Personal Finance Bank accounts

Is Curve Card Safe?

Tommy Buckley

24.08.23 (updated more than 1 year ago)

Read time 2 minutes

If you’re thinking of using a new financial service, you’ll want to check out what security measures are in place.

In this guide, we’ll be taking a close look at security features with digital wallet and card provider Curve.

The Curve card offers a way to bring together all of your different payment cards, so you can spend using just one card. It aims to be smarter than a digital wallet, while also offering extra tools and security features.

Read on to find out about how Curve protects your accounts, cards and money.

We’ll also show you a secure alternative which could save you money on international transfers - the Wise account and card.

Learn more about Wise

Is Curve safe to use in the UK?

If you’re worrying - is Curve a scam? The easy answer to this is no, it’s completely legit and safe to use.

The company is fully regulated and has all kinds of security measures in place to protect its customers.

The Curve card is issued by Curve UK Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to issue electronic money in the UK. The company is registered with Companies House.¹

The FCA has strict regulations covering things like how customer identity information, card details and transaction histories are protected. Linked card details are never shared with retailers when you make a purchase.

Curve is also committed to keeping your data safe, as it’s registered with the UK Information Commissioner’s Officer (ICO) and is GDPR compliant.

Curve security features and technology

Curve claims to use “bank-level security” measures to safeguard access to your Curve wallet and card.

This includes the following:²

Card authentication when adding cards to your Curve wallet.
Alerts and real-time notifications on spending.
Instant card lock in the app, if your card is lost or stolen.
GDPR compliant - this is the General Data Protection Regulation, which governs how customer data is stored, used, shared and protected.
PCI DSS compliant - this is the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, which sets out practices for protecting card payment systems from security breaches and data theft.
Active protection against fraudulent activity, faulty or non-delivered goods, duplicate charging and more.
Hidden debit and credit card details, for additional privacy.¹
All purchases protected up to £100,000.¹

Tips to stay safe while using Curve services

It’s reassuring that financial service providers like Curve have so many security measures in place.

But you should still be vigilant when using any account, card or financial app. There are steps you can take to protect yourself while managing your money online.

Here are some tips:

Keep your Curve mobile app secure - log out of the app when finished and remember to lock your phone
Protect your passcode and PIN information, and never share login access with anyone
Use biometric login to access your account on the Curve app (where available)
Be on the lookout for potential fraud and scams - especially if using your Curve card to shop on a new website. Always check that sites are legitimate before putting your card details in at the checkout.
Update the Curve mobile app when prompted - this way, you’ll have the latest security patches, updates and features.

Wise - an alternative for international payments

Want an account and card for secure, low cost spending worldwide? Check out Wise.

Open a Wise multi-currency account and you can send and receive money worldwide for tiny fees and the mid-market exchange rate. Plus, you can hold and manage your money across 40+ currencies.

There’s also a Wise card for spending and ATM withdrawals in the local currency in 150+ countries. You can use your card with mobile wallets such as Google Pay and Apple Pay too, for effortless payments using just your phone.

And your card can be locked and unlocked with just a tap in the Wise app, just in case you lose it.

Wise takes security extremely seriously. As well as being strictly regulated, Wise uses 2-factor authentication for extra-secure transactions, has a dedicated anti-fraud team and is committed to keeping your personal data safe.

Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees.

Sources used:

Sources last checked on date: 08-Aug-2023

*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.