Get a £20 welcome bonus when you spend your first £20 (T&Cs apply).
Revolut's our pick as the best all-in-one finance app because it has a range of features on top of what you'd expect from a current account. You're able to invest in shares, commodities and even crypto from the app, which could help simplify someone's finances if they want it all in one place. You can also add travel insurance at the touch of a button, make international payments, hold different currencies and receive your salary early. Oh, and you get a generous welcome bonus when you sign up as well.
Pros
Low overseas fees
Quick sign-up
Earn cashback on spending
Set budgets for financial goals
Virtual cards for online purchases
Easy to transfer money internationally
Linked Revolut <18 account available for one child
Cons
1% currency conversion charge on weekend spending abroad
Free cash withdrawals in the UK and abroad both limited to £200 per month
Cannot deposit cash or cheques into the account
Charged a fee to receive your bank card
Minimum opening balance
£0
Account fees
£0
Overseas card transactions
0% Mon-Fri (max. £1,000 per month)
Overseas cash withdrawals
0% Mon-Fri (max. £1,000 per month) conversion fee plus cash fee of £0 up to £200 per month
Monzo is a go-to for many travellers, and this is because you can make payments in any supported currency without paying additional fees. When you pay for something abroad, you’ll get Mastercard’s exchange rate, which is typically low.
You can also make fee-free ATM withdrawals - but with some limitations. If Monzo isn’t your main bank account, you can withdraw up to £400 per month without fees in Europe. If it is your main account, there’s no limit.
Representative example: If you use an arranged overdraft of £1,200, you'll be charged interest at 39% EAR variable.
Pros
Easy to set up
Good for budgeting and categorising spending
Automatic saving feature
Fee-free spending abroad
Slick app with face login
Overdrafts and loans available
Cons
Free ATM withdrawals outside the EEA limited to £200,
£1 fee for depositing cash at PayPoints,
Maximum cash deposit of £1,000 every 6 months
No rewards program
Minimum opening balance
£0
Switch service guarantee
Yes
Account fees
£0
Overseas card transactions
0%
Overseas cash withdrawals
0% conversion fee plus cash fee of 0% on up to £400 per 30 days (3% thereafter)
Starling has zero fees for spending overseas and was also our winner in the Finder Customer Satisfaction Awards 2023, with 94% of its current account holders saying they would recommend it to a friend. Its app is one of the highest scoring apps in the Apple app store and Google Play Store. Meaning you'll not only benefit from being able to use your card fee free when travelling, but you'll also be able to easily manage your money on the go.
Representative example: If you use an arranged overdraft of £1,200, you'll be charged interest at 15% EAR variable.
You can use any Mastercard or Visa branded debit card in the United States, though you should be weary of using it abroad as there may be fees attached.
Barclays will charge a 2.99% non-sterling transaction fee, Lloyds’ will charge a 2.99% non-sterling fee on cash withdrawals and purchases, and NatWest and RBS will charge a fee of 2.75%. In the case that you find yourself needing to use a debit card abroad, it’s worth checking if your bank is part of the Global Alliance, a group of banks with an agreement to give customers a cheaper way to withdraw money abroad.
It may be a better idea to open an account with a separate bank or e-money provider that provides either low or no overseas fees and when travelling abroad and use this card instead of your main bank account. Check out our guide to debit cards with low transacation fees.
Using prepaid travel cards
All UK travel money card issuers allow you to load and spend in US dollars. The main advantage of these cards is you can lock in an exchange rate when you convert GBP to USD and spend without paying the extra 3% for currency conversion. Although Visa, Mastercard and American Express are accepted everywhere (if the merchant can accept a credit card they can also accept a travel card), not all of them have your name printed on the front, which may cause the merchant to reject them. These instances may be limited to smaller shops. Compare these cards by the fees. For example, some travel cards waive the international ATM withdrawal fee. The local ATM fee is unavoidable unless your travel money provider has a pre-arranged deal with a US bank. There’s also the initial load fee, the reload fee and inactivity fees to think about too.
