Monese review
Updated September 28, 2026 · HodlCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Monese suits people who want a plain debit card for everyday spending and travel without a monthly charge. It ranks 1 of 379 on monthly fee, though the currency conversion fee of 2% puts it at 151 of 237 on that measure.
Key facts
- Best for
- A free-to-run debit card for travel and multi-currency spending in the UK
- Monthly fee
- £0↗
- Currency conversion fee
- 2%↗
- Free ATM withdrawals
- £200↗
- Card type
- Debit↗
- Card network
- Mastercard↗
- Currencies
- 3↗
- Legal entity
- Monese Ltd↗
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom↗
- Founded
- 2013↗
- Features
- Multi-currency, Travel
- Official website
- monese.com
Facts checked September 26, 2026, 5 sources
Pros and cons
Pros
- No monthly cost: fees of £0 for the account
- £200 of free ATM withdrawals included
- A debit card on the mastercard network, listed for multi-currency and travel use
- Kept its monthly fee ranking at 1 of 379 compared brands
Cons
- Currency conversion fees of 2% sit at 151 of 237 compared brands
- Free ATM withdrawals of £200 place it at 14 of 104
- Coverage is limited to 3 currencies
Who it suits
- People spending mainly in the home currency who want no monthly charge
- Travellers who need a debit card for multi-currency and travel use
- Holders who want cash without giving up a Mastercard debit card
Who should look elsewhere
- Wise, if currency conversion cost matters most, with a fee of 0.1%
- Monzo Flex, if you want no currency conversion fee at all (0%)
- Bitpanda, if you also want a crypto exchange and card side by side
How it compares on our data
Cost splits three ways here. On monthly fee Monese ranks 1 of 379 brands, the strongest result of its three measures. On free ATM withdrawals of £200 it sits at 14 of 104, and on the currency conversion fee of 2% it ranks 151 of 237, the weakest of the three.
How Monese compares
8.9 vs 9.4
8.9 vs 9.0
8.9 vs 8.2
8.9 vs 9.5
8.9 vs 9.6
8.9 vs 9.0
8.9 vs 9.1Its card carries a monthly fee of €0, so it pairs a card with crypto trading rather than a plain debit account.
8.9 vs 8.9
8.9 vs 8.1
8.9 vs 8.2
8.9 vs 9.5
8.9 vs 9.4
8.9 vs 9.2
8.9 vs 9.1
8.9 vs 9.0
8.9 vs 8.9- 8.9 vs 8.8
8.9 vs 8.8
8.9 vs 8.6
8.9 vs 8.5
8.9 vs 8.3
Frequently asked questions
What does Monese charge each month?+
The account runs with a monthly fee of £0, which is why it ranks 1 of 379 brands on that measure. The card works as a debit card on the mastercard network, so the everyday cost sits in spending and currency conversion rather than in account upkeep.
How much does Monese charge to convert currency?+
Currency conversion costs 2% on the account. That places Monese at 151 of 237 brands on this measure, so the conversion fee is the point to weigh if you spend in a currency other than your own.
Can I take out cash for free with Monese?+
Free ATM withdrawals total £200 on the account, which puts Monese at 14 of 104 brands on free withdrawals. The allowance is there for everyday cash needs rather than frequent cash handling.
What kind of card does Monese issue?+
Monese issues a debit card that runs on the mastercard network. Debit means spending draws on the money in the account, so a card purchase moves funds straight away rather than building up a balance to repay.
How many currencies does Monese support?+
The account covers 3 currencies, with multi-currency and travel listed among its features. The multi-currency and travel focus suits people who hold or spend in more than one currency, and those who mainly need a single currency may find the coverage narrow.
Where is Monese based and who runs it?+
The service is run by Monese Ltd and is headquartered in the United Kingdom. It has been operating since 2013, so the business is established rather than a recent entry to the card market.
Is Monese cheaper or dearer than Monzo Flex on travel spending?+
Travel spending is where the two differ most. Monese charges a currency conversion fee of 2%, while Monzo Flex charges 0%, so a traveller converting currency regularly pays more at Monese.
Sources
- financesall.com/monese-debit-mastercard-uk checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Free ATM withdrawals, Currency conversion fee
“Simple plan offers free withdrawals of up to GBP200/EUR200 per month”
- fintechcompass.net/comparison/monese-simple-vs-revolut-st... checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Card type, Currencies, Features, Card network
“A free debit Mastercard is included - Simple plan”
- fintechmagazine.com/banking/fintech-profile-monese-bank-r... checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Founded
“Monese was founded in 2013 by Estonian entrepreneur, Norris Koppel”
- opencorpdata.com/lei/875500SAVA6II6WVRN34 checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Headquarters, Legal entity
“Eagle House, 163 City Road, London, United Kingdom - Monese LTD”
- monese.com/blog checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Monthly fee
“Previously known as the Simple plan, our Pay As You Go plan allows access without a monthly fee”
Compiled from 5 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Protection.
Monese
A free-to-run debit card for travel and multi-currency spending in the UK