YouTrip card review - a great multi-currency card in Singapore?

If like many other Singaporeans, you love to travel, YouTrip can be an attractive solution for easy spending during your time away. Travelers get access to multiple global currencies through a single account that they can spend online or draw cash from while overseas. But is it the right option for you?

Read on to learn more about the YouTrip multi-currency card and how it works. We'll also compare YouTrip against an alternative multi-currency card provider Wise.

Table of contents
Benefits of YouTrip card YouTrip exchange rates, fees and limits Multi-currency card comparison: YouTrip vs Wise How to use YouTrip card overseas Frequently asked questions Summary

What is YouTrip?

The YouTrip multi-currency card allows you to travel, shop and pay around the world in over 150 currencies¹ through one account. The account is available through the YouTrip app, where you can buy and exchange currencies and spend with the card. The app is available through iOS App Store and Google PlayStore.

With zero transaction fees on currency conversions and payments², the YouTrip card can save you money as you travel. It allows you to spend at Mastercard locations, and also withdraw cash from designated ATMs wherever you are. You can also monitor exchange rates to get a good rate when the markets are favorable or use the YouTrip technology to exchange at the time of purchase.

YouTrip is safe to use. It’s a registered business in Singapore, with an MAS license as a major payments institution³. It also uses technology to keep users and their money safe, just like your normal bank would.

Benefits of YouTrip card

With your YouTrip card you can:

• Top up your account to 5,000 SGD
• Hold 10 major currencies (we’ll cover the options next)
• Exchange eligible currencies in the YouTrip app
• Check exchange rates in the app
• Pay overseas with no foreign transaction fees with your card

Here are the currencies supported by YouTrip for holding and in-app exchange:

• Singapore dollar (SGD)
• US dollar (USD)
• Euro (EUR)
• British pound (GBP)
• Japanese yen (JPY)
• Hong Kong dollar (HKD)
• Australian dollar (AUD)
• New Zealand dollar (NZD)
• Swiss franc (CHF)
• Swedish krona (SEK)

YouTrip exchange rate - is it good?

YouTrip supports 150+ currencies for you to use worldwide when making transactions. Currency exchange is carried out using the wholesale exchange rate⁴ which is generally the one you’ll find on Google, with a marginal difference of 0.1%⁵ on average.

Currency exchange is managed by YouTrip alongside a series of foreign currency partners and Mastercard - that means you’ll be able to see the rates you can get for the 10 supported holding currencies in the app, but for any other currencies you’ll need to go to the Mastercard currency conversion calculator⁶ to understand the rates that are applied.

The good news is that the Mastercard and YouTrip exchange rates are usually pretty fair, which can mean this is a cheaper way of spending that using your normal bank card.

YouTrip ATM withdrawal fees

You can use your YouTrip card to make ATM withdrawals when you travel - however, withdrawals within Singapore are not supported. Fees and limits are as follows⁷:

• 5 SGD or equivalent YouTrip withdrawal fee
• ATM operator may apply their own fees in addition
• Daily 5,000 SGD withdrawal limit

It’s worth noting that ATM operators are likely to impose significantly lower limits than the 5,000 SGD YouTrip cap per withdrawal, which means that you’ll pay the 5 SGD fee multiple times if you want to max out your daily withdrawal amount for any reason.

Youtrip card annual fees and limits

There’s no YouTrip annual fee to pay. You can top up your account up to 5,000 SGD at any one time⁸. If you try to add more than this amount, the excess will be automatically refunded to the car you use to make the top up.

Multi-currency card comparison: YouTrip vs Wise (formerly TransferWise)

YouTrip can be a handy card for international spending - but it’s not the only option. Depending on what you need you may find a more flexible account from an alternative provider. Here’s a comparison of YouTrip against another popular competitor - the Wise Account and card, to help you see how they measure up against each other, and pick the right one for you.

	YouTrip card	Wise card
Eligibility	Residents of Singapore and Malaysia only	Available globally in all but a few countries
Available currencies for holding and exchange	10	40+ currencies
Available currencies/countries for card spending	150+ currencies	170+ countries
Account maintenance fees	No ongoing fee	No ongoing fee
Exchange rates	Mastercard rates	Mid-market rates
ATM withdrawals	5 SGD + any applicable ATM operator fees	Up to 2 withdrawals per month, to 350 SGD in value, fee free¹⁴ 1.50 SGD + 1.75% after that
International payments	Available for 10 holding currencies with YouTrip Send⁹	Available to 80+ countries
Receive payments	Not available	Receive payments from 30+ countries with 9 local bank details
Withdraw funds back to a bank account	Not available unless you’re closing your account¹⁰	Available
Cashback options	Broad range of cashback and rewards available¹¹	Some promotions and rewards available

Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing: Only Pay for What You Use for the most up-to-date pricing and fee information.

Learn more from our detailed YouTrip vs Wise comparison.

YouTrip has very few fees, and a fair exchange rate when you want to spend internationally. However, for holding and exchange it’s somewhat limited compared to the Wise Account and card, with only 10 currencies on offer compared to the 40+ available from Wise. Wise also has some fee free ATM withdrawals available, which can cut the costs if you need cash while you travel.

