There is no universal winner. For a UK everyday account, compare the exact Revolut account and plan you hold with one named bank account, using legal status, deposit protection, cash access, foreign-exchange rules, overdraft costs, payment features and support as your decision points.
Revolut’s UK migration is phased: some customers still have e-money accounts, while others have personal current accounts with Revolut Bank UK Ltd. Check the account type and terms shown in your app before comparing protection or switching. Traditional banks also differ substantially, so treat “traditional bank” as a category, not a single product.
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Start with the account you actually have
The first comparison question is not whether Revolut is a bank. It is: What legal account and provider entity holds my money today?
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Revolut says existing UK customers are moved in stages. On the day an eligible move occurs, the provider says, “On the day we move your account, it will automatically change from an e-money account to a personal current account.” Until that move happens, your account may remain an e-money account. Open the app and read the account details, terms and protection information attached to your profile; do not rely on an advertisement, an old email or another customer’s status.
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What the two Revolut statuses mean
- Revolut Bank UK personal current account: an eligible UK bank-account deposit is described by Revolut as protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to £120,000, subject to the scheme’s rules and exclusions.
- Earlier Revolut e-money account: Revolut describes customer funds as safeguarded. Safeguarding is a different legal arrangement from FSCS deposit protection; it should not be presented as equivalent coverage.
The entity and product also matter. Revolut says crypto, commodities, stocks and some other services are supplied by other entities and do not receive the Revolut Bank UK Ltd current-account FSCS protection. A balance displayed in one app can therefore contain products with different legal protections.
Take a screenshot or download the current terms showing your account type and the date you checked. If the app uses a product name you do not understand, ask support which legal entity provides it, whether it is a deposit or another type of balance, and which compensation or safeguarding regime applies. Keep the answer with your comparison notes; product labels can change as the phased rollout continues.
Use an apples-to-apples comparison table
Choose one specific Revolut plan and one named UK current account. Record the provider’s current documents and the date you checked them. This avoids comparing Revolut Standard with an imaginary “average” bank.
| Decision area | Revolut information to record | Named bank account information to record |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status and protection | Whether your profile is an e-money account or a Revolut Bank UK personal current account; which balances are eligible for FSCS protection and the applicable limit. | Banking entity, FSCS eligibility, temporary high-balance rules and exclusions in that account’s terms. |
| Monthly and card costs | Plan subscription, physical-card delivery, replacement charges and use-based fees. Charges vary by plan. | Monthly fee, card costs, replacement charges and fees for the transactions you actually make. |
| Cash | ATM allowance and excess fee; Revolut says cash deposits are not accepted. | ATM network and charges, branch or Post Office cash services, deposit limits and any fees. |
| Foreign currency | Exchange-rate method, plan allowance, fair-usage fee, weekend or out-of-hours rules and overseas card charges. | Rate basis, markup, foreign-currency transaction fee, cash-withdrawal fee and any travel features. |
| Overdrafts and failed payments | Whether an arranged overdraft is offered to you, its interest rate, eligibility and charges for unpaid items. | Arranged and unarranged overdraft rates, buffers, refused-payment fees and eligibility for the named account. |
| Payments and support | Standing orders, Direct Debits, card controls, bank-transfer limits, in-app support and dispute routes. | Identical payment functions plus branch, telephone, secure-message and complaint channels. |
| Switching and setup | Switch Service availability, Current Account Switching Service eligibility and treatment of regular payments. | Whether the account accepts a full switch, partial switch or only a new-account setup. |
For comparable provider data, the FCA says current-account providers must publish information about their services and overdraft charges. Use those provider pages and the account’s own tariff rather than general claims about banks.
Turn the table into a realistic test
Use one ordinary 30-day period and one stressful month. Record the number of card purchases, transfers, cash withdrawals, foreign-currency transactions, Direct Debits and occasions when your balance could fall short. Then apply the same transactions to both accounts. A simple annual estimate is: subscription and card costs, plus expected transaction fees, plus the cost of exceeding each allowance. Run a second estimate with a replacement card, an overseas cash withdrawal or a £1,000-plus currency month if those events are plausible for you.
Mark each figure as “published,” “account-specific” or “needs confirmation.” Published does not mean permanent: Revolut’s fee page is dated 11 December 2025 and fees can change. Account-specific items, such as an overdraft offer or a bank’s cash limit, should be confirmed in writing or in the current tariff before you move your salary or savings.
