Banking & money abroad

Neobank · multi-currency (20+) · card

FX: ZeroFX: Mastercard exchange rate plus a 0.5% markup when markets are open; Free users get ZeroFX up to EUR 1,000/month, then a 1% conversion fee

• ✓ Full EU banking licence (Netherlands); deposits protected up to EUR 100,000
• ✓ Hold and spend in ~20 currencies with international IBANs (NL, DE, FR, ES, IE)
• ✓ ZeroFX card spending at the Mastercard rate plus a 0.5% markup; send in 47 currencies
• ✓ Genuine free tier with physical + virtual cards
• – Most travel-grade features sit behind paid plans from EUR 3.99 to 18.99/month
• – Free tier limits ZeroFX to EUR 1,000/month and only 2 free ATM withdrawals
• – App-only neobank with no branches

ATMs: Free ATM withdrawals capped per plan (2/month on Free, 5/month on Core), then about EUR 2.99 per withdrawal

Neobank · card

FX: Mastercard exchange rate passed on directly with no added Monzo fee on card spending abroad

• ✓ Fully licensed UK bank (FCA/PRA); eligible deposits FSCS-protected up to GBP 120,000
• ✓ Free current account with no monthly fee and no foreign transaction fees on card spending
• ✓ Spends abroad at Mastercard's exchange rate with nothing added
• ✓ Well-regarded budgeting tools: categories, Pots, instant notifications
• – Must be a UK resident to open and keep an account; moving abroad can make you ineligible
• – Single-currency GBP account only; no multi-currency holding
• – Fee-free ATM withdrawals abroad are capped (then 3%); virtual cards require a paid plan

ATMs: Free UK ATM use; abroad the free account gives about EUR 235 (GBP 200) fee-free withdrawals per 30 days outside the EEA, then a 3% fee; paid plans raise the cap

Neobank · card

FX: Worldwide card payments are free with no foreign-transaction markup (Mastercard exchange rate) on all plans

• ✓ Licensed German bank (N26 Bank SE, Berlin), supervised by BaFin, deposits protected up to EUR 100,000
• ✓ Free Standard plan with a free virtual Debit Mastercard
• ✓ Free card payments worldwide on every plan, no foreign-transaction markup
• ✓ Real German IBAN, in-app budgeting and 24/7 chat support
• – Available only to residents of eligible (largely EEA) countries
• – Largely a euro-only account; no multi-currency holding or conversion
• – Standard/Smart charge 1.7% on foreign-currency ATM withdrawals and cap free euro withdrawals

ATMs: Free euro ATM withdrawals capped per plan (2 on Standard up to 8 on Metal); non-eurozone withdrawals carry a 1.7% fee on Standard/Smart, free on Go/Metal

Money transfer · multi-currency

FX: Paysend FX rate locked in at the time of the transaction (shown upfront), plus a low fixed transfer fee

• ✓ Fixed low transfer fee shown upfront (e.g. about EUR 1.50 from the EU, regardless of amount)
• ✓ Exchange rate locked in at the time of the transaction; no hidden charges
• ✓ Sends to 170+ countries to a bank account, card, wallet or cash, often in minutes
• ✓ Free to sign up with a mobile number and email; no monthly account fee
• – Transfer/remittance service, not a full everyday bank account
• – Some corridors carry variable or additional local fees; the recipient's bank may add charges
• – Exact per-country fees only shown in-app after selecting send/receive countries

ATMs: Transfer service, not an everyday account

Neobank · multi-currency (38+) · card

FX: In-app exchange across ~38 currencies with no added fee on weekdays up to a monthly limit (EUR 1,000/month on free Standard); 1% fair-usage fee beyond it and a weekend markup (1% Standard, 0.5% Plus)

• ✓ Free Standard plan; multi-currency account holding up to ~38 currencies with a local IBAN
• ✓ Card pays in 150+ currencies; physical and virtual cards available
• ✓ Interbank-style in-app exchange with no added fee on weekdays within the monthly limit
• ✓ Licensed bank (Revolut Bank UAB, Bank of Lithuania) with EEA deposit insurance
• – Fee-free weekday FX only up to a monthly limit (EUR 1,000 on Standard), then 1%
• – Weekend currency-exchange markup applies on the free plan
• – ATM withdrawals fee-free only up to a low monthly cap on the free plan, then 2%

ATMs: Free plan allows fee-free ATM withdrawals up to EUR 200/month or 5 withdrawals, then 2% (min EUR 1); paid plans raise the limit

Money transfer · multi-currency (40+) · card

FX: Always uses the mid-market exchange rate (no markup) plus a transparent per-conversion fee that varies by currency, starting from about 0.33%

• ✓ Free to open with no subscription or monthly account fee; you only pay per use
• ✓ Hold and convert around 40 currencies and get local account details to receive money in several
• ✓ Physical debit card plus a free virtual card; spend in 160+ countries
• ✓ Conversions use the mid-market rate with a fee from about 0.33%, with discounts on large amounts
• – E-money account, not a bank account: funds are safeguarded rather than deposit-insured
• – Per-transfer and over-allowance ATM fees apply; exact figures vary by currency and country
• – Fees and supported currencies vary by country of residence

ATMs: Free ATM withdrawals up to a set monthly allowance, then roughly 2.69% on the amount above it; some ATM operators may add their own fee