If you’re here, chances are you’re looking for a better way to spend abroad—one that doesn’t hit you with hidden fees or poor exchange rates. Curve is one of the most well-known travel card options, but how does it really stack up? And is there a better alternative?
Let’s dive into the details.
What is Curve?
Curve is a UK fintech company that was founded in 2015. It enables you to hold, and switch spending between, multiple debit or credit cards via their single card.
Curve features and plans
Curve offers several options - Standard, X, Black, and Metal. For the purposes of this comparison, we’ll be focusing on their Standard card, which is free.
Curve exchange rates & fees
Curve rates include the card scheme foreign exchange rate that is set each day by major credit card networks such as Visa and Mastercard.
While the value of currencies fluctuates throughout the day, the card scheme rate stays the same for the whole day. The rate will contain a mark-up to protect the card schemes from fluctuation risks.
We don’t believe fees should ever be hidden- so we’ve done the calculations for you. Tests in Q3 2024 showed that on average, the markup built into the card scheme rate was 0.58% for Mastercard and 0.52% for Visa. Since Curve uses Mastercard, this means that you're typically being charged 0.58% above the interbank rate when you use their card to spend abroad.
You’ll also need to watch how much you spend overall on your Curve card- they charge an additional rate of 2.5% when you spend over £250 in a rolling 30-day period. So, if you spend £3000 on holiday, you'll be hit with a £68.75 fee.
Finally, Curve charge an extra 1.5% premium for spending on weekends (when most of us might splash out a little more or check out of a hotel). The fees quickly stack up!
ATM withdrawal fees and limits:
Curve charge a fee of 2% or £2 per withdrawal- whichever is highest, in addition to the other fees mentioned above. So ATM usage at the weekend for non-EUR/USD currencies after your £250 monthly spend limit could be costing you over 6% in charges !
Delivery fees:
If you lose your card, you’ll need to pay £5.99 for a replacement.
Is Curve good for travel?
Curve could be a could option for travel, especially for those specifically looking for a single card that can connect to your bank account. With no top ups needed, Curve like Currensea allows for hassle-free travel that doesn't require any additional effort on your part. However, whilst Curve is a fantastic option for spending solely in the UK, the rates they offer for spending abroad are slightly worse than many high street banks, and much worse than those offered by Currensea.
So, what is Currensea?
Currensea is a travel debit card that connects directly to your existing bank account.
Currensea allows you to spend abroad just as you would at home—without needing to transfer or manage funds separately. You simply spend, and the money comes directly from your bank account.
Currensea’s pricing plans
Currensea offers three travel card options:
- Currensea Essential (free, similar to Curve Standard)
- Currensea Pro & Currensea Elite (paid plans with market-leading FX rates and exclusive perks)
For this comparison, we’ll focus on Currensea Essential, which is free like the Curve standard card.
Currensea vs. Curve – What’s Different?
Currensea offers a product with realtime rates focused on providing you with the best possible rates as you spend abroad. Our card partners directly with your trusted bank account (unlike other travel cards), meaning that you can spend with your Currensea card abroad just as you would at home with your regular debit card. Funds come straight out of your bank account, and you can spend whatever credit balance you have.
Because it’s not a prepaid card, you never have to top up your Currensea card. You don’t have to worry about losing it and any funds that might remain on it, nor do you have to constantly top it up and remember how much you have on it: we offer travel, but without the hassle.
We also check how much your bank would have charged you to use your regular debit card abroad- and we can tell you exactly how much money you saved by using your Currensea card.
Currensea Fees & Limits
Card spend:
- Essential: £500/month fee-free at the Realtime Rate, then 1% FX fee
- Pro & Elite: Unlimited fee-free spending at the Pro Rate
ATM withdrawals:
- Essential: £200/month fee-free, then 2% FX fee
- Pro & Elite: Higher limits with only 1% FX fee beyond them
Delivery:
Currensea charges just £4.95 for the delivery of essential cards. Currensea Pro and Elite customers receive free delivery when they sign up.
How does Currensea stack up against Curve?
We compared how much it would cost spending with Currensea versus Curve on a long weekend in Geneva for two. With a combination of card and cash spending, we found that using a Currensea card can save you just over £80 on FX fees compared to Curve.
Take a look at the table to see the breakdown of spend- we've also included a comparison of the costs to use both cards.
| |
Currensea charges |
Curve charges |
| CHF 2650 on card spending |
£29.59 |
£55.76 |
| CHF 200 on ATM withdrawals |
£0.87 |
£3.48 |
| Weekend spending fees |
£0 |
£31.72 |
| Card scheme rate |
£0 |
£14.39 |
| TOTAL |
£30.46 |
£105.34 |
*Values to 2 decimal places
Total saved with Currensea vs using Curve: £74.88
% saved with Currensea vs using Curve: 71.08%
So, which one is better?
Curve could be a great option if you want a card for spending solely in the UK, with the convenience of having all your cards in one place and the ability to switch transactions between them.
However Curve really isn't set up for spending abroad, with the charges in our example above actually working out slightly more expensive than some of the high street banks' standard cards.
By comparison, Currensea’s rates are significantly lower. Although Curve uses the Mastercard card scheme rate, this includes a 0.58% markup over the interbank rate. Furthermore, Curve charge an extra 2.5% for spending over £250 in a rolling 30-day period, as well as an extra 1.5% for spending on weekends (when most people check out of their hotels). We offer the real-time interbank rate with a markup of just 0.5% no matter when or how much you spend, making us the far cheaper option. This is also true for ATM withdrawals- while Curve charge 2% with a minimum fee of £2, we only charge this rate when you withdraw over £500 in a month. Anything below this and we charge our standard rate of 0.5% with no minimum fee.
Overall, if you're looking for an easier way to manage your cards and transactions in the UK, then Curve is a good choice. However, if you want a product focused on providing great rates when travelling abroad, so that you can save as much money as possible, then Currensea is for you.
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