Payphone review
Updated September 28, 2026 · HodlCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Payphone is a prepaid card on mastercard built for travel, and a monthly fee of $0 makes it a straightforward pick for travellers who just want one card to hold. It sits at 1 on monthly fee among 379 brands listed, so cost is settled.
Key facts
- Best for
- A prepaid card for travel at a $0 monthly fee.
- Monthly fee
- $0↗
- Card type
- Prepaid↗
- Card network
- Mastercard↗
- Features
- Travel
- Official website
- livepayphone.com
Facts checked September 26, 2026, 2 sources
Apps and profiles
- Get the app
- App Store
Pros and cons
Pros
- The monthly fee is $0, and it sits at 1 on that measure among 379 brands compared.
- The card is prepaid and runs on mastercard, the network behind 38.9% of the cards listed.
- The same monthly line leaves readers choosing between Payphone at $0, Monzo Flex at £0, Wise at £0 and Bitpanda at €0.
Cons
- The listed features cover travel only, so a card for everyday spending adds nothing extra on the sheet.
- Prepaid is the smaller group here: 21.2% of the cards listed are prepaid, against 73.4% on debit.
Who it suits
- Travellers who want a card framed around travel and a $0 monthly charge.
- Readers who are comfortable with a prepaid card on mastercard rather than a debit card tied to a bank account.
- People who judge cards mainly on the monthly line and want it to sit at $0.
Who should look elsewhere
- Bitpanda, for readers who want a card sitting next to an exchange rather than a prepaid card listed for travel.
- Wise, for readers who put currency conversion and a wider feature set ahead of a prepaid card at $0 a month.
How Payphone compares
Its monthly fee is €0, so it competes on cost while serving readers who want a card alongside an exchange.
Where Payphone is available
- Available
- Ecuador
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Payphone card cost to hold?+
The monthly fee is $0, so holding the card adds no recurring charge. The comparable figures listed are £0 for Monzo Flex and £0 for Wise. What that charge covers is a prepaid card on mastercard.
What kind of card is it?+
It is a prepaid card on the mastercard network, rather than a debit card linked to a bank account. That distinction matters when comparing prepaid cards with the 73.4% cards that make up most of the listings.
What is the card built for?+
The feature listed for the card is travel, which points at trips rather than a spread of everyday spending categories. It is the whole of the listed feature set, so the card is judged on that basis rather than on extras.
Is a prepaid card like this one worth using?+
A prepaid card suits readers who want to top up a balance and spend from it, and the monthly fee of $0 keeps the holding cost low. The mastercard network means the card is accepted wherever that network is taken.
Where does Payphone sit on monthly fee?+
It sits at 1 on monthly fee among 379 brands compared, with a fee of $0. Plenty of those brands charge nothing as well, and the site median monthly fee is €0.
What do the scores say about cost?+
The cost score is 6 out of ten and the overall score 6, a mid-range result on the site. With the recurring charge being the $0 monthly fee, the rest of the cost picture sits with conversion and withdrawal charges.
How does it compare with Wise, Monzo Flex and Bitpanda?+
On the charge that is listed for each, the figures line up: $0 here, £0 at Wise, £0 at Monzo Flex and €0 at Bitpanda. Monthly cost does not separate them, so the decision turns on card type and network.
Sources
- payphone.app/como-funciona checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Monthly fee
- payphone.app/productos/mastercard-payphone checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Card type, Features, Card network
Compiled from 2 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Currency conversion fee, Free ATM withdrawals, Protection.