Understand Revolut Standard’s published costs
Revolut’s Standard page describes a free subscription. The figures below are the published Standard-plan terms shown on a fee page updated 11 December 2025; they are not promises for other plans or future dates.
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| Feature | Published Standard-plan term | What to verify before relying on it |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | £0 monthly subscription. | That your account is still on Standard and that no optional service has been added. |
| Cash withdrawals | Five withdrawals or £200 in a rolling month, whichever comes first, without the stated excess fee. | Your rolling-month usage, the ATM operator’s own surcharge and whether the transaction is treated as a cash withdrawal. |
| Withdrawals above allowance | 2% fee after the free allowance listed for Standard. | The current in-app fee schedule and any ATM operator charge. |
| Currency exchange | £1,000 monthly exchange limit; 1% fair-usage fee above that limit. | The cumulative activity counted toward the limit, the exchange-rate basis and any timing rules. |
For scale, a £500 amount exchanged above the stated £1,000 monthly limit would attract a 1% fair-usage charge of £5 if the fee applies to that whole excess amount; confirm the calculation and counted activity in the live fee schedule. A free subscription does not mean every use is free. Add card delivery or replacement, cash withdrawals, currency exchange and any optional plan benefits to your annual estimate. If your usage is irregular, calculate a high-use month as well as an average month so an allowance breach does not surprise you.
Compare cash needs separately from card access
Cash is often the clearest practical difference between app-first and branch-based banking. Revolut says it does not accept cash deposits. It lists bank transfers, debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay as ways to add money instead. That statement concerns deposits; it does not mean you cannot withdraw cash at an ATM within the applicable allowance.
If you receive or handle cash
- List every cash task: depositing wages or takings, paying a cash-only bill, withdrawing emergency notes and exchanging cash while travelling.
- Ask the named bank how deposits work: branch counter, cash machine, Post Office service, daily limit, identification requirement and any charge.
- Check whether the branch or cash facility is near your home, workplace and regular travel routes.
- Price Revolut’s alternative funding route, including transfer timing and any card or exchange fee, rather than assuming it is interchangeable with a cash deposit.
If you never deposit cash, Revolut’s lack of a deposit facility may not matter. If you regularly receive notes, it is a core account-selection criterion, not a minor convenience.
Do not count an ATM withdrawal as a cash-deposit solution. Ask the bank whether cash paid in at a branch, cash machine or Post Office is credited immediately, whether identification is required, and whether business or third-party cash is accepted. These details are specific to the named provider and may differ between locations.
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Separate three questions: what exchange rate is used, how much exchange you perform, and what happens after the allowance. Revolut’s Standard terms state a £1,000 monthly exchange limit and a 1% fair-usage fee above it. The limit is cumulative across the exchange activity described on the fee page, so a single holiday conversion and several small conversions can reach it together.
For a bank account, record the provider’s rate basis, markup or separate fee, overseas card-purchase fee, cash-withdrawal fee and any weekend rule. MoneyHelper’s current-account guidance is useful for identifying which charges to ask about, but the account’s own tariff controls the result.
Model your likely month
- Routine domestic spending in pounds.
- One or more card purchases in another currency.
- Cash withdrawals abroad.
- A larger one-off conversion, such as accommodation or tuition.
Apply each provider’s published rules to the same transactions. A headline exchange rate cannot tell you whether a monthly allowance or cash fee makes the account cheaper for your pattern. Also check whether a card purchase, cash withdrawal and in-app conversion are counted differently; use the provider’s definitions rather than assuming they are interchangeable.
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Do not leave overdrafts and failed payments until the end
An overdraft can matter more than a small card or exchange fee if your balance occasionally runs short. Compare the arranged overdraft interest rate, eligibility, limit, buffer, daily or monthly charges, and what happens when a payment is refused. Include returned Direct Debits, unpaid standing orders and card payments that exceed your available balance.
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Ask what happens on the day a payment is declined: Is it retried, is a fee charged, can you receive an alert, and can you add money quickly enough to avoid a missed bill? If you rely on benefits or wages arriving on a particular date, compare the provider’s timing guidance and keep a small buffer where practical. Never treat an advertised overdraft limit as guaranteed; eligibility and the amount offered are individual decisions.
Check everyday features instead of assuming them
Payments and account controls
Confirm that the account supports the payments you use: Faster Payments or equivalent transfers, Direct Debits, standing orders, scheduled payments, card-present and online purchases, cash withdrawals and instant card-freeze controls. Check transfer limits, recipient-verification steps and how quickly a payment can be cancelled or disputed.
