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Using Curve Card Abroad - Your Complete Guide
Curve®¹ digital wallets and cards let you spend conveniently on a selection of different linked payment cards, so you can spend with whichever card you like while only needing to carry one physical card. Or add the Curve digital card to a wallet like Apple Pay, to head out with no card to carry at all.
If you’re thinking of an overseas trip you might be wondering about how to use the Curve card abroad. This guide walks through all you need to do - plus we’ll touch on Wise as a good option if you need to send a payment overseas, with low fees and the mid-market rate.
Intro to Curve
Curve is an innovative digital wallet that lets you conveniently spend with a selection of linked cards, either with a physical Curve card, or with a Curve virtual card. Curve has a range of unusual and innovative benefits, including ways to change a payment card after a purchase is completed, using the Go Back In Time® feature. You can also get some handy international features depending on the specific account you have, which can make it cheaper to spend with Curve when you travel.
Can you use the Curve card abroad?
Yes. You can use your Curve physical or digital card abroad as easily as you would at home. In fact, Curve also offers some extra benefits such as some fee free ATM withdrawals, and some fee free currency conversion while you’re overseas. The benefits you get for international card use do vary quite a lot based on the Curve account plan you have - we’ll cover more on the fees and rates when using a Curve card abroad, later.
Using the Curve card abroad
When you use the Curve card abroad, you can make some fee free ATM withdrawals, and spend without foreign transaction fees, to limits which are dictated by your Curve account plan. This means that even if your bank charges for an international ATM withdrawal, for example, you may be able to waive these fees by using your bank card via Curve.
There are some fees, limits and conditions attached to the international and travel services you can get with Curve. These vary a lot based on the account tier you have, so you’ll need to check out the terms and conditions for your preferred tier carefully before you sign up.
How to use the Curve card abroad
Use your Curve card overseas exactly as you would at home. You can use your physical card with merchants and in ATMs, and you can also use the Curve digital card for online shopping and to tap and pay with a wallet like Apple Pay®. Curve cards are issued on the Mastercard® network which is widely accepted globally.
Fees and rates for using the Curve card abroad
Here’s a look at the fees and foreign exchange rates used when spending with Curve overseas. Double check the full terms and conditions before you sign up, as this is a review of the key charges and may not capture everything you’ll want to know.
| Curve | |
|---|---|
| Open account | No fee |
| Monthly fee² | Curve: No fee Curve X: 4.99 GBP/month Curve Black: 10.99 GBP/month Curve Metal: 14.99 GBP/month |
| International ATM fees³ | Some fee free withdrawals every month based on account tier: Curve: 200 GBP/month Curve X: 200 GBP/month Curve Black: 400 GBP/month Curve Metal: 600 GBP/month Fees of 2% (or 2 GBP, depending on which is greater) apply after that |
| Foreign transaction fees | Some fee free currency conversion every month based on account tier: Curve: 1000 GBP/month Curve X: 1000 GBP/month Curve Black: Unlimited (fair usage fees may still apply) Curve Metal: Unlimited (fair usage fees may still apply) Fees of 2% apply after that |
| Weekend and out of hours currency conversion | 0.5% - 1.5% additional fee, depending on the currency |
Curve vs Wise: international transfers
You can’t send international transfers directly via Curve. However you can use your Curve card to pay for an international money transfer with a third party solution like Wise .
Open a Wise account online or in the Wise app, to send international transfers to 160+ countries, with the mid-market exchange rate and low, transparent fees from 0.43%⁴. You’ll be able to pay with your Curve card if you’d like to - or you can choose to pay by bank transfer or with any other eligible credit or debit card you hold.
Wise payments can arrive quickly or even instantly because Wise uses its own payment network rather than SWIFT which is the payment process favoured by banks. 50%+ of Wise international money transfers arrive instantly, and 90% get to the recipient in 24 hours⁵.
If you want a smart digital wallet to unify all of your different payment cards under one single physical or virtual card, Curve could be a good pick. As well as the convenience of needing to carry less when you leave home, Curve also has some innovative features to help you organise your money and cut costs.
Use this guide to decide if Curve is the right option for your next overseas trip - and don’t forget to check out Wise if you need to send an international payment conveniently online or in-app with fast delivery times and the mid-market rate.
Sources:
- Curve
- Curve account tiers
- Curve international fees
- Pricing/fees: Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information
- Speed: The speed of transaction claim depends on funds availability, approval by Wise's proprietary verification system and systems availability of our partners' banking system, and may not be available for all transactions.
Last checked date: 04.07.2023
*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.
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