I Tested Revolut's 5 Plans... Here's What's Worth It For Travel

Product reviewed

Revolut’s five UK plans (Free, Plus, Premium, Metal, Ultra)—focused on whether they’re worth it for frequent UK travelers, compared against:

• Premium travel credit cards (notably Amex)
• Airline loyalty strategies (e.g., Avios and transfer partners)

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Key features (travel-related)

Core offering: currency exchange + card payments abroad

• Zero foreign transaction fees on card payments on every plan, including Free
• Uses interbank exchange rates on weekdays
• Weekend FX catch
  • ~1% markup applies on Standard/Plus only
  • Applies between Fri 5pm and Sun 6pm (ET)
• Premium/Metal/Ultra: no weekend FX markup
• Currency can be exchanged in-app before a trip (not only while abroad)

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Standard plan perks (Free tier)

• Personalized bank card
• Interbank FX on weekends (no weekend markup mentioned for Free; the markup issue is tied to Standard/Plus)
• Fee-free ATM withdrawals up to £200/month across 5 withdrawals
• £1,000/month currency exchange allowance, then a 1% fair usage fee
• Revpoints: 1 point per £10 spent
  • Transfers 1:1 to airline miles across 30+ partners
  • Examples mentioned: Avios/BA, Flying Blue, Delta, etc.
• Revpoints don’t fully offset value versus other UK free travel cards
  • Amex welcome bonuses are referenced as strong alternatives

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Plus plan

• Exchange limit: £3,000/month, then 0.5% fair usage fee
• ATM withdrawals: “marginally” higher than Free (exact figure not provided)
• Priority in-app chat
• Event ticket protection up to £1,000
• Still includes the weekend ~1% FX markup
• No travel insurance
• No lounge access
• No eSIM
• Revpoints earn rate unchanged vs Free: 1 per £10

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Premium plan (paid: £14.99/month)

• Revpoints earn rate: 1 point per £4 spent
• Weekend FX markup disappears
• Unlimited currency exchange (no fair usage fee)
• ATM withdrawals: up to £400/month fee-free
• Airport lounge access via the app
  • Discounted pass pricing (exact discount not fully stated)
• Purchase protection: up to £2,500
• 90-day return window
• Event cancellation insurance: up to £1,000
• No travel insurance for:
  • medical
  • lost luggage
  • trip cancellation
• The speaker recommends separate multi-trip travel insurance (approx £40–£80/year in the UK)

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Metal plan (paid: £14.99/month implied; treated as the next paid tier)

• Revpoints earn rate: 1 point per £2 spent
• Unlimited currency exchange
• ATM withdrawals: up to £800/month fee-free
• Free international transfers with a 40% fee discount
• Major upgrade: comprehensive travel insurance via Chubb
  • Emergency medical: up to £10 million
  • Car hire excess: up to £2,000
  • Winter sports coverage
  • Trip delay: up to £500 if delayed 8+ hours
  • Lost/stolen baggage + personal liability: up to £1 million
  • Trip cancellation cover
• Lounge access: discounted like Premium (exact price/discount not provided)
• Partner subscriptions:
  • Face value ~£2,000/year (real value depends on usage)
• Speaker’s stated value estimate: ~£350/year
• Later framed as enough for frequent travelers

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Ultra plan (most expensive; “more than Amex Platinum”)

• Revpoints earn rate: 1 point per £1 spent
• ATM withdrawals: £2,000/month fee-free
• Unlimited currency exchange
• Free international transfers
• Travel insurance upgrades (Chubb provider)
  • Trip duration: up to 90 days (vs 30 days on Metal)
  • Trip delay threshold: 4+ hours (vs 8+ hours on Metal)
  • Cancel for any reason (CFAR)
    • Up to 70% of trip cost back
    • Cap: £5,000 per year
    • Must book ≥72 hours before departure
• Unlimited lounge access across 1,000+ airports worldwide
  • Speaker compares to typical Priority Pass pricing (~£28–£40 per visit)
• eSIM: 3 GB global eSIM per month in 100+ countries
• Partner subscriptions:
  • Face value roughly £4,300/year
  • Speaker warns realistic value may be far lower
• Savings rate on balances: up to 4% on balances up to £200K
• FSCS protection: up to £120K (UK banking license)
• Speaker’s stated travel value estimate: ~£600–£1,000/year
  • Overall: break even / possibly profit only for heavy users (6+ trips/year)

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Pros (as stated)

• Best-in-class foreign card usage: zero FX transaction fees across all plans
• Interbank exchange rates on weekdays
• Pre-trip currency exchange in-app (convenience)
• Premium/Metal/Ultra remove the weekend FX markup issue
• Higher tiers improve points earning substantially (especially Ultra)
• Metal includes real travel insurance with strong medical/trip cancellation coverage
• Ultra is strongest for flexible travelers:
  • CFAR (rare vs typical UK policies)
  • Longer trips (90 days)
  • More practical trip delay threshold (4 hours)
  • Unlimited lounge + monthly global eSIM + stacking benefits
• Non-travel utility (international bill splitting, multi-currency holds, analytics)
• Ultra adds financial perks:
  • up to 4% savings
  • FSCS protection (material non-travel benefit)

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Cons / limitations (as stated)