List any less frequent requirement, such as receiving a salary, government payment or international transfer. Verify account-number and sort-code details, transfer limits and whether a recipient must be set up in advance. Test notification settings and make sure you have a recovery route if your phone, SIM or authentication device is lost.
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Write down the actual contact routes: in-app chat, telephone, secure message, branch, emergency card support and formal complaints. Consider when you need help. A fully digital route may be convenient for routine card controls but less suitable if you need face-to-face cash assistance or help while your phone is unavailable.
Check opening hours, response expectations and the process for a suspected fraudulent payment. Save the provider’s complaints page and your account identifiers somewhere other than the banking app. A comparison based only on interface design overlooks whether you can actually reach help during a lockout.
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- Cards are shipped active and ready for use.
- This card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Funds do not expire. If available funds remain on your card after the valid thru date has passed, please call customer service for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout. No fees after purchase.
- Double check if the URL/website is genuine before entering card details online. Do not provide any gift card details (example: claim code) to someone you do not know or trust. There are a variety of scams in which fraudsters try to trick others into paying with gift cards.
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- Use your Mastercard Gift Card in the U.S. everywhere Mastercard debit cards are accepted, including online. Your Amazon.com Balance cannot be used to purchase Mastercard gift cards.
Basic bank accounts
HM Treasury’s GOV.UK collection, last updated 5 November 2025, identifies nine designated large personal-current-account providers: Barclays UK, Co-operative Bank, HSBC UK, Lloyds Banking Group, Nationwide Building Society, NatWest Group, Santander UK, TSB and Virgin Money. Basic accounts are intended to provide fee-free standard operations for eligible customers, but they are not interchangeable with every current account from those groups. Check eligibility, cash facilities, payment functions and whether an overdraft is excluded.
A basic account can be relevant if you do not qualify for, or do not want, borrowing. It still needs a product-level check: confirm how cash is paid in, whether a card is included, what happens to failed payments and which support channels are available. Do not infer that every account from one of the nine groups has the same basic-account terms.
Decide whether switching is worthwhile
Switching is a process to verify, not an automatic benefit. Revolut describes a Switch Service using the Current Account Switching Service. Eligibility and the treatment of regular payments depend on your circumstances and the accounts involved.
- Inventory the old account. Download statements and list salary credits, benefits, Direct Debits, standing orders, subscriptions, saved card payments and any overdraft.
- Confirm eligibility. Ask Revolut and the existing provider whether both accounts can use the Current Account Switching Service and whether a partial or full switch is available.
- Read the switch timetable. Confirm the chosen switch date, what happens to incoming payments, how long redirection lasts and when the old account closes.
- Check protection and product scope. Before moving money, verify that your Revolut profile has the intended personal current-account status and understand which balances are outside that protection.
- Move subscriptions deliberately. Update merchants that do not use the switching service, and keep evidence of each change.
- Keep a contingency route. Do not close the old account until the new account is working and critical payments have arrived, unless the agreed switching process requires closure on the switch date.
- Reconcile after the switch. Check the first salary, benefit, Direct Debit and standing-order cycles, then review fees and limits against your comparison table.
Some people should retain two accounts: for example, one with convenient cash deposits and another with a particular currency or card feature. That can improve resilience but creates extra monitoring, security and potential-fee obligations. If you keep both, set alerts on each account, review statements monthly and know which account pays each regular bill.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common comparison mistakes
- Calling every Revolut customer a bank customer. The UK rollout is phased, so verify your status in the app.
- Equating safeguarding with FSCS insurance. They are different arrangements; use the protection statement for the specific account and product.
- Applying bank-account protection to investments or crypto. Revolut identifies products supplied by other entities that do not receive Revolut Bank UK Ltd current-account protection.
- Comparing with an unnamed bank. Fees, branches, overdrafts and cash facilities vary by account; name the product you are considering.
- Ignoring rolling allowances. Revolut’s Standard ATM allowance is measured over a rolling month, and the exchange limit is monthly.
- Forgetting third-party charges. An ATM owner can add a surcharge even when your account’s own allowance has not been exceeded.
- Treating a free plan as a free account in every circumstance. Card delivery, replacement, withdrawals, exchange and optional features can still generate charges.
- Switching before mapping regular payments. A missed Direct Debit or subscription can cost more than any advertised benefit.
