Revolut vs Monzo
Both Revolut and Monzo clear the checkouts our readers ask about most. Here is where the two part ways on fees and verification.
Revolut issues on Visa · Mastercard and Monzo on Mastercard (debit); verification is ID only at Revolut versus ID + proof at Monzo; only Revolut takes crypto top-ups.
Revolut is the more cost-effective option for everyday spending and travel thanks to its free virtual cards, no monthly fee. Monzo still clears the same checkouts in our tests, so match the table to the services you actually pay for.
Where they split
| Field | Revolut | Monzo |
|---|---|---|
| Card network | Visa, Mastercard | Mastercard (debit) |
| Card type | Digital Bank / Neobank | Digital Bank / Neobank |
| KYC | ID only | ID + proof |
| Card issuance fee | Free | Free (virtual cards included at no cost) |
| Monthly fee | Free (Standard); Plus £3.99; Premium £7.99; Metal £14.99; Ultra £55 per mo | Free (standard); paid plans £3-£17+/mo |
| Top-up fee | Not disclosed by issuer | N/A (debit, spends from balance) |
| FX fee | 0.5% | 0% (Mastercard rate, no Monzo fee) |
| Crypto funding | Yes | No |
| AI tool support | ChatGPT / Claude / Midjourney | Yes |
| Risk level | Low-Medium | Low |
| Our rating | 8.6 | 8.4 |
| User reviews | 80 | 407 |
| Best for | All-rounder · Ad spend | All-rounder · Ad spend |
A green left edge marks the side that holds the advantage on that row, where the data gives one.
Two cards, one decision
- Tight on fees? Revolut is the cheaper card to hold day to day.
- Revolut has the lighter onboarding; Monzo will want more documents from you.
- Only Revolut takes crypto top-ups, which settles the call if you fund with crypto.
- Monzo carries the lower risk flag in our file, which some users prefer for a primary card.
The short version of the matchup
Run the numbers against your own usage. Revolut runs free to create plus no top-up fee per top-up; Monzo runs free plus no top-up fee. For one or two subscriptions the first column wins; for the rows where it leads in the table, the second does.
Questions people ask
That depends on what you spend on. Revolut scores 8.6/10 against Monzo's 8.4/10 in our tests, but the two split on fees, KYC and crypto funding. Read the table above, then match it to the checkouts you actually run.
Revolut works out cheaper: no virtual card issuance fee, free account maintenance. Monzo adds $3.81 a month.
Revolut asks for ID only at signup; Monzo asks for ID + proof. If a light sign-up is the priority, the one with the lower KYC label is the faster route.
Both show up in 105 of the same test scenarios, including ChatGPT Plus, OpenAI API, Claude.ai. They overlap on a good share of checkouts, so the choice between them matters most on those pages. Where one is accepted and the other is not usually comes down to the billing country and 3-D Secure handling.
Where both show up
Revolut and Monzo both landed in our top picks for 105 checkouts. Grouped by category so you can jump straight to the one you actually pay for:
🤖 AI Tools & Developer Tools 20
📺 Streaming & Entertainment 20
🛍️ Cross-border Shopping 15
🌐 Cloud & VPS 15
🎮 Gaming 15
📈 Ad Platforms 10
🧳 Travel & Productivity 10
Their BIN ranges
Cards issued in 🇬🇧 UK — the country guides group every range we track from there.
What our charge log shows
Every count here is a real charge attempt we placed on that range, renewals included, with the gateway response recorded. Weeks tracked is how long the range has been in the programme: