Might be in the right place but I I’m seeking some opinions on Premium card offers.
I travel lots in the year and I am looking for something with both some insurance and lounge access and any other perks are ideal really I know that there are other ways of sorting this but does anyone have or would recommend either Revolut metal or curve metal or another service. I just want something fairly easy and for £15 odd quid a month maybe its better than sorting insurance every time I travel and also have the lounge access quick and easy.
Would love to hear others advice and input and obviously I was hoping on Monzo plus covering these two before September but I fly a fair big in September and I want to sort it fairly fast.
We flew out to Australia earlier this year and debated this exact subject. Eventually we opted for Revolut. We only went premium, not Metal, the extra expense to benefit value didn’t make it worthwhile, but we still had the Airport Lounges, and travel insurance, which was the closing deal.
A top of this, you get a card which works almost everywhere, I’ve had two rejections since the beginning of the year. First was a fuel station in Stirling, Scotland… And second was in the Pancake resteraunt, Port Adelaide, South Australia.
You get the benefit of holding upto 32 currencies at once, the card detects which to use based upon your phone location. Or you can opt to use whichever.
You also get live exchange rates in the App, and an Auto Exchange facility, which allows you to set your desired rate, and one reached, it exchanges your allotted balance instantly. This is a great function.
Revolut do have some issues with customer service, some people appear to have endless problems with them, I have no idea why. We’ve had none.
Revolut are young and given the complexities of their system, to provide us with an amazing card, some patience is deserved, I feel.
My one piece of advice. Always have a back up ; another card, and some cash, and be prudent. That way you’ll get the best from it.
took me a while to find but Revolut is 25 quid a pop but curve is 15 seems like curve is gonna be worth the extra unless any other reason to go with Revolut
I’ve also heard this but not experienced any issues. Responses within a few minutes and always helpful for me.
If you do travel a lot, HSBC’s Premier offering is the best I’ve found in the UK with lounge access and the likes. None of that pre-buying access to lounges needed either. Metal card available too.
If you’re willing to spend the money - the perks of the Amex Platinum (which is metal) is great - in terms of points, bonus points on signup, lounge access without paying and a larger variety of lounge access etc.
I think I will get curve but don’t think the card would make it to china so not helpful for my flight soon. oh well ill look at amex gold and plat when im back home but was hoping to kill two birds with one stone as I need to take out a new insurance package
Hi, thanks for the information, personally I’ve never had to use customer services at Revolut, everything has been seamless, apart from the two rejections I made mention of.
Does HSBC Premier offer a metal card in the UK? Their World Elite Mastercard in the US seems to be metal but I don’t remember seeing one over here. Would be interesting as I don’t think I’ve seen any high street banks offering metal cards yet?
Or free with Amex Gold, which is free first year and £140 which is approx £11.75 p/m
Lounges can be nice touch but you might be able to get reduced or free lounge passes from airlines or through other schemes like Barclays old DragonPass or Priority Pass etc. Depends rather it’s something you’ll use a lot or just something you like the idea of. Those that advertise lounge access don’t always say that it’s not free entry but reduced entry like £25 or £15 whilst a few other such as Revolut offer one then the discount rate of £15. iCard (very new) will be offering a VISA Infinite card soon which features lounge access it claims free (with limits I am sure) but subject to change. Also some allow guest others just card holder. Best to check - will be interesting to see what Monzo offers.
If you travel regularly then perhaps a yearly policy would be significantly cheaper then a monthly - compare the market or the like will help for insurance.
Make sure you look at the small print for example Revolut might offer more cover or less for more money would have to look for your requirements.
All most all challenger bank tend to use interbank rate so whilst travel roughly have same rates (although anyone know more would be greatly for an explanation).
Monzo are still finding there feet in the package or premium sphere so reserve judgement and your money if you can wait.
Yes 2 free with 1 guest included (some Amex only lounges are still free (i have been told but not verified) but these are few and far between.
Depending on when you joined there are different fees £15 on mine. Looking at current issue of card its £20 https://www.prioritypass.com/americanexpressretailrate