There has been some fantastic innovation in the debit and travel card space in the U.K. over the past few years. Want to take your long-awaited holiday this year? You can avoid the costs associated with travelling by using a number of credit cards designed specifically for use while travelling.
As foreign holidays arrive back on the agenda - and as travel cards come and go according to the market, we are providing you with a guide that covers the top-pick travel cards, cards to avoid, and how to check what your card is charging you.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that not all applicants will qualify for these cards before you begin. The best travel credit card for you will depend upon your own circumstances, including your credit history and income. You can, however, always use an eligibility checker to determine if you are eligible. You have nothing to lose by checking your eligibility. This will not impact your credit score.
American Express
American Express and its partners offer some of the best credit cards on the market. They offer cards for pretty much everyone, from beginners to road warriors to business travelers. American Express credit cards offer a wide range of benefits, especially for frequent travellers. However, you must use all of the benefits regularly in order to justify the card's annual fee.
Here are some of American Express' best credit card offerings - let's compare them.
American Express® Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card - Apply Now
Representative APR: 70.1% variable
Annual Fee: £160 (£0 in your first year)
Foreign Purchase Fee: 2.99%
Overseas Fees: 3%
The following is what you are paying for:
- Earn 1 point for every £1 spent and 2 points for airline purchases
- £5 Deliveroo statement credit-twice every month
- Transfer points to 12 airline partners' loyalty programmes
- Take advantage of 4 complimentary Priority Pass airport lounge visits every year giving you access to over 1,300 airports globally.
- Exclusive access to unique, shareable and memorable events.
The Platinum Card® - Apply Now
Representative APR: 448.0% variable
Annual Fee: £575
Foreign Purchase Fee: 2.99%
Overseas Fees: 3%
The following is what you are paying for:
- Get up to £100 in statement credits at Harvey Nichols every year, in-store and online
- Unlimited access to over 1,400 airport lounges
- Worldwide travel protection for you, your family and Supplementary Cardmembers
- With over 1,400 selected restaurants for you to explore, you can enrol to receive up to £150 in statements credits to spend in the UK per year, and a further £150 to spend abroad
- Access extra value and exclusive hotels benefits all around the world including complimentary room upgrades upon arrival (when available) and a late check-out.
British Airways American Express® Credit Card - Apply Now
Representative APR: 27.2% variable
Annual Fee: No annual fee
Foreign Purchase Fee: 2.99%
Overseas Fees: 3%
The following is what you are paying for:
- Collect 1 Avios for every £1 spent on purchases
- Plus, collect up to 91,000 bonus Avios a year when you invite friends to join American Express and add the first Supplementary Card to your Account.
- Get a Companion Voucher when you spend £12,000 each membership year on the Card, which you can use to either take a companion with you on the same flight and cabin or, if travelling solo, a 50% discount on the Avios price you pay for your flight
- Travel accident insurance.
- Enjoy access to purchase tickets to some of the most in-demand music, film and theatre events in town.
British Airways Prepaid Mastercard
The newest in the block has been introduced by British Airways and it couldn't be simpler. Simply load the card with money and top it up wherever and whenever you wish using a debit card. Every time you use this prepaid card, whether you are on vacation or doing your everyday shopping at home, you will receive Avios rewards.
Representative APR: N/A
Annual Fee: No monthly fee for the first 6 months, then just £2.99 per month thereafter.
Foreign Purchase Fee: No foreign exchange fees.
Overseas Fees: No hidden withdrawal fees up to three free monthly cash withdrawals up to £300.00.
The following is what you are paying for:
- Widely accepted card around the world
- 1 Avios for every £2, €2 or $2 you spend.
- 1,500 bonus Avios when you spend £500, €500 or $500 in your first 90 days.
The card has three separate “E-wallets” covering GBP, EUR and USD which can be accessed through the Executive Club app. In order to top up the BA Executive Club card, you must use GBP, but once that’s done, the money can be transferred back and forth between pounds, dollars, and euros based on the current exchange rate, which can be easily seen within the application.
You will not be charged foreign exchange fees if you have a balance in any of the currencies listed above. If you do not have a balance in any of these currencies or use the card in a different currency, you will be charged 1.5%.
Even though you won't receive as many Avios on redemptions as you would with a credit card, this is an excellent card for those who wish to earn points with little hassle when using a prepaid travel debit card.
Currensea Mastercard
This card is the first direct debit travel card in the United Kingdom which is the layer in front of your existing bank account, which saves you at least 85% on every transaction, gives you extra security, and makes your bank work harder.
