Revolut US Review (2022)

Since launching in 2015, Revolut has exploded in popularity — recently hitting 18 million customers around the world.

The app allows you to open a free or fee paid account to hold and exchange 28 currencies and get a Revolut card. And if you’re wondering — does Revolut work in the USA? — there’s good news as it arrived on our shores in 2020.

This Revolut app review covers all you need to know. We’ll also touch on Wise — a low cost alternative to Revolut USA with multi-currency accounts for personal and business customers.

📑 Table of Contents
What is Revolut? Is Revolut available in the USA? How does Revolut work in the US? Revolut plans and features Revolut pricing and fees Revolut pros and cons Is Revolut safe? Meet Wise, an alternative to Revolut Revolut FAQ How Does Revolut Make Money? Does Revolut offer a business account? Is the Revolut app good? How can you contact support? Summary: is using Revolut in the USA worth it?

What is Revolut?

Revolut is a British financial technology company that opened its doors back in 2015.

Revolut provides online multi-currency accounts for individual and business customers, currency exchange and money transfer services, as well as a range of ways to budget, save and invest.

Is Revolut a bank?

Revolut is a financial technology company, not a bank. In the US, Revolut offers services in partnership with banks including Metropolitan Commercial Bank and Sutton Bank.

Revolut does hold a banking license in some areas it trades in, such as the EU, and in 2021 started the process to apply for a US banking license, too. However, at the point of writing (Jul/22), this license has not yet been issued.

Is Revolut available in the USA?

Yes. Customers have been using Revolut from the US since 2020.

How does Revolut work in the US?

Once you sign up for a Revolut account, you will be asked to connect your bank account. You can then convert your funds into a variety of currencies and use the Revolut cards provided to send and transfer money.

Everything is built around an app, designed to offer several different features to the customer.

For example, you can use your Revolut account to¹:

• Hold and exchange 28+ fiat currencies
• Use your Revolut card to spend and make ATM withdrawals
• Send money locally and internationally
• Earn interest on savings
• Invest in stocks or cryptocurrency

Revolut plans and features

There are several different Revolut accounts to choose from. At the most basic level, it’s a free service.

However, if you’re planning to make a lot of payments, will be using the service frequently, or need a few extra features, you might need to look into a subscription for Revolut Premium or Revolut Metal.

Here’s a rundown of the account options:

Revolut Standard

The Revolut Standard service has no monthly account fee, and allows you to spend with your linked card in 140+ currencies at the Interbank exchange rate and exchange in 28 currencies.

Exchange up to 1,000 USD a month with the interbank exchange rate, and make up to 1,200 USD a month in out of network ATM withdrawals for free. In network withdrawals are free, with over 55,000 ATMs available.

You will get a Revolut card supplied free of charge, but you won’t earn as much interest on your balance compared to the fee paid account tiers.

Revolut Premium

For a 9.99 USD/month fee, the Revolut Premium account offers all the features of the standard account, plus unlimited currency exchange at the interbank rate, higher interest, and extras like priority customer support and overseas medical insurance.

Revolut Metal

The Revolut Metal account has a 16.99 USD/month fee, and comes with an exclusive metal card.

The metal card works in the same way as Standard and Premium cards – the main difference is that it’s crafted from a single sheet of reinforced steel.

You’ll also get delayed baggage and delayed flight insurance as part of the package.

Feature overview

	Revolut Standard³	Revolut Premium⁴	Revolut Metal⁵
Global express card delivery	No	Yes	Yes¹
Currencies to spend on card	Over 140	Over 140	Over 140
Currency exchange at interbank rate	28+ currencies, up to 1,000  USD per month	28+, unlimited	28+, unlimited
Disposable virtual cards	No	Yes	Yes
Priority customer support	No	Yes	Yes

Check out how Revolut’s fees compares against Wise

Revolut pricing and fees

Let’s run through the full options of Revolut accounts and compare their features and fees²:

	Revolut Standard³	Revolut Premium⁴	Revolut Metal⁵
Monthly fee	0 USD	9.99 USD	16.99 USD
Out of network ATM Withdrawals (up to 1,200 USD)	Free	Free	Free
Interest on savings	0.05% APY	0.07% APY	0.07% APY
Out of network ATM withdrawals (over 1,200 USD)	2% + potential ATM operator fees	2% + potential ATM operator fees	2% + potential ATM operator fees
International transfers (over 10 transfers a month)	0.30 USD - 6 USD + 1% if you exceed the foreign exchange allowance	0.30 USD - 6 USD + 1% if you exceed the foreign exchange allowance	0.30 USD - 6 USD + 1% if you exceed the foreign exchange allowance

Revolut foreign transaction fee

Revolut won’t charge you for spending any currency you hold in your account. That means you can often avoid the foreign transaction fees applied by regular banks, credit cards and debit cards.

However, depending on your account type, fair usage fees may apply — check your specific account’s terms and conditions to learn more.