- Using old fee screenshots. Record the page date and recheck the live app and tariff when you are about to exchange currency, withdraw cash or switch.
- Assuming a second account is free of work. Two accounts mean two sets of alerts, security checks, statements and possible charges.
A practical decision checklist
Complete this checklist for the same 30-day spending pattern before choosing:
- Have I confirmed whether my Revolut account is e-money or a Revolut Bank UK personal current account?
- Which of my balances and products are eligible for FSCS protection, and what exclusions apply?
- What will I pay for the plan, card delivery or replacement, ATM use and currency exchange?
- Do I need to deposit cash, and where will I do it?
- What are the named bank account’s overdraft, failed-payment and foreign-use charges?
- Can I access support through a channel I can use during an account lockout or lost-phone incident?
- Are all my regular payments compatible with the proposed switch?
- Would keeping a second account solve a genuine cash or resilience need, and can I monitor both securely?
- Have I saved the relevant fee, protection and switching pages with the date checked?
- Have I tested the decision against an expensive month, such as a foreign trip, replacement card or temporary low balance?
Choose the account that fits your actual payment, cash and borrowing pattern after fees and protection are checked—not the account with the most attractive single feature.
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Is Revolut a bank for every UK customer?
No. Revolut says its UK migration is phased. Some customers still have e-money accounts, while others have personal current accounts with Revolut Bank UK Ltd. Check the account type and terms in your app rather than relying on the brand name.
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- Gift Cards are shipped active and ready for use.
- This card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Funds do not expire. If available funds remain on your card after the valid thru date has passed, please call customer service for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout. No fees after purchase.
- To access your card information safely, type the complete website address shown on your Gift Card (MyGift.GiftCardMall.com) directly into your browser's address bar. Don't use search engines or shortened versions of the website address, as these may lead you to fake or fraudulent sites. Do not provide any Gift Card details (example: Card Number) to someone you do not know or trust. If you believe you've reached an illegitimate website, contact cardholder service at 1-888-524-1283. Be cautious of phishing sites, there are a variety of scams in which fraudsters try to trick others into paying with gift cards.
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What happens when my Revolut account is moved?
Revolut states that, on the day an eligible move occurs, the account automatically changes from an e-money account to a personal current account. Read the in-app notice and updated terms, confirm the legal entity and check which balances are covered before moving additional money.
Is money in Revolut protected by the FSCS?
Revolut says eligible deposits in its UK bank current account are protected by the FSCS up to £120,000, subject to scheme rules and exclusions. Earlier e-money accounts use safeguarding, which is a different arrangement. Crypto, commodities, stocks and other products supplied by separate entities do not receive Revolut Bank UK Ltd current-account protection.
Can I deposit cash into Revolut?
Revolut says it does not accept cash deposits. It lists bank transfers, debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay as alternatives for adding money. You can still compare ATM withdrawals separately; a withdrawal facility is not a cash-deposit facility.
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How much can I withdraw for free on Revolut Standard?
The Standard fee page updated 11 December 2025 lists five withdrawals or £200 in a rolling month, whichever comes first, followed by a 2% fee. Check the current app terms and remember that an ATM operator may add its own surcharge.
What is Revolut Standard’s currency allowance?
The published Standard terms list a £1,000 monthly exchange limit and a 1% fair-usage fee above that limit. The limit is cumulative across the activity described by Revolut, so check the live fee page for what counts and for any timing rules.
Can I switch my current account to Revolut?
Revolut describes a Switch Service using the Current Account Switching Service. Eligibility, full or partial switching and the treatment of regular payments depend on the accounts and your circumstances. Confirm the timetable and payment handling with both providers before starting.
Should I keep a traditional bank account as well as Revolut?
Possibly, if you need cash deposits, a different support channel, a particular overdraft arrangement or a backup route. Weigh those benefits against extra monitoring, security tasks and any fees. Keep a second account only for a clearly identified need.
The Bottom Line
Compare a named Revolut plan with a named UK current account using the same spending pattern. First verify whether your Revolut profile is an e-money account or a Revolut Bank UK personal current account, then check the protection attached to each balance. Price the published Standard allowances, cash limitations, foreign-exchange rules, overdraft and failed-payment charges, support options and switching process.
Recheck live terms before acting: Revolut’s fee page was updated 11 December 2025, and the UK account migration remains phased. The best account is the one that reliably handles your cash, payments, currency and shortfalls—not the one with the most appealing headline feature.
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