How Revolut handles currency exchange
You’ve got 2 main options when it comes to managing your money:
- Pre-exchange: we support more than 35 currencies in your Revolut account. Use our currency converter in-app to swap GBP for your destination’s currency before you travel, if the currency is supported. This allows you to lock in a rate you’re happy with.
- Auto-exchange: just spend as you go. When you tap your card, we’ll automatically check if you’ve got enough of the local currency in your account. If you don’t, we’ll automatically convert the necessary amount from your GBP balance using our real-time competitive exchange rate.
Weekday vs weekend rates
It’s important to remember that currency markets are generally closed on weekends (between 5pm Friday and 6pm Sunday, UK time). Because the markets are offline, we may apply a small 1% fee on weekends, depending on your plan.
To avoid this, many of our customers choose to exchange money into the local currency in-app on a weekday. When you make a payment on a Saturday, we’ll draw directly from that pre-exchanged balance with no additional weekend fee.
Fair usage limits by plan
Understanding how to use Revolut effectively abroad means knowing the limits of your specific plan. Here’s a breakdown of the monthly exchange limits before a fair usage fee applies:
- Standard: £1,000 limit, 1% fee thereafter
- Plus: £3,000 limit, 0.5% fee thereafter
- Premium, Metal, and Ultra: no exchange limits
You can check how much of your allowance you’ve used at any time by tapping on your profile in-app.
Withdrawing cash from ATMs abroad with Revolut
Even in card-heavy countries, cash is still used for things like leaving small tips at bars or buying crafts from a street vendor. You can use your Revolut card at ATMs abroad that are part of the Visa or Mastercard networks.
ATM withdrawal limits with Revolut
Each of our plans includes a fee-free ATM withdrawal allowance. This is the amount you can take out each month without us charging you a fee:
- Standard: £200 or 5 withdrawals (whichever comes first)
- Plus: £200
- Premium: £400
- Metal: £800
- Ultra: £2,000
If you exceed these limits, we charge a 2% fee on the withdrawal, with a minimum fee of £1.
While we don’t charge you for withdrawals up to your limit, some ATM operators might. You’ll likely see a surcharge notice on the screen before you confirm. This is a fee charged by the owner of the ATM, not us. You can use our app to find nearby ATMs, but always check the screen for these local fees.
DCC: dynamic currency conversion
Another thing to watch out for is dynamic currency conversion (DCC). The ATM or card terminal might ask if you want to be charged in GBP. Always choose the local currency. If you choose GBP, the merchant’s bank will apply its own exchange rate. By choosing the local currency, you ensure you’re getting our competitive exchange rate.