Using credit cards
The US is a society of credit, and credit cards, there are no issues with Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Diners Club card acceptance. Contactless payment terminals are common at places like Walmart, Target, Kmart and other major retailers. The currency conversion fee is the main charge to avoid when you’re looking at travel friendly credit cards. The international ATM fee is the other main fee; however, due to the extra charges which come with a cash advance, you should avoid using your credit card to make cash withdrawals. Depending on your card provider, you can avoid some cash advance fees by loading your credit card with your own money (keeping a positive balance), but you forego anti-fraud guarantees when you spend your own money on your credit card.
The USA has a culture of tipping, it’s a substitute for low wages.You’ll need cash to tip, especially if you’re at a bar, restaurant, club or hotel. A gratutity of 20% to 25% on top of the bill (before VAT) is standard. Some places will add the tip to the bill, especially if you’re with a large party – if the gratuity is included, you’re not required to pay extra.
Beyond dining and drinking establishments, you should be tipping other service people, including taxi drivers, beauty therapists, porters and delivery drivers among others. You don’t have to tip in at fast food chains, such as Dunkin Donuts or In-and-Out but any specialist establishment, such as a deli or cafe, 10% is the accepted minimum amount. For a restaurant takeaway, you should tip at leat 10%. If you’re simply picking up a coffee, a $1 tip or 20% is customary.
US entry restrictions
Before entering and travelling to the US, you need to ensure you’ve applied for an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) for the UK. This will cost you $21 and you can pay by a Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners or Discover credit card. Usually, an ESTA takes 3 working days to progress, though it may take longer so give yourself enough time to organise before traveling.
Another limitation to consider is the amount of foreign currency or US dollars you can bring into the US. Whilst there is no restriction on the amount of cash you may bring, you must declare your cash at customs if you’re taking more than $10,000 or the foreign currency equivalent.
Why you’ll need a combination of travel money options
Use a combination of travel money products which don’t charge for currency conversion and have low or no international ATM withdrawal fees. A travel card or debit card used in conjunction with a travel-friendly credit card will give you a cost-effective way to make both over the counter purchases and ATM withdrawals in the USA.
It’s important to have more than one way to access your money when you’re abroad. Travel to the United States is exciting, don’t make it stressful by limiting your options. By doing a little research before you go, you can save on fees which can easily add up to the cost of a night out or souvenir for a loved one.
You’ll find card payments are the norm in the USA, the currency conversion fee may not seem like much, but giving almost £10 for every $300 you spend or withdraw to your bank isn’t just unnecessary, it’s criminal.
Compare travel money options and apply for a card you can use to spend for less in America to avoid throwing money at your bank while you’re visiting the United States of America.
We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.
Jason is a writer and editor. He worked as a senior subeditor for Finder for 5 years and in that time became familiar with a wide range of financial products and services. Before that, he worked for Australian Associated Press. He has a BA from Macquarie University in Australia. Jason loves to help other people find new ways to save money. See full bio
Taking a travel card is less stressful than taking a regular bank card and there’s also savings to be had. Find out if a prepaid travel card is right for you before booking your trip abroad.
Advertiser disclosure
Finder.com is an independent comparison platform and information service that aims to provide you with the tools you need to make better decisions. While we are independent, the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which Finder receives compensation. We may receive compensation from our partners for placement of their products or services. We may also receive compensation if you click on certain links posted on our site. While compensation arrangements may affect the order, position or placement of product information, it doesn't influence our assessment of those products. Please don't interpret the order in which products appear on our Site as any endorsement or recommendation from us. Finder compares a wide range of products, providers and services but we don't provide information on all available products, providers or services. Please appreciate that there may be other options available to you than the products, providers or services covered by our service.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
How likely would you be to recommend Finder to a friend or colleague?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Very UnlikelyExtremely Likely
Required
Thank you for your feedback.
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
