Personal Finance Tips

What is Revolut's weekend exchange fee?

Zorica Lončar

12.03.23 (updated more than 1 year ago)

Read time 2 minutes

If you use Revolut or are considering opening an account with the digital bank, there are a few key things you need to know. One of the most important is how international transfers and currency exchanges work.

Revolut is a popular choice for sending and spending internationally. However, not all customers realise that its competitive exchange rates don’t necessarily apply all the time, and you could face extra costs if you convert currency at the weekend.

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about weekend exchanges with Revolut.

This includes a quick comparison with Wise, an alternative which uses the same great exchange rate all the time.

Revolut fees and rates for currency conversion - what you need to know

Revolut charges fees for international payments¹, regardless of when you send them. These vary based on the currency, and can even be free. For example, transfers in euros between the UK and certain European countries don’t usually have an upfront fee¹.

You’ll see the fee you’ll pay before you make your transfer, or on the Revolut website.

But alongside the upfront transfer fee, there’s also the exchange rate to consider.

Revolut mostly uses the mid-market exchange rate¹, which is the one you’ll see on Google or currency sites like XE.com.

It’s also the exchange rate that Wise uses, and is widely considered one of the fairest rates you can get. This is because it doesn’t include a margin, which banks and other providers often add on top in order to make a profit.

But crucially, Revolut doesn’t use this exchange rate all the time. It only applies to currency conversions between Monday and Friday. At the weekends, something different happens.

What is Revolut’s weekend exchange rate?

If you use your Revolut card to spend in another currency at the weekend, an additional charge will be added for the currency conversion¹. The same applies to international payments sent through the Revolut app on Saturdays and Sundays.

This fee varies depending on the currency (and can even be higher if you’re exchanging uncommon currencies). You should be able to see what this fee is in the Revolut app before you send. But you can expect it to be anywhere up to 1% of the transfer amount².

So, to get the best deal when using Revolut, it’s a smart idea to carry out your international transactions on weekdays only.

But of course, this isn’t ideal for travellers and tourists, who are more likely to spend in other currencies at the weekend. Nor is it good for people with time-sensitive payments that need to be made as quickly as possible.

The good news is that there’s an alternative available, where exchange rates are always margin-free - with no extra charges at the weekends.

Wise offers the same great exchange rates all week long

Open a Wise multi-currency account online and you can make international transactions whenever you want, without any extra costs.

Wise uses the mid-market exchange rate all the time, and charges the same low, transparent fees³ all week long.

This means you’ll get the same great deal whether you’re sending money worldwide, spending on your Wise card or converting between currencies.

Join Wise today

³ 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:

Revolut - Standard fees
Money to the Masses - Revolut review
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 last checked on date: 03-Mar-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.