Representative APR: N/A
Annual Fee: There are three pricing plans available - Essential, Premium, and Elite
Foreign Purchase Fee: On the Essential Plan, the FX rate is 0.5%, but on the Premium and Elite Plans, it is 0%
Overseas Fees: ATM withdrawal fees are waived up to £500.00 per month. Over this amount, a 2% FX rate will apply
The following is what you are paying for:
- Transferring money abroad has never been easier and more transparent. Send between £100 and £20,000 from your UK bank to an EUR, PLN, HUF or USD account for a flat fee of 0.5%.
- Allow you to offset some of the environmental impact associated with your travels by giving back to an environmental organisation in a simple and easy manner.
- Spend 2,000 SGD in Singapore and convert your savings versus your bank into KrisFlyer air miles by collecting 2 KrisFlyer air miles per £1.
Curve
Representative APR: N/A
Annual Fee: There are four pricing plans available - Curve Standard , Curve X, Curve Black & Curve Metal
Foreign Purchase Fee: Access to fair FX rates up to £1,000 on Curve Standard
Overseas Fees: ATM withdrawal fees are waived up to £200.00 per month. Over this amount, FX rate will apply
There are four Curve products available:
| Curve Standard | Curve X | Curve Black | Curve Metal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | £4.99/month | £9.99/month | £14.99/month | |
| Cards in One | up to 2 cards | up to 5 cards | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Card Delivery Fee | £4.99 | Free | Free | Free |
| Go Back in Time | up to 30 days | up to 60 days | up to 90 days | up to 120 days |
| FX Rates | £1,000 | £2,000 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Fee-free foreign ATM withdrawals | £200/month | £200/month | £400/month | £600/month |
| 1% Cashback | 3 selected retailers | 6 selected retailers |
The following is what you are paying for:
- Customer protection of up to £100,000 is provided by Curve.
- For the first six months, you will receive 1% cashback.
- Your very own time machine allows you to switch payments from one card to another, up to 30 days after the payment has been made.
- No foreign transaction fees this summer on any card you use abroad. Not even your credit card. So you can spend freely and maximize your rewards at the same time. No currency conversion fee on weekends from June 1 to August 31.
- The anti-embarrassment mode activates your chosen backup card if your payment does not go through. This is completely automatic, so the cashier will not know (nor will the people you are with).
Chase
It is a digital-only account that was launched in September 2021 and has no foreign exchange fees.
Representative APR: N/A
Monthly Fee: £0
Foreign Purchase Fee: £0
Overseas Fees: £0
The following is what you are paying for:
- During the first 12 months, you will receive 1% cash back on all purchases, 4.1% interest on savings, and 5% interest on 'round-ups'.
- 24/7 in-app support.
- Advanced app functionality.
Monzo
It is worth mentioning that Monzo is one of the most widely-used online banks in the United Kingdom. Although the bank offers fully-licensed checking and savings accounts through its mobile app, there are a number of other online banks that offer unique banking features as well.
Representative APR: N/A
Monthly Fee: Starting from £5.00 per month
Annual Fee: £0
Foreign Purchase Fee: £0
The following is what you are paying for:
- FSCS Protection
- Only available to those who have a UK address.
- Support is available 24/7
- Organize your life using Pots anything from holidays to groceries.
- Bill splitting with friends, flatmates or relatives.
There are three Monzo products available:
| Monzo | Monzo Plus | Monzo Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | £5.00/month | £15.00/month | |
| Cards in One | up to 5 cards | up to 5 cards | |
| Cards Delivery Fee | - | - | - |
| FX Rates | Free | Free | Free |
| Fee-free foreign ATM withdrawals | Up to £200.00 free every 30 days. After that, a 3% fee is charged on every withdrawal. | Up to £400 free every 30 days. After that, a 3% fee is charged on every withdrawal. | Up to £600 every 30 days. After that, a 3% fee is charged on every withdrawal. |
| Interest on Savings | 1.00% AER/Gross (variable) interest up to £2,000 | 1.00% AER/Gross (variable) interest up to £2,000 | |
| FSCS Protection | up to £85,000 per person | up to £85,000 per person | up to £85,000 per person |
| Loans & Overdrafts | Loans up to £25,000 and overdrafts up to £2,000 | Loans up to £25,000 and overdrafts up to £2,000 | Loans up to £25,000 and overdrafts up to £2,000 |
| Virtual Cards | Yes | Yes | |
| Advanced Roundups | Yes | Yes | |
| Phone Insurance | Yes | ||
| Worldwide Travel Insurance | Yes | ||
| Discounted Airport Lounges | Yes |
Monese
Create an account with Monese in multiple currencies to spend abroad like a local. Transfer money between accounts for free.
