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Thinking of signing up with Revolut? The digital money service has a number of account types available, so you’ll need to find the best fit for your needs. These range from a free Standard account, all the way up to its all-singing, all-dancing Metal plan.
This comes in at £12.99 a month,¹ and comes with a rather impressive Revolut Metal card. But is it worth the money?
Read on to find out, as we’ve put together a helpful guide covering everything you need to know about the Revolut Metal card. This includes all the benefits you’ll get with a Metal plan, and info about how the card works.
And if you’re interested in using Revolut for international spending, we’ll also compare it to another specialist provider - Wise.
But for now, let’s take a look at the Revolut Metal account.
Revolut isn’t strictly speaking a bank, but an online money services provider. However, it’s fast becoming a popular choice among those looking for a convenient online alternative to a traditional bank account.
The fintech firm offers a number of free and paid monthly plans, which are:¹
So as you can see, Metal is its most expensive account package. But in return for the high monthly fee, the plan also comes with the longest list of features and benefits.
This includes an exclusive Revolut Metal card, higher limits on spending, discounted international transfers, higher interest rates and extra products like insurance.
Metal account holders can also access low-fee cryptocurrency and investment trading, although this is of course optional.
There’s a serious amount of extra features on offer with the Revolut Metal plan. Here’s an at-a-glance look at everything you can expect when you sign up:¹
So as you can see, you get quite a lot for that £12.99 a month.
Now, what about the Revolut Metal card itself? All Revolut accounts come with a debit card, but the Metal card is quite different to your ordinary plastic debit card.
Believe it or not, it’s a solid reinforced steel card, exclusive to Metal customers. It’s available free when you open an account and choose the Metal plan, although additional cards will cost £40 each.² You’ll get express delivery of your new card for free.
The Revolut Metal card works in just the same way as other Revolut debit cards. It’s a contactless Mastercard.
However, the Metal card offers a few additional features that other Revolut cards don’t. This includes up to 1% cashback on spending, on payments made in any of the 29 currencies the platform supports.
You can also withdraw up to £800 in cash from an overseas ATM without Revolut charging any fees (although the ATM operator may charge its own fee). And Metal account holders get enhanced protection on all their card purchases.
Other Revolut accounts have an upper limit on the amount of foreign currency you can exchange per month. This is the amount you can spend abroad with your card, or send in international transfers. Anything above this limit is subject to an exchange fair usage fee. But with the Metal account, this limit is removed and you can enjoy unlimited currency exchange.³
Revolut Metal offers a huge amount of extra features, including unlimited international transactions. But this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best option (or the best value) for travel spending.
This is because Revolut adds a fee for exchanging money at weekends, whether or not you’re a Metal customer.³ So if you spend abroad on a Saturday or send an overseas payment on a Sunday, you’ll be charged an extra fee.
You’ll still get Revolut’s fair exchange rates, and Metal customers can get a 40% discount on the usual fees. But it could make spending abroad a little more expensive than it needs to be, especially if you’ve got a weekend mini break in mind.
The good news is that there is an alternative available, one which offers the same low fees and great exchange rates every day of the week.
Open a Wise multi-currency accountand you can manage your money in 50 currencies, spending and sending worldwide whenever you need to.
You’ll always get the mid-market exchange rate, whether making a transfer in the Wise app or spending worldwide on the Wise debit card.
Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees.
And that’s pretty much it - everything you need to know about the Revolut Metal card and account. It’s the most expensive plan on offer at the digital bank, so it’s not for everyone.
But you do get a huge amount for your money, not just a solid steel debit card. The Revolut Metal account is packed with perks, including insurance cover, great interest rates and raised spending limits.
So, it could work out to be good value for money, if a feature-packed online account is what you’re looking for.
Sources used:
Sources last checked on date: 19-Apr-2023
*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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