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Monese review

Updated September 28, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

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Our verdict

Monese suits UK residents who want everyday spending on a card with a monthly fee of £0, and the account includes £200 in ATM withdrawals. It is a straightforward pound account with a narrow currency range, so heavy foreign spending is its weak point.

Key facts

Best for
A Mastercard debit account with no standing monthly charge for UK everyday spending.
Monthly fee
£0↗
Currency conversion fee
2%↗
Free ATM withdrawals
£200↗
Card type
Debit↗
Card network
Mastercard↗
Currencies
3↗
Legal entity
Monese Ltd↗
Headquarters
United Kingdom↗
Founded
2013↗
Features
Multi-currency, Travel
Official website
monese.com

Facts checked September 26, 2026, 5 sources

Apps and profiles

Get the app
App StoreGoogle Play
Elsewhere
WikidataWikipediaLinkedInX

Pros and cons

Pros

  • The monthly fee is £0, so keeping the account costs nothing extra to budget for.
  • Cash machine withdrawals include £200, which covers routine cash needs.
  • A debit card that works abroad, with multi currency and travel among the listed features.
  • It places 1 of 422 brands compared on monthly fee.

Cons

  • Currency conversion of 2% is well above Wise at 0.1%, so foreign spending eats the balance.
  • It ranks 165 of 258 brands on currency conversion fee, near the top of the table.
  • Only 3 currencies are covered, so frequent multi-currency spending is a stretch.
Monese

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Scored 8.9 / 10 by SumCue.

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Who it suits

  • UK residents who want a Mastercard card with no monthly charge.
  • People who take cash out regularly and want an ATM allowance included.
  • Travellers on a fixed route who spend in a small set of currencies.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Wise, when converting money is the main job, since its conversion fee is 0.1% against 2% here.
  • Varo Believe Secured Credit Card, if you want a secured credit card rather than a debit card.

Fees and currency costs

The account carries a monthly fee of £0 on the debit card, so holding it costs nothing to run. Currency conversion is the charge that matters: 2% whenever you spend or withdraw in another currency, where Wise charges 0.1%. Cash machine withdrawals include £200.

Who runs it

Monese is operated by Monese Ltd, based in the United Kingdom and trading since 2013. That is the legal entity named on the account agreement, and the country it sits in is why the fees are quoted in sterling. The company has been in the fintech market long enough that the setup is settled rather than experimental.

How Monese compares

Where Monese is available

Available
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

What does a Monese account cost each month?+

The monthly fee is £0, so there is no recurring charge to budget for. The card attached to the account is a debit card, which means spending comes straight from the money you hold rather than a balance that needs paying off.

How much does Monese charge to convert currency?+

Conversion runs at 2% on Monese, and it applies whenever money is spent or taken out in another currency. Wise charges 0.1% for the same job, so the gap is wide and worth pricing before you travel.

How many currencies can I hold with Monese?+

The account covers 3 currencies, with multi-currency and travel among the features listed for it. That is a narrow set, so it fits someone spending in a few known currencies rather than someone moving money across many markets.

Can I get cash out on a Monese card?+

Withdrawals include £200 as part of the account, so everyday cash needs do not need their own budget line. The card runs on mastercard, so it works at the usual UK cash machines and at machines abroad.

What kind of card does Monese issue?+

Monese issues a debit card on the mastercard network. Debit means the card spends only what sits in the account, with nothing to repay at month end. The listed features cover multi currency and travel use.

Who runs Monese and where is it based?+

The account is run by Monese Ltd, a company based in the United Kingdom that has been trading since 2013. That is the entity named on the agreement, and its home country is why the monthly fee is quoted in sterling for UK residents.

How does Monese compare with other debit cards on cost?+

On monthly fee it places 1 of 422 brands compared, which is hard to beat. On currency conversion the position drops to 165 of 258, and ATM withdrawals sit at 15 of 124.

Sources

Compiled from 5 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Not confirmed yet: Protection.

Monese

Monese

A Mastercard debit account with no standing monthly charge for UK everyday spending.

8.9/10See alternatives