Revolut pre-paid Mastercard

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eDicky wrote: »

I don't see a phone number on their website any more, but it has been mentioned back in this thread somewhere. Why not use the in-app chat, they can respond very quickly nowadays. There is only a half hour left today, but it can be done wherever you have WiFi or data tomorrow. Have details of your last top up ready to give them, for verification.

Thanks, chat sorted it within an hour

Bermond

Thank you eDicky and peribanu for your suggestion to load some sterling and try a test purchase in the UK. I tried this and the card wouldn't work. Online chat told me to use pin services on an atm to unblock the pin and when I tried again it worked. If I hadn't done that I would have had problems paying for my hotel in Spsin. Thanks again.

shadrach

Am I likely to have any issues using a revolut card in either China or Japan?

I've just ordered one today. Hoping it arrives before I travel end of this month.

Also, I notice that a lot of people mention having had to send proof of identity to revolut after they begin using the card. Is there any way I can do this before I travel so I know my card isn't going to be locked unexpectedly while I'm abroad? I won't have much internet access for part of my stay in China, and it's anyway a nightmare getting on to bank accounts/email when behind China's firewall, so I'd rather not have to deal with this sort of issue while in country.

Other than the revolut card I'm probably going to be relying on a couple of debit cards and cash, so I'm sort of counting on it to work smoothly. I may also look at another prepaid card as a backup but not sure which would work.

eDicky

shadrach wrote: »

Am I likely to have any issues using a revolut card in either China or Japan?

I've just ordered one today. Hoping it arrives before I travel end of this month.

Also, I notice that a lot of people mention having had to send proof of identity to revolut after they begin using the card. Is there any way I can do this before I travel so I know my card isn't going to be locked unexpectedly while I'm abroad? I won't have much internet access for part of my stay in China, and it's anyway a nightmare getting on to bank accounts/email when behind China's firewall, so I'd rather not have to deal with this sort of issue while in country.

You can verify your identity in advance, look in the 'profile' section of the app menu. If your phone has NFC you may be able to take and submit the photos using the app itself, otherwise you have to email them. All info is in the FAQs. The card should work wherever MasterCard is accepted.

djphatic

I'm looking for advice on how I should be loading and using this card for withdrawing cash abroad.

I'm based in the UK so loaded the card in GBP though rightly or wrongly I exchanged my balance in GBP to EUR before a trip to Portugal. When I withdraw cash from an ATM I was expecting it would just take it from my EUR balance though it looks like another conversion took place at a different rate.

Is the exchange function and having balances in different currencies only of use for purchases and for ATM withdrawals I should just leave it in GBP?

eDicky

djphatic wrote: »

When I withdraw cash from an ATM I was expecting it would just take it from my EUR balance though it looks like another conversion took place at a different rate.

It sounds like you made the wrong selection when the ATM offered you the choice of 'Conversion' or 'Without Conversion' (or similar) when it detected a UK card. It then took pounds from your card and converted them at a bad rate. Always choose the option that does not mention pounds, 'Without Conversion'.

You can change GBP to EUR on the Revolut app any time you think the rate is good, or leave it in GBP and it will be converted at the moment you use the card for a purchase or in an ATM. Always choose to pay in the local currency if offered the choice.

csgohan4

Anecdotally at least, is the exchange rate better than Travelex Supercard and Halifax clarity card for buying goods direct?


Obviously withdrawing cash, Supercard now has a 3% fee and Halifax starts charging interest the day it is withdrawn. But they are not limited to £500 pounds like the Revolut before fees come into play.

Peribanu

csgohan4 wrote: »

Anecdotally at least, is the exchange rate better than Travelex Supercard and Halifax clarity card for buying goods direct?
Obviously withdrawing cash, Supercard now has a 3% fee and Halifax starts charging interest the day it is withdrawn. But they are not limited to £500 pounds like the Revolut before fees come into play.

The rate isn't better than those cards -- it should be almost exactly the same, since all those cards use either the Interbank rate or the MasterCard exchange rate, which are almost identical. In certain currencies (the Thai Bhat and the Russian Rouble are the ones we know about), Supercard and Halifax will offer a more reliably better rate, since Revolut cannot get the Interbank rate on those illiquid currency trades. Also, at weekends, Revolut adds a 1% spread to protect against currency movements. This could work for you in periods of high volatility if the pound sinks over the weekend, or against you in most circumstances where the price change over the weekend is more stable. So at weekends, in normal circumstances, Cllarity or Supercard will be a better bet. With Revolut, however, you can lock in an exchange rate in USD or EUR if you exchange cash in your Revolut account in advance of your holiday. Just make sure to do it on a weekday. Having said that, I wouldn't want to lock in such a poor post-Brexit rate just now.

csgohan4

Thanks Peribanu, it's difficult to compare the mastercard rate as they only release the rate the day before on their currency rate conversion website.


But when I compare the Revolut rates, it is very close to the interbank rates. like less than 0.5% difference or around there

Joey_Soap

Hi all, I am starting a job in Oman soon with a salary paid in Omani Rials to an Omani bank account. If I order a Revolut card in the UK and link it to my UK current account with Lloyds, can I transfer Omani Rials as Pounds to my Lloyds account? I have checked the website and Revolut does support Omani Rials, so I think this will work.