Best Business Debit Cards for Freelancers in the UK: Complete Guide on Features and Fees

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Whether you’re a seasoned freelancer on the cusp of starting an agency, or you’re just started your freelance career, staying in control of your professional spending is key - and that starts with having the right business account and card.

To help make an informed decision, we’ve put this guide together covering the best business cards for freelancers in the UK, with information on everything from rewards to annual fees.

We've also looked at what makes Wise Business and the Wise Business Debit Card a standout option worth considering.

Summary

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1. Wise Business Card

The Wise Business debit card helps businesses spend, manage expenses, and operate internationally with ease. You can pay in multiple currencies directly from your Wise account, with conversions done at the mid-market exchange rate with full transparency on fees.

The card is available in both physical and virtual formats, making it suitable for everyday business expenses, whether in-store or online. It’s designed for teams as well as individuals, giving you control over company spending while simplifying expense tracking and reconciliation.

• Physical and virtual cards available for both in-person and online payments, with support for digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay.
• Hold and spend using account details in 8+ currencies, with conversions at the mid-market rate.
• Noforeign transaction charges (only a small fee applies when currency conversion is required)
• Earn 0.5% cashback on all eligible transactions across all business cards linked to your account, including employee expense cards
• Issue cards to employees in your agency if you have one, and set pre-defined spending limits to control business expenses
• Manage cash across international offices - filter transactions by payment method, team member, and more for better visibility and control
• Connect with accounting tools to streamline reconciliation and financial management

Fees

• £50 (Advanced plan) or for free (Essential plan)
• No monthly subscription fees
• The first card is included in your one-time setup fee. Additional cards for team members cost 3 GBP each
• No foreign transaction fees. A small, variable fee applies when converting currencies, with all conversions done at the mid-market exchange rate
• Two ATM withdrawals up to 200 GBP per month are free. After that, fees apply.
• 2% fee to top up external e-wallets

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2. Payoneer Business Card

The Payoneer business card runs on the Mastercard network, and you can use it to make payments in person and online worldwide wherever Mastercard is accepted.¹

You can pay for ads, subscriptions, inventories, or withdraw money from ATMs wherever Mastercard is supported.

The Payoneer business card only supports four currencies (USD, EUR, GBP, CAD).¹

The Wise Business card, on the other hand, lets you spend in 40+ currencies, making it a potentially better option for freelancers who need to pay bills in more than just USD, EUR, GBP and CAD.

Payoneer lets you order multiple virtual cards to keep your expenses organised, which can come in handy if you're juggling different clients or business lines.¹

You can track all your spending directly in your account, and sync everything with Xero or QuickBooks Online, so your books are always up to date without the manual effort.¹

Before you can order a Payoneer business card, you need to have received at least 100 USD into your Payoneer account.¹

There’s also a Payoneer Global Cashback card plan that offers cashback rewards on qualified business purchases made with the card.²

Fees

Card Delivery³:

• Standard card delivery is free
• Express shipping via DHL costs $40.00 USD.

Annual fees: The first card carries an annual fee of $29.95 USD, while any additional cards in any currency are free.

Transactions³

• Transactions made in the same currency as your card are free in supported countries. However, transactions involving currency conversion can cost up to 3.5%.
• Transactions where the merchant's country differs from the card-issuing country carry a cross-border fee of up to 1.8%.

Cash withdrawals³

• Withdrawing cash at ATMs, tellers, or merchants in the same currency as your card costs £1.95 GB + up to 1.8%.
• Withdrawal involves currency conversion costs £1.95 + up to 3.5%

Other fees³

• A balance inquiry costs £0.65 GBP
• Card replacement costs £9.95 GBP

3. Airwallex Company Card

The Airwallex Company Card is a business debit card that lets you make purchases in multiple currencies from your Airwallex Wallet with no transaction fees.⁴

Airwallex automatically converts available funds in your home currency and their card runs on the VISA network, meaning you can use it to pay for goods and services anywhere VISA is accepted.⁴

There’s also a built-in spend management platform that lets you stay on top of all your purchases in a single, real-time dashboard.⁴

Fees

Card payment fees⁵:

Other fees⁵:

• Local payment methods (like WeChat Pay, GrabPay, 160+ others): £0.20
• Subscription Management: 0.50% per successful card transaction

4. Monzo Business Expense Card

The Monzo Business Expense card is built specifically for small businesses looking for a smarter way to manage their team's spending. It gives team members the freedom to spend without losing sight of or control over who spends what.⁶

If you are a freelancer who works with contractors, virtual assistants, or other freelancers, you can issue them an expense card with a specified limit. They can spend what they need, within the boundaries you've set, and you see every transaction in real time.

One major upside of this expense card is that cardholders can only see their own spending activity.⁶ This means the contractors and virtual assistants you issue an expense card can’t see your business account balance or transfer money in or out of the account.⁶

And if a contractor loses their card or a working relationship ends, you can instantly freeze the card in the app with just a few clicks.

Monzo automatically syncs transactions, receipts, and expenses with accounting software like Xero.⁶ So instead of manually reconciling bank statements against invoices at the end of the year, everything is already organised and waiting for you.

Fees

This card is available as part of the Monzo Business Team plan, starting at £25 a month.⁶ This plan is only available to sole traders or limited company directors in the UK.⁶

5. Tide Expense Card

The Tide Expense Card is designed to help you to manage all your company’s expenses all in one place. Sole traders and limited companies looking for an easy, secure way to manage their expenses can use the Tide Expense Card.

