GrabPay review

There is a monthly fee of SGD 0, so keeping the card costs nothing each month. Spending in another currency is charged at 2%, which is where the running cost appears. Pay in your home currency and the only charge is the spending you actually do.

The free ATM allowance is SGD 0, so cash withdrawals are charged at the machine. If you take money out often, that cost adds up, and a card with a free allowance would serve you better. GrabPay ranks 44 out of 124 on free ATM withdrawals.

GrabPay is a prepaid card running on the mastercard network, so it behaves like a spend from balance card rather than a credit card. You load money, then pay with it wherever Mastercard is accepted. That makes it a good fit for readers who decide in advance how much goes on the card each month.

Support runs through help centre, so questions and answers sit in written form. That suits readers who are comfortable searching online rather than waiting on a call. If you need a person on the phone, the published support routes stop at the help centre.

GrabPay charges SGD 0 a month. The JMMB Moneyline and JMMB Money Transfer prepaid card also charges JMD 0, as does the CrediMax Cardy EX prepaid Visa at BHD 0. Skrill is the one to skip on price alone, at €5 a month.

GrabPay charges 2% on currency conversion, which sits above the prepaid card median of 0.4% and places the brand at 165 out of 258 on that measure. Paying at home in your own currency avoids the charge, so overseas spending is where the card costs most.

Less so than for everyday use. The currency conversion fee of 2% applies to foreign spend, and the ATM free allowance of SGD 0 means withdrawing cash abroad is charged as well. Both costs land on the same trip, so a traveller would do better with a card that keeps foreign spending and cash cheaper.

Readers who want a card for everyday spending with no monthly charge. The card is prepaid and runs on the mastercard network, and the monthly fee of SGD 0 keeps the running cost down. It suits people who top up a balance and pay from it, and who rarely need cash.