Representative APR: N/A
Annual Fee: £0
Foreign Purchase Fee: £0
Overseas Fee: ATM withdrawal fees are waived up to £100.00 per month. Over this amount, additional charges will apply.
International Transfer Fee: 2%
The following is what you are paying for:
- Easily and quickly earn interest on your savings with Monese Pots and Raisin Bank.
- Link your Avios account to your Monese app easily so that you can see everything you have collected.
- Credit builder, you are able to improve your credit score without having to undergo a credit check or pay interest. In addition, Monese offers insurance plans, which provide protection in the event of an accident, sickness, involuntary loss of your job, or hospitalization when you become late on your bills.
- The Monese account would be a better choice if you intend to travel between the EU and the United Kingdom and need a multi-currency account.
Starling Bank
In the UK's financial technology sector, Starling Bank is a long-standing competitor of Monzo.
In addition to being fully licensed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Starling Bank is insured by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) against your deposits. In terms of its joint accounts, budgeting tools, no foreign card transaction fees, and no monthly fees, it is comparable to Monzo.
Representative APR: N/A
Annual Fee: £0
Foreign Purchase Fee: £0
Overseas Fee: Unlimited
International Transfer Fee: 0.4% fee to the currency conversion and a small delivery fee to cover our costs.
The following is what you are paying for:
- Customers with an address in the United Kingdom are only eligible to open a bank account and obtain a credit card for free.
- You may withdraw up to £300 per day. This is the maximum withdrawal limit per day.
- Unlike some other cards, the Starling Bank card is accepted at all ATMs throughout Southeast Asia.
- Starling is covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
- Unlike traditional banks, Starling offers the Mastercard exchange rate, which is more favorable.
- If your card is lost or stolen, you can use the mobile app to quickly report the loss or theft, transfer money, and track your spending.
- If you have any problems while traveling, they are available 24 hours a day.
- On current accounts, Starling pays interest.
Revolut
As is the case with Monzo, Revolut is also a neobank that was founded in the United Kingdom. In the UK, however, it is licensed only as an Electronic Money Institution, not as a full-fledged bank. As a result, Monzo remains the best choice for traditional banking services such as access to overdrafts and high savings interest rates.
Representative APR: N/A
Monthly Fee: Starting from £2.99/month
Foreign Purchase Fee: £0
Overseas Fee: ATM withdrawal fees are waived up to £200.00 per month. Over this amount, 2% fee will apply.
International Transfer Fee: Starting from 3%
The following is what you are paying for:
- It is also available to citizens of Australia, Canada, Singapore, Switzerland, the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan.
- It is free to create an account and have a debit card. Delivery fees may apply.
- Visa and MasterCard are both partners of Revolut.
- Monday through Friday, Revolut uses the interbank exchange rate. At weekends, the interbank rate is marked up by 1% to 2.5%.
There are four Revolut products available:
| Standard | Plus | Premium | Metal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Fee ATM withdrawls | £200/month | £200/month | £400/month | £800/month |
| Crypto Exchange Fees | 1.99% (minimum fee £0.99) | 1.99% (minimum fee £0.99) | 1.49% (with no minimum fee) | 1.49% (with no minimum fee) |
| Commodity Exchange Fees | 1.5% | 1.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Cashback on Stay bookings | 3% | 3% | up to 5% | up to 10% |
Virgin Money Mastercard
With the Virgin Money Debit Card, you will be able to withdraw cash and pay for goods and services anywhere Mastercard® is accepted, anywhere in the world.
Representative APR: 22.90% (variable)
Monthly Fee: £0
Foreign Purchase Fee: £0
Overseas Fee: 3% cash withdrawal fee
The following is what you are paying for:
- The card also offers nine months 0% interest on purchases, balance transfers (2% fee) or money transfers (4% fee).
- There is also a convenient easy-access savings account linked to the account, which pays 2.52% interest on balances up to £25,000, and a credit card that pays 2.02% interest on credit balances up to £1,000.
- Take advantage of our 4.25% AER 1 Year Fixed Rate or 3.00% AER Easy Access Cash ISA and watch your money grow tax-free.
*Please note that this article contains affiliate links, which may earn us a referral fee. While we strive to showcase top-notch products, it's important to note that we cannot review every product available in the market. The information provided is believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but it's always recommended to verify with the product provider for the most up-to-date details. We have personally tested many of the recommended cards, but everyone's preferences may differ, so please consider your own needs and preferences when making a decision.
