Currensea Review

Get the details on Currensea's travel features, accounts and fees, security, and more.

Last updated 2024 September

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Currensea Overview

Currensea Ltd is registered in England and Wales regulated by the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority). As a direct debit travel card, Currensea acts as a layer in front of your bank account. No top-ups, pre-pays or new bank account management are required. The benefits of this UK-based debit card include savings, convenience, and security. With three pricing plans geared towards increased savings on bank charges, Currensea can be used for both personal and business use. All payments are made in local currency with notifications and there are no fees.

1,545 reviews
Regulation: FCA

Banking Features

Linked Directly to Bank Account

The cards are linked to client bank accounts in the UK. All transactions are posted using Open Banking and have lower fees than high street banks.

Risk-Free Spending

Currensea is regulated and authorized by the FCA to ensure financial transactions’ effectiveness, transparency, and integrity. It’s also a MasterCard principal member and an Open Banking regulated provider.

Money Transfer

There are no bank fees on Currensea money transfers. A flat fee of 0.5% is applied when transferring to bank accounts in HUF, USD, PLN, or EUR. Clients can send a minimum of £100 – £20,000 per transaction from a UK bank account to a foreign account.

Giving Back

Clients are allowed to contribute a percentage of their savings to charity. If clients decide to support PlasticBank.com, they set the donation percentage. The company has a carbon-neutral footprint, and debit cards have a lifespan of 3-5 years to reduce waste.

Singapore Airlines

Currensea has partnered with Singapore Airlines to provide clients with 2 KrisFlyer miles for every £1 spent. Increased savings are available with higher-tier Currensea memberships.

Visit Currensea

Personal Account

There are three personal plans available for clients.

Details Essential Plan Premium Plan Elite Plan
Price per month £0/mo £25/y £120/y
Savings on bank charges 85% 100% 100%
Foreign exchange rate 0.5% 0% 0%
ATM withdrawal fee abroad 2% FX rate over £500/mo 1% FX rate over £500/mo 1% FX rate over £750/mo
Purchase protection
Google Pay / Apple Pay
Spending in 180 currencies
Preferred Hotels & Resorts
Premium/Elite Offers
Car Hire Benefits
Concierge Service
Airport Lounge Worldwide
Luxury Hotels & Resorts Perks
Essential Plan
Price per month £0/mo
Savings on bank charges 85%
Foreign exchange rate 0.5%
ATM withdrawal fee abroad 2% FX rate over £500/mo
Purchase protection
Google Pay / Apple Pay
Spending in 180 currencies
Preferred Hotels & Resorts
Premium/Elite Offers
Car Hire Benefits
Concierge Service
Airport Lounge Worldwide
Luxury Hotels & Resorts Perks
Premium Plan
Price per month £25/y
Savings on bank charges 100%
Foreign exchange rate 0%
ATM withdrawal fee abroad 1% FX rate over £500/mo
Purchase protection
Google Pay / Apple Pay
Spending in 180 currencies
Preferred Hotels & Resorts
Premium/Elite Offers
Car Hire Benefits
Concierge Service
Airport Lounge Worldwide
Luxury Hotels & Resorts Perks
Elite Plan
Price per month £120/y
Savings on bank charges 100%
Foreign exchange rate 0%
ATM withdrawal fee abroad 1% FX rate over £750/mo
Purchase protection
Google Pay / Apple Pay
Spending in 180 currencies
Preferred Hotels & Resorts
Premium/Elite Offers
Car Hire Benefits
Concierge Service
Airport Lounge Worldwide
Luxury Hotels & Resorts Perks

Business Account

The Currensea business plan has a fee of £0 per month per card. Plus, there are 0% transaction fees and a zero FX card. With Currensea, business clients get to enjoy the following complimentary benefits:
– Up to £500 per month in free ATM withdrawals. After that, there is a 1% charge levied.
– All transactions are free, with no hidden fees on foreign payments, including on weekends.
– A complimentary plastic debit card for foreign exchange transactions or a virtual card is provided.
– Clients can set up complimentary spending limits as required.
– Business clients can auto-connect to accounting packages for free
– Complimentary access to the real-time interbank rate is offered to UK clients

 

Eligibility for the business account is based on preset criteria, notably:
– Excellent credit history
– Must be at least 18 years old
– Must have a UK business bank account
– Must have registered mobile account
– Clients must have a UK-based home address
– Clients must have a valid mobile telephone number in the UK

Security

Security is ensured by way of FCA licensing and authorization. The Financial Conduct Authority regulates all Currensea activity with the debit card for all travel-related payments. All email addresses and mobile numbers are thoroughly verified before accounts are opened. If your debit card is lost, stolen, or compromised, linked bank accounts remain 100% secure.

Currensea endeavors to refund fraudulent transactions within a business day. Bank-level safety and security standards are always maintained thanks to the Open Banking Register. Currensea is a Mastercard principal member, so it can issue cards, just like a financial institution. MasterCard chargeback protection is available to clients.

Currensea Support

Currensea offers multiple support options for clients, notably on-site request forms. Zendesk’s support platform includes everything from agent tools, live chat, ticketing and incident management tools to help. To connect with Currensea you can join their Facebook fan page, and follow them on LinkedIn or Twitter. The FAQ section is handy since it provides pre-populated questions and answers across 13 topics. These include security, specific plans, frequent flyer miles, and money transfer.

The Bottom Line

Currensea is next-generation banking technology for UK international personal and business travellers.

This FCA-licensed financial service allows you to link your bank account to your Currensea card for low-cost charges on international payments. These include EUR, PLN, USD, and HUF, among others. Currensea is fully mobile-friendly and works well across multiple devices — including Apple’s iPhone and iPads and Google’s Android. Account management features, security elements, transaction alerts, and balance information in real-time.

With the Currensea app, you don’t need to set up a challenger account, and your card isn’t required to top-up. A low-cost structure ensures a competitively priced product with many practical applications for travelers.

Visit Site Currensea
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