UK Travel Money Guide 2026: Starling, Monzo, Revolut, Wise and Chase Compared

Starling Bank, Monzo, Revolut and Chase UK have eliminated foreign transaction fees entirely, saving UK travellers £50 to £150 compared with using a standard high-street bank account abroad. Most UK banks charge 2% to 3% on every overseas transaction plus a fixed fee per cash withdrawal. On a two-week holiday that adds up to £150 in avoidable charges.

Starling Bank — best overall

Starling offers unlimited fee-free card spending abroad and unlimited fee-free ATM withdrawals worldwide with no monthly cap. There are no conditions — it is free every day of the week regardless of destination, unlike Revolut which applies weekend markups. A £300 daily ATM limit applies but there is no monthly ceiling. Starling holds a full UK banking licence and FSCS protection covers deposits up to £120,000. The Easy Saver pays 3.00% AER variable with no minimum deposit, and the one-year Fixed Saver pays 3.70% AER from 14 April 2026 with a £2,000 minimum.

Monzo — best for budgeting

Monzo offers zero foreign transaction fees with £200 per month in free ATM withdrawals on the free account. Beyond that limit a 3% fee applies. Real-time spending notifications, automatic categorisation and budget tracking make Monzo the strongest option for monitoring holiday spending. Monzo Plus customers earn 3.25% AER variable on Instant Access savings. The standard account requires no credit check and takes around five minutes to open.

Revolut — best for multi-currency

Revolut’s Standard plan allows spending up to £1,000 per month abroad on weekdays with no fee, after which a 0.5% charge applies. Free ATM withdrawals are capped at £200 per month, then a 2% fee with a £1 minimum. Revolut received its full UK banking licence in March 2026, bringing FSCS deposit protection for the first time. The weekend markup on currency conversion when markets are closed is the main limitation. The multi-currency wallet holds and exchanges 30 currencies in-app, which works well for frequent international travellers.

Chase UK — best for fee-free withdrawals

Chase offers fee-free ATM withdrawals up to £1,500 per month and fee-free card spending abroad using Mastercard exchange rates. The £500 daily ATM limit is the highest of any free account. The linked savings account pays 4.10% AER standard rate. No credit check is required. Note that Chase’s 1% cashback offer applies only to UK spending on groceries, transport and fuel — it does not apply to overseas spending.

Travel credit cards — Section 75 protection

Travel credit cards add purchase protection under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 on purchases between £100 and £30,000. If a retailer fails or goes bust after you pay on credit, your card provider is jointly liable for a refund. Barclaycard Rewards Visa applies no foreign transaction fees and pays 0.25% cashback on all spending, with interest-free cash withdrawals if repaid in full monthly at 28.9% representative APR variable. Halifax Clarity Mastercard carries no fees for overseas spending or ATM withdrawals using Mastercard rates, though interest accrues on unpaid balances from the withdrawal date.

Wise — for sending money internationally

Wise is not a travel spending card and should not be compared directly with Monzo or Starling for overseas card use. It is a money transfer service that also issues a debit card. When you spend on the Wise card in a foreign currency, conversion fees apply — unlike Starling which charges nothing for card spending abroad.

Where Wise stands apart is international transfers. Sending £1,000 to a eurozone bank account costs around £4 with Wise, compared to £30 to £50 at a typical high-street bank. Wise applies the real mid-market exchange rate — the same rate shown on Google — with fees displayed transparently before you confirm. Banks embed their margin inside the exchange rate itself, which hides the true cost. The Wise account holds balances in 40 currencies and the debit card works in 150 countries. For anyone sending money home, paying overseas suppliers, or receiving international payments, Wise charges from 0.4% per transfer.

What to avoid

Prepaid travel cards from Travelex, Post Office and Sainsbury’s Bank charge 5% to 5.75% on foreign exchange plus reload fees. Airport bureaux de change impose mark-ups of 3% to 15% above interbank rates — Travelex and Tesco Travel Money at Heathrow charge 4% to 6% on euros and dollars. Dynamic currency conversion, where a foreign ATM or retailer offers to charge you in pounds, adds 5% to 7% above the real rate. Always decline and pay in local currency.

Which to choose

For most UK travellers, Starling is the default — unlimited free spending and withdrawals, no conditions, full FSCS protection. Add Monzo as a backup for its budgeting tools. Use a Barclaycard Rewards Visa for purchases over £100 where Section 75 protection applies. Revolut works well for travellers who want to hold multiple currencies and can stay within weekday free limits. For international money transfers rather than card spending, Wise charges from 0.4%.

Originally published at insighthq.uk ,Some links in this article are affiliate links.