Revolut pros and cons

✅ Pros	❌ Cons
Currency conversion at the interbank rate Hold foreign currency balances easily Fee free ATM withdrawals Travel features for some account types	Monthly charges for some account tiers Out of hours currency conversion fees Exotic currency fees

Advantages of Revolut

Currency conversion rates

Banks charge high currency conversion rates and often turn a substantial profit from these transactions.

For years, consumers have relied on banks because they had nowhere else to turn. Revolut offers a cheaper and more manageable alternative.

Keep several accounts

Revolut lets you keep accounts in different currencies, making it easy to maintain amounts in currencies that you use regularly.

It is a useful feature for professionals who do a lot of traveling and don’t want to keep converting their funds.

Fee free ATM withdrawals

All Revolut accounts offer free in network ATM withdrawals at 55,000+ ATMs, plus up to 1,200 USD/month in free out of network withdrawals.

Travel Features

Depending on the account tier you have, you may be able to access travel medical insurance, delayed flight and delayed baggage insurance.

You may also be offered lounge passes if you’re due to fly and your travel plans are disrupted.

Disadvantages of Revolut

Monthly account fees

To unlock the full range of features you’ll need to pay a pretty steep 16.99 USD/month fee. Depending on how you use your account that may not work out to be worthwhile.

Higher weekend rates

You will be charged higher rates over the weekend when the currency exchange markets are closed.

It’s fairly easy to get around this charge as you can just wait until the markets open before you make your payments, but if you’re caught short, it becomes a problem.

The weekend rate increases vary from between 0.5% and 1.5% when compared to the rates charged during the week².

Extra fees for some currencies

On top of higher weekend fees, Revolut also adds an extra fee within exchange hours for some currencies.

This can be a potential deal-breaker for you if you often need to exchange Thai baht (THB) or Ukrainian hryvnia (UAH) as Revolut is going to charge you an extra 1.0% for each transaction².

Is Revolut safe?

Revolut is a safe provider to choose. In the US, Revolut’s services are offered through partnerships with banks and other specialists.

Revolut also has a range of automated and manual security features, including account verification, instant transaction notifications and a 24/7 anti-fraud operation.

Read our full guide about Revolut safety here

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Meet Wise, an alternative to Revolut

When in need to send money abroad — or maybe hold other currencies and spend globally like a local — Wise can be a great alternative.

🌐 With Wise you can:
Hold over 40 currencies in the Wise account Spend like a local in 150+ countries with the Wise card Get the mid-market exchange rate every day of the week, in every currency, for all transactions Manage your payments wherever you are with the Wise app or website Get a Wise Business account for your international business needs

That, and much more, without having to pay extra fees for special plans.

Get a free Wise account
in just a few minutes

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Revolut FAQ

How Does Revolut Make Money?

While Revolut doesn’t charge hidden fees, they do charge fees for Premium and Metal subscriptions, fair use fees outside of account limits, extra fees on weekends and fees for exchanging currencies such as Thai baht (THB) or Ukrainian hryvnia (UAH).

There are also charges for some international transfers, depending on the account tier you hold².

With a growing user base and the app being used by many to daily payments it all adds up – providing a solid revenue stream for the company.

Does Revolut offer a business account?

Yes! Here’s a quick Revolut Business Account review to cover the basics:

• There is a free account, but paid accounts offer more features

• Premium accounts cost 39.99 USD to 149.99 USD a month⁷

• Recommended for businesses and freelancers

• Some free international and local payments for paid account tiers

• Add team members to your account

• Get priority support (Premium accounts only)

• Free payments to Revolut accounts

• Free plastic company cards

Is the Revolut app good?

Revolut app reviews are mostly positive and it’s easy to see why. The Revolut application runs smoothly and without issue, and it utilizes a number of features designed to make your life easier, including security features (change your PIN) and money transfer options.

How can you contact support?

There are multiple ways of reaching out to Revolut customer service. One option is to call their automated phone support at +1(844)744-3512. Alternatively, reach out to their chat agents using the in-app chat feature.

However, with a Standard account, you might have to expect longer waiting times as only Premium and Metal customers enjoy priority customer support.

Summary: is using Revolut in the USA worth it?

Revolut is an innovative provider which is challenging regular banks and making it easier for individuals and businesses to manage their money on the go.

Even the free Standard plans come with some great perks like free in network ATM withdrawals and multi-currency functionality.

If you’re paying a monthly fee for one of the premium account options you’ll need to make sure the extra features you unlock are worth it — but Revolut can certainly be a good pick for many US customers.

Compare the accounts offered by Revolut against an alternative like Wise, to see which suits you best.

Wise is easy to use, you always get small and transparent fees and great customer support without having to pay extra — and you can save up to 6x compared with regular banks.

Get started with Wise

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Sources:

1. Revolut US
2. Revolut - Personal fees
3. Revolut - Standard fees
4. Revolut - Premium fees
5. Revolut - Metal fees
6. Revolut - Pricing
7. Revolut - Business plans

Sources checked on 07.27.2022