Prepaid cards can be useful for travel, because you can only spend the money you load on the card. If they’re lost or stolen, the rest of your finances back home won’t be in danger. They can also be cheaper in terms of fees, as they’re specialist products.
We’ve looked at the FairFX card to see how it stands up among other prepaid cards and debit cards alike.
What is the FairFX multi-currency card?
The FairFX multi-currency card is a prepaid Mastercard that can hold over 20 major currencies and can be used to spend in over 190 countries.
You’re able to earn up to 3.5% cashback at some of the UK’s biggest retailers.
The card comes in 2 options, imaginatively named Basic and Standard. Both come with no monthly fee, but there are other fees to be aware of. The offerings are similar, but Basic only lets you have 5 linked cards, compared to 10 with Standard. You can also only use contactless payments and virtual cards (up to 10) with Standard.
It’s free to order your first card and the first replacement is free, too. If you need another replacement after that it’ll cost you £6 each time. ATM withdrawals cost £1 anywhere in the world and if you spend in a currency that isn’t loaded on your card, there’s a 2.25% transaction fee. If you spend in 1 of the 20 supported currencies on your card then there’s no fee.
Who is the FairFX multi-currency card for?
This card could be useful for someone who travels frequently and needs to spend in multiple different currencies, but likes to have their money in one place.
Is the FairFX multi-currency card safe?
With FairFX accounts, money is protected via safeguarding. Funds are held in specially designated, safeguarded bank accounts. FairFX is a trading style of Equals Money PLC, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
If you misplace your card, you’re able to freeze it with the FairFX app or website, which will stop any transactions taking place on it. You can also unfreeze your card if you find it.
Our verdict: Is an account with FairFX worth it?
The FairFX multi-currency account doesn’t really stand out in a competitive field. While it doesn’t charge to load money on your card or have any monthly fees, there are plenty of competitors that offer the same. The £1 ATM withdrawal fee is also beaten elsewhere.
There are no fees to spend if you’re spending in 1 of the 20 you’re able to load on the card, but outside of that there’s a transaction fee.
Many banks have debit cards that come with no fees for overseas spending and generous allowances to withdraw cash for free, so the FairFX card isn’t competing with them. There are also other prepaid currency cards with lower fees.
The cashback could be useful for some people, but there are a range of debit cards that offer cashback and have a better range of features than a prepaid card.
FAQs
You can only have 1 physical card on your account, but you can order up to 10 virtual cards which can be used for online payments if you have the Standard account.
The main account holder can have up to 11 cards (1 physical, 11 virtual), with the Standard account.
Yes, if you have the Standard account. Then you can use your card with Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay.
FairFX customer reviews
FairFX as a whole scores highly on customer review site Trustpilot, with 4.4 out of 5 from more than 14,000 reviews. This gives it an “Excellent” rating.
However, on the Apple App Store, FairFX only scores 1.9 out of 5 from more than 190 reviews. On the Google Play Store it scores 2.0 out of 5 from 160 reviews. These were updated in January 2025.
We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.
Jason is a writer and editor. He worked as a senior subeditor for Finder for 5 years and in that time became familiar with a wide range of financial products and services. Before that, he worked for Australian Associated Press. He has a BA from Macquarie University in Australia. Jason loves to help other people find new ways to save money. See full bio
Taking a travel card is less stressful than taking a regular bank card and there’s also savings to be had. Find out if a prepaid travel card is right for you before booking your trip abroad.
The USA has a culture of credit, and it’s a society of card payments, read our travel money guide to find out which travel products to use and which to avoid using in the USA.
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