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How to use the Revolut card abroad: Guide for Kiwis
Travelling overseas has many logistics involved, including deciding how to manage your money. Foreign transaction fees, exchange rate markups and limits on what you can and can’t do are all part of it.
Cards like Revolut are designed to make spending abroad simpler, but it’s important to understand how they work before you rely on them. In this guide, we’ll explain what Revolut is, how to use the Revolut card abroad, and how it compares with the Wise card, so you can decide which choice is best for your travel plans.
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What is Revolut?
Revolut is a fintech company that offers a range of services through their personal and business Revolut accounts. This includes international money transfers, investments, and money management tools.²
When you open a personal Revolut account in New Zealand, you will need to choose which plan you want to be on. The base plan is free, and as you move up the tiers the price and benefits increase.
- Standard Plan (Free)
- Plus Plan
- Premium Plan
- Metal Plan
No matter which plan you choose you will get a Revolut card, which can be used to spend the money held in your Revolut account. Depending on the plan there are some different fees and conditions that apply to getting and using the card, but more on that soon.
Can you use your Revolut card abroad?
As a New Zealander, you can use a Revolut card almost anywhere in the world where Visa or Mastercard are accepted.¹
Currently, the only places that are specifically excluded from coverage are:
| Europe | Belarus, Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, the Russian Federation and Russian controlled parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson |
| Asia | Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Myanmar |
| Middle East | Iran, Syria |
| America’s | Cuba, Venezuela |
| Africa | Libya, Zimbabwe |
Outside these regions, your Revolut cards should work.
How to use Revolut card abroad
There’s a few different ways you can use a Revolut card while travelling overseas.
- Use the physical card for everyday spending like meals, transport, experiences and accommodation, as well as booking flights or activities online.
- Withdraw cash from local ATMs, which is especially handy in places where cash is commonly used
- Digital Revolut cards can be used make payments online, or pay in person by integrating it with a compatible payment wallet
- For travellers managing different currencies, Revolut allows customers to hold balances in multiple currencies, and convert between them in the app
These features are all very useful, and Revolut isn’t the only company offering them. A Wise card offers similar features, including holding and spending money in multiple currencies, but with different fees and exchange rates. Let’s compare them side by side, to see which might be best for you.
Revolut card vs Wise card: Features
The features of a card are important - if it can’t do what you need, it’s not exactly useful. Let’s take a look at some of the core features of Revolut and Wise, and how they compare.
| Features | Revolut² | Wise |
| Supported currencies |
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| Overseas ATM withdrawals |
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| Loading methods |
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| Other perks |
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Revolut card vs Wise card: Fees
Whenever you’re considering a new card, it’s worth checking the fees and comparing them to other providers to see how competitive they are.
Here’s some of the main fees charged by Revolut and Wise, and how they stack up against one another.
| Fees | Revolut | Wise |
| Account fee² |
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| Card ordering fee |
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| Exchange rate |
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| Currency conversion fee |
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| Weekend currency exchange fee² |
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| Fair usage exchange fee |
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| Foreign transaction fee |
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| Overseas ATM withdrawal fees² |
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Exchange rate
The exchange rate used by Wise is the mid-market rate, the midpoint between the buy and sell prices on the currency market. It isn’t inflated by a hidden margin, giving you transparency and value for money.
Revolut, on the other hand, use their own variable exchange rate which can be checked at any time in the app.⁷
Revolut fair usage fee
Each Revolut plan comes with a monthly fee free allowance for currency exchanges. Once that limit has been exceeded, the fair usage fees are applied.
| Revolut Plan | Fair Usage Limit | Fair Usage Fee |
| Revolut Standard⁷ | 2000 NZD/rolling month | 1.5% |
| Revolut Plus⁸ | 6000 NZD/billing cycle | 0.5% |
| Revolut Premium⁹ | 20,000 NZD/rolling month | 0.5% |
| Revolut Metal¹⁰ | No limit | No fee |
Revolut weekend exchange fees
On weekends, Wise doesn’t charge additional fees for currency exchanges, but Revolut does.²
The “weekend” is the time outside of the foreign exchange market hours, which is 5pm Friday to 6pm Sunday, Eastern Standard time. During this period, Revolut charges an additional percentage fee based on your plan.
| Revolut Plan | Weekend Fee |
| Revolut Standard | 1% |
| Revolut Plus | 0.5% |
| Revolut Premium & Revolut Metal | No fee |
Revolut card vs Wise card: Limits
Both Revolut and Wise have some limits that apply to using your card.
| Revolut | Wise | |
| Card payments | General spending limit can be set in the app by you¹¹ | Spending limit is visible in the app |
| Cash withdrawals | Equivalent to 3000 GBP per 24 hours¹² | Withdrawal limit is visible in the app |
Summary: Using the Revolut card abroad
Revolut can be a useful option for spending overseas, particularly if you want access to multiple currencies and additional features through paid plans.
However, it’s important to be aware of the conditions that apply. Currency exchange limits, weekend fees and plan-based restrictions can affect the overall cost, depending on how you use the card.
For travellers who prefer a simpler pricing structure, Wise can be a great alternative. It offers no annual fees, uses the mid-market exchange rate for conversions, and applies transparent fees without additional weekend markups.
Enjoy the mid-market rate on every conversion and no monthly fees with the Wise card
The Wise card is a simple way to save up to 8x when you're spending internationally. You can spend in 150+ countries at mid-market rate — basically the rate you see on Google. With no foreign transaction fees and low, transparent pricing, Wise usually gives you the best value for your money.
Simply create a Wise account for free, order a card and top-up NZD to get started. Having a physical Wise card allows you to make chip and pin payments, as well as make some free ATM withdrawals each month for when you're abroad. You can get digital cards and add to your Google or Apple Pay wallet for instant use. Spend directly with the Wise account in NZD and let auto-conversion do the trick or convert in advance to your desired currency. You can hold and exchange 40+ currencies in your Wise account and spend the currencies you hold for free.
Wherever your travel takes you, the Wise card makes spending money abroad cheaper and easier.
This general advice does not take into account your objectives, financial circumstances or needs and you should consider if it is appropriate for you. Savings claim based on our rates vs. selected New Zealand banks and other similar providers in Jan 2025. To learn more please visit https://payout-surge.live/nz/compare%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Please see Terms of Use and product availability for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
*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.
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