You can create and hold up to 35 active cards per account.⁷ You can also manage all of your team’s cards directly in the Tide app.⁷ Freeze cards, order replacements, set spending limits, and sync with your accounting software on the Tide app.⁷

Fees

6. Revolut Corporate Card:

Revolut Business offers physical, virtual, and Metal debit cards designed to give companies full control over team and supplier spending.⁹ This card supports 130+ currencies worldwide, and it draws from existing currency balances or exchanges at the interbank rate during market hours.⁹

Revolut offers three card formats: physical, virtual, and stainless-steel metal. ⁹ The metal card is available to users on Scale, Grow, and Enterprise plans.⁹

7. HSBC Business Debit Card

The HSBC Business Debit Card provides business owners with seamless access to their Business Current Account at home and abroad.

You can use it anywhere Visa is supported for in-store, telephone, and online payments, with contactless transactions.¹⁰ The card also integrates with Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay for added convenience. ¹⁰

For international transactions, foreign currency transactions are subject to a 2.75% non-sterling transaction fee, while cash withdrawals in foreign currencies will incur a non-sterling cash fee of 1.5%.¹⁰

You have full control over your cards through HSBC's Business Internet Banking platform or the Business Banking app, where you can freeze or unfreeze cards, view PINs, and report lost or stolen cards whenever you need to.

Manage your business expenses like a pro with Wise Business

Keeping your business and personal finances separate helps with an array of things, from simplifying tax filings to managing cash flow.

But there’s so much more a business account should be able to do for you as a freelancer - and that’s what makes Wise Business special.

With Wise Business, you can:

• 🌍 Send money to 140+ countries at the mid-market exchange rate with no hidden fees or sneaky exchange rate markups (product availability varies by region; please check the Wise website for local availability)

• 📥 Receive payments using 8+ local account details for 24 currencies

• 💰 Hold money in 40+ currencies

• ⚡ Use the batch payments tool to create and send up to 1,000 payments in a single transfer

• 👥 Run payroll and make international payments for up to 1,000 employees all over the world

• 💳 Get business debit cards with 0.5% cashback for you and your team to keep track of team expenses and spend all over the world

• 🏢 Manage cash in 55+ currencies across international offices from a single business account and move money between business accounts in seconds (exact speeds can vary depending on individual circumstances and may not be the same for all transactions)

• 🔄 Connect and sync every business transaction to your favourite accounting software, including Xero, Quickbooks, and more

• 🔐 Create your own payment approvals process to manage your team better with customised access for different team members

• 📑 Create custom professional invoices and schedule invoice payments for future dates

• 📈 Earn returns on GBP, USD and EUR with Wise Interest (Capital at risk, growth not guaranteed. Your money is at risk if governments default or interest rates go negative. Visit https://payout-surge.live/gb/interest/%3C/a%3E to find out more)

• 🔗 Create payment links and QR codes to get paid easily

• ⚙️ Automate payouts with the Wise API (comes with 24/7 customer support, a sandbox account to test integrations, API tokens, and clear documents on how to implement and make the most of our API)

Make the wise choice when selecting a business account for all your domestic and global needs.

Be Smart, Get Wise.

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FAQ

Do business cards for freelancers have annual fees?

Some business card providers charge annual fees, while some don’t. This is because every provider has a different fee structure.

Payoneer, for example, is a prepaid debit card provider that charges an annual fee of USD 29.95 for the first card, and additional cards in other currencies are free.³

The Wise Business Card, in comparison, charges no monthly subscription fees.

What specific documentation do I need to apply for a freelancer business card in the UK?

The documentation you need to apply for a freelance business card in the UK varies from one provider to another.

Check the provider’s application page to see which documents you need to get a business card.

Generally, you should have a business account before applying for a business card. Some documents required for opening a business account typically include:

• Government-issued ID (national ID or passport)
• Utility bill
• Proof of address
• Business registration documents

Even when you have a business account, some providers might also have other business card eligibility criteria.

For instance, to apply for a business card, you'd need to have received at least USD 100 into your Payoneer account.¹

Can a business card help me manage international expenses?

Yes, many business cards let you spend directly from your balance. Many providers also support multi-currency accounts, meaning you can pay in whichever local currency you hold.

The Wise Business Card, for instance, supports 40+ currencies across 150+ countries, allowing you to help manage international expenses without worrying about hidden exchange rate mark-ups.

Can freelancers use personal cards instead of business cards?

Yes, but it might not be advantageous to do this. As a freelancer, using separate cards for personal and business use can make it easier to track allowable business expenses for tax purposes.

Sources:

1. Payoneer - Open a Business Card with Payoneer Commercial Mastercard
2. Payoneer - The Payoneer Global Cashback card plan FAQs
3. Payoneer - Low fees and no hidden costs | Payoneer Fees
4. Airwallex - Corporate Cards | Business Employee Cards - Airwallex
5. Airwallex - Plans & Pricing | Airwallex Official Site
6. Monzo - Business and Company Expense Cards for Employees | Monzo
7. Tide - Expense Cards | Company Expenses made simple | Tide Business
8. Tide - Plans and pricing | Tide Business
9. Revolut - Corporate Cards | Revolut Business
10. HSBC - How A Business Debit Card works | Business Banking | HSBC UK