Payphone review
Updated September 28, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Payphone is a prepaid Mastercard for anyone who wants a card with no monthly charge and travel in mind, with a monthly fee of $0. It suits people who load money before they spend and keep spending capped by what sits on the card.
Key facts
- Best for
- A prepaid travel card with a monthly fee of $0.
- Monthly fee
- $0↗
- Card type
- Prepaid↗
- Card network
- Mastercard↗
- Features
- Travel
- Official website
- livepayphone.com
Facts checked September 26, 2026, 2 sources
Apps and profiles
- Get the app
- App Store
Pros and cons
Pros
- Monthly fee of $0, so nothing is due each month to keep the card open
- Prepaid, prepaid, which gives a hard ceiling on what can be spent
- The card sits on the mastercard network
- Travel is the use case it is built for: travel
Cons
- Prepaid card, prepaid, so the balance has to be loaded before spending and there is no credit line to draw on
- The fee is quoted in US dollars, $0, which is not a sterling or euro figure for UK and European readers
- The only listed feature is travel, so the card is aimed at trips rather than at everyday banking
Who it suits
- Travellers who want a card that works away from home without a monthly charge: travel
- Anyone who prefers loading money in advance, prepaid, so overspending is impossible
- Readers weighing prepaid cards against bunq and Wise on monthly fee, where the figures are $0, €0 and £0
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone after a card drawn straight from a bank balance, where Varo Believe Secured Credit Card is the debit option here
- Readers who want their account cost in their own currency, where bunq at €0 in euros and Wise at £0 in sterling both do that
- People looking for a rewards or credit card rather than a loaded balance
How Payphone compares
Where Payphone is available
- Available
- Ecuador
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What does it cost to hold a Payphone card?+
The monthly fee is $0, so holding the card costs nothing a month. bunq charges €0 on its free plan and Wise charges £0, though both of those figures sit in their own currencies rather than the US dollar.
Is this a debit card or a prepaid card?+
It is prepaid, which means you load money onto the card first and spend down that balance. Varo Believe Secured Credit Card is a debit card instead, drawing straight on a bank balance. Prepaid suits people who want a hard spending limit; a debit card suits people who spend from their balance.
Where can the Payphone card be used?+
It runs on the mastercard network, so acceptance follows that network rather than a single domestic scheme. The feature Payphone lists is travel, which points the card at trips abroad rather than at one home market.
Who does the Payphone card suit?+
It suits people who want a card with no monthly charge and a travel focus: the monthly fee is $0 and the listed feature is travel. It fits less well for anyone wanting day to day banking features or a card tied to a bank balance, where a debit option fits better.
How does Payphone's cost compare with rivals?+
On monthly fee it ranks 1 among 422 cards rated, and the cost score is 6.3. bunq and Wise also list a monthly fee of €0 and £0, so the currency of each figure matters as much as the amount.
Which currency is the fee charged in?+
The monthly fee is $0, quoted in US dollars. bunq lists €0 in euros and Wise lists £0 in sterling, so a reader outside the US is comparing costs across currencies rather than against a single scale.
Sources
- payphone.app/como-funciona checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Monthly fee
- payphone.app/productos/mastercard-payphone checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Card type, Features, Card network
Compiled from 2 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Currency conversion fee, Free ATM withdrawals, Protection.