1st National Bank Saint Lucia review

The debit card carries a monthly fee of XCD 5, and that is the single biggest cost on the account. bunq charges €0 a month, Wise charges £0, and Varo Believe Secured Credit Card charges $0, so the fee is where the gap with those alternatives sits.

The currency conversion fee is 2%. That is higher than the median of 1% across the comparison, and it places the bank at position 165 out of 258 on this measure. A card used abroad often costs more here, and travel is one of the card's stated features.

Yes, and the free ATM allowance is XCD 0, so there is no charge on withdrawals within it. The line that costs more is currency conversion at 2%, which matters for anyone using the card abroad. Local cash use is the cheapest part of the account.

It is a debit card on the visa network, so spending draws on the balance in the account rather than a credit line. The bank also issues a credit card, which is a separate product for borrowing. Anyone building a card relationship with one bank can cover both with the same provider.

The account is held by 1st National Bank St Lucia Limited, which also runs the credit card. Support comes through email and phone, so questions reach the bank by email or by phone. There is no live chat listed, which makes a written or spoken reply the only route offered.

The bank is headquartered in Saint Lucia, the account entity is 1st National Bank St Lucia Limited, and it has been running since 1938. It suits people who bank in Saint Lucia and want an everyday multi-currency card close to home. Anyone put off by a monthly fee of XCD 5 is better served by bunq at €0.

Its cost score is 3.4 and the overall score is 3.4. Two lines drive the cost picture: the monthly fee of XCD 5 and the conversion fee of 2%, which is above the median of 1%. The counterweight is a free ATM allowance of XCD 0 and a multi-currency card built for travel.