Travel money card apps: Wise, Revolut, N26 and Nexo Card compared

For most travelers, Wise or Revolut. Both hold euros alongside other currencies and have options with no monthly fee: Wise charges a conversion fee only when it converts (as of 21 Sep 2026), and Revolut’s UK Standard plan exchanges up to GBP 1,000 per rolling month without a fee (as of 26 Sep 2026). N26 is the pick for residents of its supported countries: a euro account with no N26 fee on card payments abroad on any plan (EU, as of 26 Sep 2026). The guide Best travel card for Europe compares all three with Bybit Card EU.

Wise, for most travelers. It advertises 40+ currencies for the account and card and charges a conversion fee only when it converts your money (as of 21 Sep 2026). Revolut also holds several currency balances, but which currencies you can hold depends on the country of your account.

Choose Wise if you spend in many currencies and want a clear conversion fee on every exchange. Choose Revolut if you want one app for cards, transfers and extras and can stay within the Standard allowances: on the UK Standard plan a 1% fee applies to exchange above GBP 1,000 per rolling month (as of 26 Sep 2026).

A travel money app does the job of a prepaid euro card: you load money, hold euros and pay by card, and Wise keeps your other currencies in the same account. N26’s Standard virtual card is free and its physical card costs EUR 10 (EU, as of 26 Sep 2026); Wise’s card costs EUR 7 to order in the EEA and GBP 7 in the UK (as of 10 Oct 2026).

Use it as a second card. Nexo Card has a 0.2% weekday FX fee in the EEA, UK and Switzerland (European terms, as of 26 Sep 2026), but it is custodial and available only in selected European countries and Argentina. Keep Wise, Revolut or N26 as the main card and the crypto card as backup.

Wise and Revolut open accounts according to your country of residence and after an identity check, and their prices follow that country. N26 opens accounts only for residents of the countries on its official list, which includes Switzerland and leaves out some EEA countries. Nexo Card is available in selected European countries and Argentina (as of 26 Sep 2026). If none of them serves the country where you live, travel with a card from your own bank and some cash.

Use a travel money card app for everyday spending and keep your bank card as the backup. Wise charges no foreign-transaction fee, only a conversion fee when it converts (as of 21 Sep 2026), and N26 charges no fee on card payments abroad on any plan (EU, as of 26 Sep 2026). Look up the foreign-transaction fee in your bank card’s price list: if it has one, the app is the cheaper card for purchases abroad.

A free plan with a small, fixed budget: Revolut Standard has no monthly fee, and Wise has no subscription and holds 40+ currencies, so parents can top up in one currency and you spend in another. The Wise card costs EUR 7 in the EEA and GBP 7 in the UK (as of 10 Oct 2026); in the US the digital card is free and the physical card is USD 9 (as of 21 Sep 2026). The guide Travel money for students abroad covers term budgets, money from family and a backup plan.