can use it to pay for goods and services by card, or withdraw cash from an ATM. Online it can be used to spend money in the supported currencies while avoiding the 3% foreign transaction fee.
What are the main features and benefits of this card
Here’s some of the main benefits of using St.George’s travel money card.¹
- No foreign transaction fees when you use your foreign currency balance
- Converting currency ahead of time makes it easier to budget
- There are opportunities to gain access to airport lounges if your flight is delayed
- Cashback is available through the Mastercard Travel Rewards program
The cons of using this card
These are some of the potential drawbacks of using the St.George Worldwide Wallet that are worth considering.
- You can’t transfer foreign currency to another account
- It’s not possible to receive foreign currency into the account
- Only 11 currencies are supported
Supported currencies
In total there are 11 currencies that can be stored on the St.George Worldwide Wallet.¹
- Australian dollar (AUD)
- United States dollar (USD)
- Euro (EUR)
- Pound sterling (GBP)
- Canadian dollar (CAD)
- Japanese yen (JPY)
- Thai baht (THB)
- South African rand (ZAR)
- New Zealand dollar (NZD)
- Hong Kong dollar (HKD)
It’s possible to spend in more currencies than this but you can’t store those currencies. Either the local merchant or Mastercard foreign exchange rate will apply at the time of the transaction.²
The limits you get with this card
There are limits to how much money you can load, spend and withdraw using the St.George Worldwide Wallet.² These limits are in AUD or the equivalent amount of foreign currency.
| Account Action | St.George Limit |
|---|---|
| Available balance | $50,000 |
| Maximum annual load within any 12 month period | $100,000 |
| ATM withdrawals in a 24hr period | $2,000 |
| Total purchases within a 24hr period at point of sale or online | $15,000 |
What are the fees for this card vs Wise card
Here are some of the main fees that apply when you use the St.George Worldwide Wallet.² For additional context we’ve also included the Wise fees for comparison.
| St.George Worldwide Wallet* | Wise Card* | |
|---|---|---|
| Card order fee | None | $10 |
| Minimum load amount | None | None |
| Max limit on card | $50,000 AUD or equivalent | None |
| Monthly/yearly maintenance fee | None | None |
| Renewal fee once expired | None | None |
| Digital card available? | No | Yes |
| ATM fees local & overseas | Flat fee per transaction that varies depending on the currency. Fee is waived if using a Global ATM Alliance ATM. Note: External ATM providers may charge their own fees | Make 2 withdrawals totalling up to 350 AUD each month for free per account. After that, we’ll charge 1.5 AUD per withdrawal. There’s a 1.75% fee on any amount you withdraw above 350 AUD. Note: ATM providers may charge their own fees |
| International payments fee % for spending 100 AUD in GBP | No fee | 0.39% to convert 100 AUD to spend in GBP |
| Exchange rate used | St.George determines their rate | Mid-market rate |
*As seen on 29 May 2024
Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
Exchange rate used
When you convert funds between the 11 supported currencies the St.George foreign currency exchange rate applies.¹ You can check the current rate on the St.George website.
| St.George Worldwide Wallet* | Wise Card* |
|---|---|
| When you transfer 100 AUD to USD on this card, you’ll get a rate of 1 AUD = 0.6359 USD This means you’ll get $63.59 USD | When you convert 100 AUD to USD on this card, you’ll get a rate of 1 AUD = 0.66145 USD This means you’ll get $65.90 USD after a fee of $0.37 AUD is dedicated from the 100 AUD converted |
*As seen on 29 May 2024
St.George doesn’t mention what they base their rate on but as you can see in this instance Wise offered a better rate. You get more USD for your AUD.
Wise uses the mid-market rate, which is the mid-point between the buy and sell prices on the currency market.
How do you get a Worldwide Wallet travel card
To get the St.George Worldwide Wallet just login to your Internet Banking and follow the prompts to open a new travel money card account online.¹
What are the eligibility requirements for getting this card
If you want to apply for a St.George travel money card you’ll need to meet these eligibility requirements.²
- Aged 14 years or older
- Australian resident
- Registered for internet banking with St.George
- Meet the identification requirements
How long does it take to get the card
When you order the card online for delivery to your house it can take 5-8 business days for St. George to mail the card.¹ If you need the card within 8 business days the bank suggests picking it up from a branch and activating it online.
How to load and use the card
To load your St.George Worldwide Wallet you’ll need to transfer AUD into the account which can then be converted into foreign currency. There are two ways to do this.²
- Transfer money from your other St.George account using Internet Banking or Mobile Banking
- Send money from another bank account to the travel money card account using the account details
Once the funds are on the card it can be used to spend and shop like any other prepaid Mastercard.
St.George contact details
If you have any questions you can always reach out to St.George directly.
- Call 1300 277 103 within Australia
- Phone +61 2 9155 7803 from abroad
- Email customer service
- Visit a St.George branch
Travel with Wise
With a Wise Account you can hold money in 40+ currencies and spend it in 150+ countries. You can also order local account details in popular world currencies like AUD, NZD, USD, EUR, GBP to receive local and/or international payments like a local.
Whenever you exchange currencies it’s done using the mid-market rate with a transparent conversion fee shown upfront.
To make everyday spending easier you can order a Wise Debit card for your Wise Account and generate virtual cards as needed. If you have the local currency in your Wise Account the Wise card will use it. If you don’t have local currency converted, it uses smart technology to auto-convert your money at the mid-market rate, for a conversion fee.
The Wise card may suit you better if you’re to spend money that you’ve stored in different currencies within an existing Wise Account, and benefit from 2 or less free cash withdrawals under $350 AU, or foreign equivalent, per month (keep in mind that ATM providers may charge their own fees). You can see our full fee breakdown for ATM withdrawals here.
Join over 16 million customers currently using Wise. It’ll only take a few minutes to register and see what’s inside.
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Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
Sources:
- St.George - Travel money card
- St.George - St.George Worldwide Wallet
- St.George - Currency Converter
Sources checked on: 11 February 2024
*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.
We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
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