Revolut vs X1 Card
Both Revolut and X1 Card 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 X1 Card on Visa; verification is ID only at Revolut versus ID + proof at X1 Card; 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. X1 Card still clears the same checkouts in our tests, so match the table to the services you actually pay for.
Side by side
| Field | Revolut | X1 Card |
|---|---|---|
| Card network | Visa, Mastercard | Visa |
| Card type | Digital Bank / Neobank | Fintech Wallet |
| KYC | ID only | ID + proof |
| Card issuance fee | Free | Free (metal card) |
| Monthly fee | Free (Standard); Plus £3.99; Premium £7.99; Metal £14.99; Ultra £55 per mo | No annual fee |
| Top-up fee | — | — |
| FX fee | 0.5% | 0% |
| Crypto funding | Yes | No |
| AI tool support | ChatGPT / Claude / Midjourney | — |
| Risk level | Low-Medium | Low |
| Our rating | 9.0 | 8.5 |
| User reviews | 80 | 77 |
| Best for | All-rounder · Ad spend | App Store / Play · Free issuance |
A green left edge marks the side that holds the advantage on that row, where the data gives one.
The head to head
- Multi-task users get more from Revolut — it clears more of the checkouts we run through our test suite.
- Revolut has the lighter onboarding; X1 Card will want more documents from you.
- Revolut can sit on a crypto balance; X1 Card cannot, so the call depends on how you fund it.
- Revolut edged X1 Card on our composite rating across fees, risk and merchant tests.
- X1 Card carries the lower risk flag in our file, which some users prefer for a primary card.
Where they split
Both cards clear the same checkouts in our tests, so the call comes down to cost. Revolut is cheaper on issuance (free) and top-ups (no top-up fee), while X1 Card is worth the premium only for the rows where it leads in the table.
Questions people ask
That depends on what you spend on. Revolut scores 9.0/10 against X1 Card's 8.5/10 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 is the cheaper card to run. Both Revolut and X1 Card issue virtual cards for free.
Revolut asks for ID only at signup; X1 Card 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 2 of the same test scenarios, including Sephora US, Microsoft 365. 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 X1 Card both landed in our top picks for 2 checkouts. Grouped by category so you can jump straight to the one you actually pay for:
🛍️ Cross-border Shopping 1
🧳 Travel & Productivity 1
Their BIN ranges
Cards issued in 🇬🇧 UK · 🇺🇸 US — 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: