{"id":541760,"date":"2024-09-27T09:41:03","date_gmt":"2024-09-27T08:41:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/?p=541760"},"modified":"2025-11-28T10:58:58","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T10:58:58","slug":"wise-vs-starling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/current-accounts\/wise-vs-starling","title":{"rendered":"Wise vs Starling: Which is better for spending abroad?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wise and Starling offer a different range of features because they\u2019re both different financial products, but we\u2019re comparing how they are for travel and spending abroad.<\/p>

Wise is a fintech company with a primary focus on money transfers and international finance. Wise Payments Limited is an authorised e-money institution regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).<\/p>

Starling is a bank, regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA). Deposits up to \u00a3120,000 are protected by the FSCS.<\/p>

Wise vs Starling: Vital statistics<\/h3>
\n \n
<\/th>\"Wise<\/td>\"Starling<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Finder score<\/th><\/td>9.6<\/span><\/span>Excellent<\/span><\/span><\/td><\/tr>
Customer satisfaction survey<\/th>Not yet rated<\/td>4.4 <\/span>
\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/div><\/td><\/tr>
Free spending abroad<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Arranged overdraft<\/th>No overdraft available<\/td>15%, 25% or 35% EAR<\/td><\/tr>
Representative example<\/th>N\/A<\/td>If you use an arranged overdraft of \u00a31,200, you'll be charged interest at 15% EAR variable.<\/td><\/tr>
Interest when you're in credit<\/th>0%<\/td>0%<\/td><\/tr>
Branch access<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
FSCS protected<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Sign-up bonus<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Amount<\/th>N\/A<\/td>N\/A<\/td><\/tr>
Product image<\/th>
\"Wise\"<\/td>		\"Starling\"<\/td><\/tr>
Find out more<\/th>
<\/div><\/td>
See account<\/a>
Read review<\/a><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table><\/div>

Both of these accounts come with colourful cards, so they\u2019ll stand out in your wallet when you go to use them abroad. Wise offers a bright green card and Starling has a teal, vertical card.<\/p>

If you\u2019re after branch access then you\u2019re out of luck with both of these options. Wise is strictly digital only, so doesn\u2019t allow any cash deposits at all and you need to top up your card via bank transfer or another payment method. With Starling you can deposit at the Post Office.<\/p>

Wise isn\u2019t a bank account so you can\u2019t apply for overdrafts, while you can with Starling \u2013 the interest rate you\u2019re offered will depend on your personal circumstances and credit score, although Starling\u2019s overdraft interest rate scale starts at 15% EAR.<\/p>

Starling was in the top 3 of Finder\u2019s 2025 Banking Customer Satisfaction Awards, with 93% of its current account customers said they would recommend the brand to a friend.<\/p>

Round 1: App features<\/h3>
\n \n
<\/th>\"Wise<\/td>\"Starling<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Visual breakdown of spending<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Spending categories<\/th>15<\/td>53<\/td><\/tr>
Set spending budgets<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Set up direct debits in the app<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Top up via bank transfer<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Have salary paid in<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Separate savings accounts<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Round-ups<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Customer service via the app<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Customer service via a telephone line<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Cheque scanning<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Freeze\/unfreeze card in app<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Send money abroad<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Fee for sending money abroad<\/th>\u00a30.59 + 0.33% of the amount that's converted<\/td>Local network fee + 0.4% Starling fee<\/td><\/tr>
Find out more<\/th>
<\/div><\/td>
See account<\/a>
Read review<\/a><\/div><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table><\/div>

You\u2019ll be able to organise your spending easily with a range of features that include visual breakdowns of spending and budgeting. Wise has 15 different spending categories while Starling has a whopping 53, so you can get into the gritty details of every last penny or cent spent abroad.<\/p>

You can also contact customer service in each app and there\u2019s phone support available, too. If you misplace your card you can freeze your account, then when the panic is over and you find it again you can unfreeze it yourself.<\/p>

There are slightly different fee structures to send and spend money abroad, with Wise using the mid-market rate and Starling using Mastercard\u2019s real exchange rate. Wise charges \u00a30.59 plus 0.33% of what\u2019s converted and Starling charges a local network fee and 0.40%.<\/p>