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Wise Card review

Enjoy market-leading exchange rates when you spend money abroad with the multi-currency Visa debit Wise Card.

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By

Claire Horwood

Updated

The Wise card is a Visa debit that comes linked to your Wise multi-currency account. This card lets you spend money in over 150 currencies and comes with no hidden fees as well as competitive exchange rates, so you pay the lowest cost every time you make a transaction overseas.

30-second take

  • Think about the Wise Card if you want to save money when you shop overseas and you’re prepared to sign up for a Wise multi-currency account.
  • Choose something else if you need access to credit or you would like standard bank protection for your deposits (such as CDIC insurance).
  • You won’t need to carry a minimum balance or earn a minimum income to qualify for the Wise debit card.

How the Wise Card works

The Wise Card is a Visa debit card that lets you spend money overseas for less. It offers no foreign transaction fees, competitive exchange rates and 2 free overseas ATM withdrawals per month (as long as you don’t exceed a combined $350 withdrawal). The card comes linked to your Wise multi-currency account and lets you spend money in over 150 currencies.

What is Wise?

Wise is an online money transfer provider and multi-currency financial platform. It lets you send cheap money transfers, receive payments in over 15 currencies and convert and hold over 50 currencies, with no hidden fees.

You can request a Wise Card (formerly TransferWise card) to spend money in multiple currencies or withdraw funds from international ATMs. Once you add money to your Wise account, you can make purchases anywhere that Visa debit is accepted.

The basics

Take advantage of no foreign transaction fees as well as competitive exchange rates when you spend money or withdraw cash overseas with this multi-currency Visa debit card.

  • No foreign transaction fees. This card comes with 0% foreign transaction fees.
  • No minimum balance requirements. Get started with as little as $1.
  • Free ATM withdrawals. Get 2 free ATM withdrawals per month, as long as the total amount you withdraw is under $350.
  • Multiple currencies. Spend money in over 150 currencies, convert and hold over 50 currencies and receive payments in more than 15 currencies with your Wise Card.
  • Low-cost transfers. Get big savings when you transfer money overseas.

The perks

  • Auto-convert any currency. Convert to any eligible currency at the lowest price automatically when you pay for products overseas using your Wise card.
  • Low conversion fee. Only pay a very small conversion fee when you convert your money through your online Wise account – typically between 0.35% and 2.22%.
  • Special discounts. Enjoy up to 12% off when you use your Wise Card to make reservations on Booking.com.
  • Security measures. Freeze your card from the app or call in to cancel it if you think your card has been stolen or compromised.
  • Works worldwide. Use your card in more than 200 countries and withdraw money from 2.3 million ATMs.

What to watch out for

  • Some fees. You’ll still need to pay fees and currency exchange rates when you spend and transfer money in many cases – they’ll just be lower.
  • No access to credit. You won’t be able to spend any money on your Wise Card that isn’t already in your account.
  • No deposit protection. Unlike with big banks, your deposits won’t be protected by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC) if Wise goes bankrupt.
  • Expensive ATM fees. You’ll have to pay 1.75% in fees on any ATM withdrawal you make over $350 per month.
  • No Canadian ATM withdrawals. You can’t use your Wise card to take money out of Canadian ATMs (only international).
  • Interest does not apply. The money you hold in your Wise account won’t be eligible to collect interest.

What currencies does the Wise Card support?

The Wise Card (formerly TransferWise card) lets you hold the currencies outlined below in your Wise account. You can also spend money in additional currencies not listed.

Wise currencies

What should I know before I apply?

Eligibility requirements

To apply for the Wise Card (formerly TransferWise card), you need to meet the following criteria:

  • Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who is at least 18 years old.
  • Have a working bank account in Canada.

Required documents and information:

  • Your name, residential status and contact information
  • Your Social Insurance Number (SIN) and date of birth
  • Your email address and phone number

How to apply for a new Wise card and account

  1. If you already have a Wise account, just log in to order your card online or in the app by clicking on the [Debit card] tab of the website or the [Account] tab in the app. From there, you’ll see an option to order the card.
  2. If you don’t have a Wise account, you can sign up for free by visiting the Wise homepage.
  3. Just click on the blue [Register] icon in the top right-hand corner of the page to get started.
  4. Complete the application with details that include your name, email address, Social Insurance Number and birth date.
  5. Review and submit your application and wait for approval (and don’t forget to order your Wise Card once your account is up and running).

Wise Card FAQs

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