Travelex Money Card AU review

The monthly fee is AUD 0 to AUD 4 in AUD, and the currency conversion fee is 0%. Loading the card is also part of the cost picture: online and in-app top-ups carry no charge, while in-store Australian dollar loads and direct bank payment loads charge a fee. Card and top-up pricing is published on the Travelex site.

Online and app top-ups are free. In-store loads in Australian dollars cost a percentage of the load or a fixed amount, whichever is greater, and direct bank payment loads carry a small percentage fee. No exchange rate markup is added at the point of use, because the conversion fee is 0%.

The card is issued by Travelex Limited in Australia, which holds an Australian Securities and Investments Commission AFSL licence. The licence number is published on the Travelex travel money card page, so you can check the register entry before applying.

The card covers 15 to 22 currencies, so you can load the local currency of each stop rather than converting at a kiosk. It is built as a multi-currency, travel-focused card, and the Mastercard network means it is accepted wherever Mastercard is taken.

It is a prepaid card, not a current account. You load money onto it first and then spend down that balance, which makes it a travel wallet rather than a place to keep your salary. If you would rather hold a balance continuously between trips, a multi-currency account may suit you better.

Support runs through phone, email and help centre, so you can reach the team by phone, by email or through the online help centre. The help centre is the quickest route for loading questions, while the phone line is the option for anything urgent while you are abroad.

The card is built for travel, with headquarters in AU and a founding year of 1976 behind the brand. It suits Australian residents heading abroad who want spending money in local currency before they land, rather than a general banking customer.

Travelex charges a monthly fee of AUD 0 to AUD 4 in AUD, while Monzo Flex and Wise list £0 and £0 respectively. The real difference is the product shape: Travelex is a prepaid travel wallet loaded per trip, and the others are current accounts you keep money in.