Best Card to Use Abroad: Lloyds Ultra Visa & Revolut

For UK travellers, the difference between paying nothing extra abroad and handing over 3% on every transaction boils down to choosing the right card. This guide benchmarks the top no-FX-fee options—including Lloyds Ultra Visa, Revolut, and debit alternatives—against real-world spending scenarios in 2025.

Standard FX fee on cards: 3% · Lloyds Ultra Visa FX fee: 0% · Revolut foreign payments: Fee-free in most cases · Wise card type: Debit multi-currency

What’s the best card to use while abroad?

The Lloyds Ultra Visa credit card is a specialist overseas card, meaning it doesn’t add the usual 3% foreign exchange fee when you spend abroad—you’ll get the same near-perfect exchange rate as the bank does. Money Saving Expert rates it as the overall best card for overseas spending, citing no FX fee and 1% cashback in the first year.

Top overall picks

Based on verified data, these cards stand out for UK travellers abroad:

• Lloyds Ultra Visa: 0% FX, 1% cashback year one, Which? Best Buy endorsement, representative APR 24.9% variable.
• Halifax Clarity: 0% FX fee on foreign currency spending, representative APR 27.9% variable.
• Barclaycard Rewards Visa: No fees on overseas spending or withdrawals if repaid in full monthly, with 0.25% cashback.

Credit vs debit options

Debit cards like First Direct Mastercard and Starling offer fee-free overseas spending without the interest risk of credit cards. First Direct has a £500/day ATM limit abroad and uses Mastercard’s near mid-market exchange rate. Starling charges no FX fees with a £300/day ATM limit. Both avoid the 24.9% APR that applies to credit cards if balances aren’t cleared monthly.

“The Lloyds Ultra Visa credit card is a specialist overseas card, meaning it doesn’t add the usual 3% foreign exchange fee when you spend abroad – you’ll get the same near-perfect exchange rate as the bank does.”

— Money Saving Expert, Consumer Finance Expert

Is Revolut the best card to use abroad?

Revolut occupies a middle ground: it offers fee-free foreign payments on Premium, Metal, and Ultra plans, but the Standard plan carries a 1% FX fee on weekdays. The app’s multi-currency functionality competes with Wise and Starling for travellers who hold multiple currencies.

Pros of Revolut abroad

• Fee-free foreign spends on Premium, Metal, and Ultra plans.
• Multi-currency support with real-time exchange rates.
• Revolut removed additional weekend FX fees for Premium, Metal, and Ultra customers on 22 April 2024.
• Standard plan weekday FX fee: 1% on Visa/Mastercard payments using UK cards.

Comparisons to alternatives

Against Lloyds Ultra, Revolut Standard charges 1% weekday FX versus 0% on the Visa card. Revolut offers no cashback, while Lloyds Ultra provides 1% in year one. For heavy spenders, the paid Revolut plans eliminate FX fees but require subscription costs that may outweigh benefits for occasional travellers.

Is Revolut free to use abroad?

Revolut is not universally free abroad. The fee structure depends on your plan and when you transact.

Fee structure details

• Revolut Standard: 1% FX fee on weekdays for card payments in foreign currency.
• Revolut Plus: Reduced 0.5% weekend FX fee, standard 1% weekday rate.
• Revolut Premium/Metal/Ultra: Weekend FX fees removed as of 22 April 2024. No FX fees on weekday card payments.

Limits and exceptions

ATM withdrawals incur separate charges. The Wise card offers free ATM up to £200/month abroad, then 1.75% + £0.50 per transaction. Revolut’s ATM policy varies by plan tier, with withdrawal limits and fees applying beyond certain thresholds.

“Um the Lloyds Ultra credit card, no fx fees on overseas spending, Visa’s exchange rate. There’s also no annual fee. And now the interesting part, you get 1% of cash back in the first year.”

— Finance YouTuber, YouTube Review

What are the disadvantages of a Revolut card?

Common complaints

• Weekday FX fees on Standard plan eat into savings for weekday transactions.
• Customer support response times vary, particularly for disputed transactions abroad.
• Card acceptance issues in some regions—Visa and Mastercard generally offer broader acceptance than some prepaid card networks.

When it falls short

Revolut’s fee structure becomes expensive for users who regularly spend abroad on weekdays without a Premium subscription. Traditional credit cards like Lloyds Ultra offer 0% FX with no subscription requirement, plus consumer protections under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

What is the cheapest way to use a card abroad?

No-fee credit cards

Credit cards with zero FX fees include Lloyds Ultra Visa, Halifax Clarity, and Barclaycard Rewards Visa. These cards use the Visa or Mastercard exchange rates, which are near mid-market and typically 0.5-1% better than airport bureaus or prepaid cards.

Prepaid and debit alternatives

• Wise Debit Card: Multi-currency account, fee-free up to £200/month ATM abroad, then 1.75% + £0.50 charge.
• Starling Debit Card: No FX fees, £300/day ATM limit.
• Club Lloyds Debit: Foreign currency fees removed effective 14 April 2024, though the account fee increased to £5/month from 2 June 2025.
• Trading 212 Mastercard: 1.5% cashback until 31 July 2025, then 0.5%, no FX fees.

“Lloyds charges a 2.99% non-sterling transaction fee on all foreign currency card purchases and ATM withdrawals.”

— Airwallex, Fintech Provider

Costs of debit and credit abroad

Standard debit cards from major UK banks typically charge 2.99-3% FX fees plus ATM withdrawal charges. Credit cards add interest on cash advances from the withdrawal date. Specialist overseas cards eliminate FX fees but may have annual fees or eligibility requirements.

Can I use my credit card abroad without charges?

Zero-fee options

Yes, several UK credit cards charge no foreign transaction fees:

• Lloyds Ultra Visa: 0% FX, 1% cashback first year, Which? Best Buy.
• Halifax Clarity: 0% FX on foreign currency spending.
• Barclaycard Rewards Visa: 0% FX if paid in full monthly, 0.25% cashback.

Provider specifics

Nationwide credit cards may offer competitive rates for abroad use, though travellers should verify current fee structures. Visa and Mastercard are accepted worldwide at over 46 million locations, making them more reliable than American Express or Discover in many regions.