Suits Me card review: fees, features and more

Searching for an alternative to a traditional bank account? The digital banking app Suits Me could be a good option for you, particularly if you have a less-than-perfect credit history.

In this guide, we’ll give you the lowdown on the Suits Me card. This includes the key features, how to open an account and of course, how much it costs.

We’ll also give you a handy, money-saving alternative for overseas spending - the multi-currency Wise debit card. With this powerful contactless card, you can tap and spend in 200+ countries with no transaction fees and only a tiny fee to convert currency. It could save you a bundle compared to using a bank (or even a digital bank).

Learn more

But first, let’s get back to the Suits Me card.

Key features of the Suits Me card - for Premium and Premium Plus plans

When you open a Suits Me e-Money current account, you’ll get a free Visa debit card. There are no credit checks required, only a few quick steps to verify your ID (which we’ll cover in just a moment).

There are two plans to choose from - Premium and Premium Plus. Each works just like an ordinary current account, where you can receive money, top up your account and spend using your linked debit card. You can manage your account online or using the Suits Me app. It’s all designed to be as easy and user-friendly as possible.

The Suits Me debit card offers the following features for both plans:

• ATM and CashPoint withdrawals
• Instant access to your money wherever you are in the world
• Spending online and wherever you see the Visa logo
• Contactless payments, including mobile wallets such as Google Pay
• Monthly cashback benefits
• 24/7 account management online or using the Suits Me app - including the option to instantly block and unblock your card.
• Multilingual customer support, available Mon-Fri, 8am to 6pm.

If you go for the more expensive Premium Plus account with its higher monthly fee, you’ll get extra perks such as four fee-free ATM withdrawals a month. Other costs are also lower, such as the fees for topping up your account¹.

One of the best features of the Suits Me card has to be the cashback scheme. This allows you to earn cashback into your Suits Me account when you spend at partners such as Asda, Argos, Sainsbury’s, M&S, Halfords, Clarks, Foot Locker, Ernest Jones, Laithwaites Wine, New Look, Pizza Express and B&Q.

All you have to do is spend online or in-store using your Suits Me debit card and you’ll receive the cashback automatically. Some of the cashback rewards are as high as 15%², although it varies depending on the retailer. There’s no limit to how much you can earn every month, making this a super attractive bonus if you’re a big spender and love high street shopping.

How to apply for the Suits Me card

It’s relatively quick and easy to get a Suits Me card. All you need to do is head to the Suits Me website to complete the online application form and open an account. According to Suits Me, it could take as little as 10 minutes to apply³.

Simply follow these steps:³

1. Choose your account type - Premium or Premium Plus
2. Enter your personal and contact details
3. Submit your application form
4. Verify your ID with Suits Me’s ID verification partner Hooyu - follow the instructions to upload a selfie and a photo of your passport’s photo page
5. Your account will be opened instantly, and you’ll get an email containing details of how to set up online and mobile banking
6. Your new Suits Me card will arrive in the post within 3-5 working days.

Suits Me card activation - how it works⁴

Got your new debit card? Once it arrives in the post, the next step is to activate it. You can do this by calling the Suits Me automated customer service phone line and following a few simple steps.

Alternatively, you can activate your card in the ‘My Cards’ section of online banking - you’ll need to register and set up online banking first. You’ll be sent an activation code by email, which you can use to activate your card.

Suits Me card charges and fees¹ you need to know about

Now, let’s turn our attention to the important part - how much the Suits Me card actually costs to use. There are initial and monthly fees to know about, along with extra costs for certain types of transactions.

Are there any Suits Me card limits?

There are a few limits you need to know about with the Suits Me Card. These include a £250 maximum ATM withdrawal per day and a £10,000 maximum card balance. You can also only get cashback on three valid card transactions per day⁵.

How does the Suits Me card work abroad?

You can use your Suits Me card when you’re on holiday or travelling, but there are some fees to pay. These are £1.97 plus 2.35% of the transaction value for spending within the EEA, and £1.97 plus 2.57% outside of the EEA⁵. There are similar fees to pay for withdrawing from an ATM in another country.

As you can see, these are some pretty high fees for international payments and cash withdrawals with Suits Me.

On top of this, you may also get an unfavourable exchange rate when you spend in any currency other than GBP. Suits Me uses the exchange rate set by Visa⁶, which may not be the real, mid-market rate - there may be a mark-up added on top. All of this makes your transaction more expensive.

One thing’s for sure - it’s certainly not the cheapest way to spend abroad.

The Wise debit card - a cheaper alternative for spending in 200+ countries

While the Suits Me card might be a handy option for UK spending, it can be quite expensive to use abroad. Luckily, there’s a money-saving alternative available, one that also doesn’t require any credit checks and can be quickly opened online.

Sign up for free and get your Wise multi-currency account and you can get a Wise debit card, which can be used for low-cost spending in over 200 countries worldwide.

It’s contactless, has a virtual card option, and offers easy, convenient spending, and with no transaction fees. You’ll only pay a tiny fee to convert currencies, and that will always be done automatically at the real, mid-market exchange rate - the fairest rate you can get.

Better still, you can withdraw up to £200 a month from ATMs worldwide with zero fees. And it can all be managed on the move using the handy Wise app.

Join Wise today

So, that’s pretty much it - everything you need to know about the Suits Me card and account. It’s a decent option for people with a low credit score, who may have trouble getting accepted for a traditional current account.

But it’s certainly not the cheapest debit card around, and you’ll need to watch out for those high fees for international spending and ATM withdrawals.

Sources used for this article:

Sources checked on 4 March 2021