Desk · Travel money
A working desk for cards, cash, and transfers. We say what usually costs money. We do not stamp “best rate” on a moving number. Check the live quote before you load a card.
Table last reviewed 29 September 2026. Replace the hash links with your Awin / partner URLs before going live.
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How to carry sterling
One primary pick, then two honest alternatives.
Primary — transfers and a card
Wise
Mid-market rate plus a visible fee. Good when you already know how much you need in euros or dollars, or you want a card that does not hide the spread. Order the card once; after that you are paying for the conversion, not a monthly story.
Rate: mid-market + fee, not a weekend surprise on the major pairs
Card: one-off order fee, no monthly fee on the basic card
ATM: a monthly free slice, then a percentage — read the current cap
Open Wise
Alternative — already have a UK bank
Starling, Monzo, Chase UK
Fee-free spending abroad on the current account is often cheaper than a prepaid holiday card if you already bank there. Watch ATM limits. Chase and Starling have been the cleanest of this set; Monzo’s extra-EEA ATM cap is tighter.
Compare UK travel cards
Alternative — cash in hand
Post Office, Caxton, Travelex
Use this when you want notes in your pocket or a prepaid you can cap. The cost is in the rate, not a “0% commission” line. Bigger orders usually get a less bad rate. Collect in branch if you do not want a parcel of currency on the doorstep.
Order travel cash
At a glance
Typical shape of the products, not a live quote. Always open the provider and read today’s rate and ATM cap.
Product
What you get
Where the cost sits
Use it when
Wise card / transfer
Multi-currency balance and card
Stated conversion fee on top of mid-market
You care about seeing the spread
UK current account (Starling, Chase, Monzo)
Spend on the card you already own
ATM caps; sometimes a weekend or plan limit
You already bank there and mostly tap to pay
Revolut Standard
App + card, many currencies
Monthly FX allowance; weekend markup on Standard
You will stay inside the plan limits
Post Office / bureau cash
Notes, or a prepaid loaded in foreign currency
Rate margin; loading pounds onto some cards costs extra
You want cash, or a hard spending cap
Beside the money
Same trip, different till. Still one primary FX choice above. These are extras.
Travel insurance
World Nomads, InsureandGo and the comparison sites. Cover first, commission second. Swap this hash for your programme link.
Insurance programmes
eSIM
Airalo and peers. Cheaper than roaming for a week in the EU. Not a currency product.
eSIM programmes
Airport parking
Only when the brief is “we are actually flying.” Do not put it on the homepage.
Parking programmes
How we will keep this honest
Date the review. If the table is older than a season, do not trust it.
One primary call to action. The alternatives are alternatives.
Never write “best rate in Britain” above a number that moved this morning.
Back to today’s rates