• Weekend FX markup (~1%) on Standard/Plus impacts Sat/Sun spend
• Revpoints value depends on redemption (no guaranteed edge)
• Revolut is more of a spending card than a full loyalty ecosystem:
  • Revpoints are flatter than many UK competitors
  • Amex Membership Rewards can offer multi-points per £1 in bonus categories (up to 4x)
• Less direct airline access:
  • No direct Virgin Atlantic transfer
  • Delta redemption is possible but framed as less attractive/available
• Revpoints earning at partner shops reduced (e.g., Apple multipliers dropped)
• Revpoints expire after 3 years
• Plus and Premium do not include travel insurance
  • Premium still requires separate coverage for medical/luggage/trip cancellation
• Metal insurance may not fully cover trips longer than a month (as framed in the video)
• Ultra is expensive; cost-effectiveness depends on frequent travel and using lounges/eSIM/insurance

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User experience / practical guidance from the video

• Revolut works best as an international spending + FX convenience tool, not necessarily your only points strategy
• Best outcomes come from:
  • avoiding the weekend FX markup (use Premium/Metal/Ultra)
  • using Revpoints but redeeming smartly (value depends on how you convert to miles)
  • pairing Revolut with a “real” loyalty setup
    • speaker strongly suggests Amex + Avios transfer partners

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Comparisons made

Revolut vs UK premium cards (Amex Gold/Platinum)

• Video highlights Amex welcome bonuses as very strong
• Also claims Amex can outperform on points earning due to bonus-category multipliers

Revolut vs standalone travel insurance

• Premium lacks medical/luggage/trip cancellation
  • separate policies recommended (~£40–£80/year)
• Metal/Chubb compared to standalone multi-trip insurance
  • framed around ~£60–£120/year (varies by age/coverage)

Revolut vs Priority Pass lounge costs

• Ultra lounge access is framed as very valuable compared with typical paid lounge visits

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Unique points mentioned (consolidated list)

1. Revolut became a “real bank” with a UK license as of March 2026
2. Customer scale and valuation: 13 million users, $75B valuation
3. Sponsors an F1 team (brand credibility)
4. Zero foreign transaction fees on card payments across all plans
5. Interbank FX on weekdays
6. Weekend FX 1% markup on Standard/Plus only (Fri 5pm–Sun 6pm ET)
7. Premium/Metal/Ultra don’t have weekend markup
8. Standard/Free: £200/month ATM fee-free, 5 withdrawals; £1,000/month exchange allowance then 1% fee
9. Currency can be exchanged before travel in the app
10. Revpoints system - Free: 1 per £10 - Premium: 1 per £4 - Metal: 1 per £2 - Ultra: 1 per £1
11. Revpoints transfers 1:1 to airline partners (30+), including British Airways, Flying Blue, Delta
12. Example spend math for Free tier: £1,500/month → 150 points/month → 1,800 points/year (approx Avios equivalent referenced)
13. Plus value limited; upgrade mainly exchange limit; still lacks insurance/lounge/eSIM
14. Premium adds lounge access + protections but no travel insurance
15. Premium protections include: - purchase protection £2,500 - event cancellation £1,000 - but medical/lost luggage/trip cancellation need separate insurance
16. Metal adds Chubb insurance with strong limits: - medical up to £10M - car hire excess up to £2,000
17. Metal trip delay compensation threshold: - 8 hours - up to £500
18. Ultra upgrades insurance: - trip duration 90 days - trip delay threshold 4 hours - CFAR: up to 70% back, capped £5,000/year, book ≥72 hours before departure
19. Lounge access: - Premium/Metal discounted via app - Ultra: unlimited across 1,000+ airports
20. eSIM: - Ultra: 3 GB global per month in 100+ countries
21. Partner subscriptions: - Metal face value ~£2,000/year - Ultra face value ~£4,300/year - speaker warns realistic value may be much lower
22. Ultra savings rate: up to 4% on balances up to £200K
23. FSCS protection on deposits up to £120K due to UK banking license
24. Revpoints redemption value depends on redemption method; not guaranteed
25. Comparison: Revolut points vs Amex Membership Rewards multi-bonus-category earning
26. Revolut lacks direct Virgin Atlantic transfer; Delta redemption less attractive
27. Revpoints at partner shops reduced (Apple multipliers dropped)
28. Revpoints expire after 3 years
29. Overall recommendation: Revolut is “one piece of the puzzle,” not a replacement for Amex/Avios transfer-partner strategy

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Speakers/views

• Primary speaker only: Jordan (“Miles Ahead”)
• Provides the tier-by-tier valuation, weekend FX explanation, insurance comparisons (Chubb), lounge/eSIM/CFAR value arguments, and overall recommendation
• No other speakers described

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Overall verdict / recommendation (based on the video)

• Best fit: Travelers who primarily need low-cost FX and convenience, and who also match the tier math—especially lounge use and insurance usage
• Free tier: “Brilliant” for infrequent travelers focused on FX savings (no insurance/lounges needed)
• Plus: Least compelling for travel—limited improvements and still includes weekend FX markup
• Premium: Useful for frequent lounge users and protections, but not a substitute for travel insurance
• Metal: Good for regular travelers (4+ trips/year) because it bundles real Chubb travel insurance and higher point earning
• Ultra: Best for heavy travelers (6+ trips/year) who will use unlimited lounges, eSIM, CFAR, and longer/different delay thresholds—otherwise it’s likely not cost-effective

Final recommendation: Use Revolut as a travel spending/FX tool. Choose Metal or Ultra only if you’ll truly leverage insurance + lounge + eSIM benefits; otherwise rely on an Amex/Avios-style loyalty strategy alongside Revolut.