Where Wise really stands out against providers like YouTrip is in the breadth of features available. While YouTrip has an e-wallet and card for spending only, Wise lets you receive payments in a range of currencies, send money to a wide range of countries and pay international bills with the mid-market exchange rate. You can also withdraw funds back to your bank account in Singapore - or internationally - whenever you want to. In short, it’s like banking without a bank.

Get a Wise card today! 💳

How to use YouTrip card overseas

The YouTrip card is a travel-focused spending card and can be used anywhere Mastercard ® is accepted.

But how does YouTrip work in practice? Well, once you get the card, you can top it up with S$ and then exchange it into any of the 10 in-app currencies when you find the rates attractive.

Outside of these 10, there are over 150 currencies you can use while overseas that are converted at the time of purchase. You can also use the card to make online purchases in the 10 different currencies that they offer, all while at home in Singapore.

How to sign up for YouTrip

To get a YouTrip account you’ll need to be a resident of Singapore or Malaysia, with a local contact number.

You can sign up on YouTrip easily using SingPass - here’s how¹²:

1. Download the YouTrip app
2. Tap Sign up for free
3. Use SingPass and Myinfo to enter your personal information
4. Follow the prompts to complete your application - and you’re done

If for some reason you don’t have SingPass available you can also follow a manual process to get a YouTrip account, but uploading images of your documents.

How to top up your YouTrip account

You can add funds to YouTrip using PayNow, or with a credit or debit card. Here’s how to add money with your card¹³ - if you’d rather use PayNow the process varies a little depending on who you bank with.

1. Log into YouTrip
2. Tap Top up
3. Select your card type from the drop down list
4. Enter your card information
5. Get verified
6. Add the required details to complete your top up

Can I transfer money from YouTrip to a bank account?

Transfers from YouTrip back to a bank account are not available unless you’re closing your account¹⁰. In this case you can request to get a refund from your account - but otherwise, you’ll need to use your balance for spending or international cash withdrawals.

Using YouTrip in foreign ATMs

ATM while overseas using your YouTrip card. There is a 5 SGD fee for every cash withdrawal⁴ .

When you are at the ATM abroad, there are a few simple steps to get cash from your account:

1. Find any ATM with the Mastercard, Maestro or Cirrus logo
2. Insert your YouTrip card into the ATM and enter your PIN - this is the same as your YouTrip app login PIN
3. Select Savings Account instead of the Current Account option
4. Select the option to withdraw in the local currency
5. Receive your cash from the ATM and the applicable currency bucket is drawn down in your account if it is one of the in-app 10. Otherwise, the currency exchange will be done at the time of your transaction

An important caveat is that YouTrip does not support local ATM withdrawals in Singapore. So you won’t be able to take out any remaining cash on the card locally when you return home. But it is still eligible to be spent domestically online.

How to use YouTrip in Malaysia

You can use YouTrip in Malaysia for ATM withdrawals and spending, just like you would with any other eligible payment card.

Frequently asked questions

Can YouTrip be added to Apple Pay?

YouTrip does not currently support Apple Pay.

Does YouTrip have foreign transaction fees?

There’s no foreign transaction fee for YouTrip international spending. You’ll get the Mastercard exchange rate, or the YouTrip rate for their 10 supported currencies, with no additional fees.

Does YouTrip have cashback?

You can use YouTrip to make ATM withdrawals if you need international cash. You can’t access this service in Singapore though.

Is the YouTrip card a debit or credit card?

The YouTrip card is a prepaid debit card, which means you need to add funds to your account before you can spend. You’ll then only be able to spend up to the total amount held on the card, with no credit facility.

How to withdraw money from YouTrip in Singapore?

It's not possible to withdraw money in your YouTrip account directly to your bank account or through an ATM in Singapore, YouTrip balances are only refundable if you choose to close your account.¹⁰

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Summary

So, that’s pretty much it - your full YouTrip card review, including all the details you need about YouTrip ATM withdrawals and spending abroad.

To help you pick the best e-wallet and card for you, we’ve covered YouTrip’s currency exchange rates, fees, top-ups and much more, including alternatives such as the Wise Account and card which could be a better all-round option for managing your money across currencies at home and while you travel.

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Sources:

1. YouTrip - Which currencies are supported?
2. YouTrip - What are the fees involved in using a YouTrip account?
3. MAS - YOU technologies license
4. YouTrip - What are the exchange rates and fees offered by YouTrip?
5. YouTrip- What is the wholesale exchange rate?
6. Mastercard Currency Converter - Currency exchange calculator
7. YouTrip - Can I withdraw cash from local and overseas ATMs with my YouTrip card?
8. YouTrip - What is the minimum and maximum top up for my YouTrip account?
9. YouTrip - Send money
10. YouTrip - Is my balance refundable?
11. You Trip- Perks
12. YouTrip - How to sign up
13. YouTrip - Top up my account
14. Wise will not charge you for these withdrawals, but some additional charges may occur from independent ATM networks.

Sources checked on 17.11.2022