How to use the Wise card in Europe - 2024

There’s loads to do in Europe, from a summer beach break to a tour of major capital cities, or a jaunt through some of the key historical sites, museums and cultural hotspots. While most of Europe uses the euro, there are actually lots of other currencies used in Europe too - making it especially important that you plan your travel money in advance before you head off on your trip.

A Wise multi-currency card can be an excellent way to spend conveniently in euros - and any of the other 25 or so currencies used in Europe, like British pounds, Danish krone or Polish zloty. Read on for all you need to know about how to use the Wise card in Europe.

Is it possible to use my Wise card in Europe?

Yes. Use your Wise travel card to spend safely and conveniently in euros and other major European currencies if you’re travelling outside of the Eurozone.

If you’re heading to Europe on a multi-city or multi-country tour, keeping up with the currencies you need can be a headache. But with the Wise card it’s a breeze - just convert to the currency you need in advance within your account, or let the card automatically convert for you with the lowest possible fees when you pay.

Best of all, this means that you won’t get caught out by dynamic currency conversion (DCC).

Even if you’ve never heard of DCC, you’ve probably seen it in action. It’s where you’re offered the choice to pay in SGD instead of the currency of the country you’re in. Sounds harmless, but actually if you pay in SGD, the merchant picks the exchange rate - not your card issuer or bank. This usually means high fees and a poor rate, making the transaction more expensive in the end.

Avoid this problem entirely by popping a Wise card into your wallet - and letting the card handle the conversion to the local currency wherever you are.

About the Wise card

The Wise card is an international debit card which is linked to a multi-currency digital account you can operate from your phone or laptop. Open your Wise account in a few simple steps with Singpass or your ID and address documents, to order a Wise card online or in the Wise app.

Within your account you can hold and exchange 40+ currencies, and you can use  your Wise card to make payments and withdrawals in 150+ countries. Currency exchange uses the mid-market exchange rate, making the Wise travel card a safe, cheap and convenient option for your trip to Europe.

One quick note on Wise accounts in Singapore - before we go on, it's good to know that there are limits to the amount you can hold or send from your Wise Singapore account:

• You can not hold more than the equivalent of 5,000 SGD in a Wise personal account at the end of any business day

• You can not send or spend more than 30,000 SGD or the equivalent in a 12 month period.

These limits do not apply to Wise business accounts, or to balances help with Wise in Interest or Stocks.

Learn more about Wise account (Singapore) hold and spend limits here.

How does the Wise card work?

Once you have your Wise account open and verified, you can add a balance in SGD or a selection of other currencies supported for topping up. You’ll have the choice to convert your money to euros or whichever other currency you need for your trip if you’d like - or you can leave your balance in SGD and the card will convert when you make a payment or withdrawal.

It’s free to spend a currency you hold in your account - and Wise cards also come with some free ATM withdrawals every month, before the low Wise withdrawal fees kick in. Use your card to get your travel cash - and tap and pay for contactless payments with your phone or card during your trip to Europe.

Fees and costs when using the Wise card in Europe

There’s a one off fee to order your Wise card - and as soon as you’ve ordered it, you’ll get access to a virtual card so you can start to spend right away without needing to wait for delivery. There’s then no ongoing fee to pay, and it’s free to spend any currency you hold in your account.

We’ll look at ATM fees a little later, too - but it’s good to know that you can take out some cash at an international ATM every month for free, before paying any Wise fee.

Here’s a rundown of the most important Wise card fees for Europe:

Fees correct at time of writing - 12th March 2024. Find more on the Wise card fee information page

How to withdraw money in Europe with a Wise card

You can make cash withdrawals from ATMs in Europe as easily as you would at home:

1. Find a convenient ATM which supports the network your Wise card is issued on (Visa or MasterCard)

2. Insert your card and select the option to make a withdrawal

3. Enter the amount you want to withdraw

4. Enter your PIN for security

5. Your money will be dispensed and your card will be returned

Wise ATM withdrawal limits

We mentioned earlier that there are some limits to the amount you can hold in your Wise account, to keep customers safe and comply with MAS rules. In addition to that, there are some Wise ATM withdrawal limits, which can be adjusted in the app, so you can set your limits where you feel comfortable.

The default Wise Singapore ATM limit is as follows:

Initially, your daily limit will be set to the same amount as your monthly limit. However, if you prefer, you can adjust your limits to suit your preferences. You could choose to set a lower daily limit, for example - to do this head to the Wise app:

1. Open the app and go to the Card tab - tap Limits

2. Choose the limit you’d like to change -  ATM withdrawals - and tap on Change your spending limits

3. Enter your chosen limits and tap Save

You’ll be able to withdraw up to 350 SGD a month, in 2 withdrawals, with no Wise fee.

Wise card ATM withdrawal fees

Here’s what you need to know about Wise Singapore card ATM fees:

Fees correct at time of writing - 12th March 2024

It’s also good to note here that you may run into DCC - which we mentioned earlier - at an ATM as well as when shopping in a European store. If the ATM terminal flashes up a message asking you if you’d like the ATM operator to handle the currency conversion for you, just say no. You may also be asked if you’d prefer to pay in your home currency for your withdrawal. Again, no. If you agree to this, you’ll get a worse exchange rate and pay more in the end.

How to get a Wise card: step by step

Once you have a Wise Account you can order a Wise card easily online or in the Wise app. You may be prompted to verify your account if you haven’t already completed this step - you can do this with Singpass or by taking and uploading a picture of your ID and address documents. You’ll also need to check your shipping information is all correct, and pay the one time 8.5 SGD fee.

On the app

Here’s how to request a card through the Wise app:

1. Log into your Wise account on the Wise app

2. Tap the Cards tab

3. Tap the Order card option

4. Follow the prompts to confirm your address and pay the card order fee

On the site

Here’s how to request a card through the Wise desktop site:

1. Visit the Wise desktop site and log into your Wise account

2. Click the Cards tab

3. Click the Order card option

4. Follow the prompts to confirm your address and pay the card order fee

How do I activate my Wise card outside Singapore?

Before you can use your Wise card for contactless payments, you’ll need to activate the card by making a Chip and PIN purchase, or insert your card and enter your PIN in an ATM.

You can make a purchase at home with your card by inserting it into the payment terminal and entering your PIN. Although you can’t make a cash withdrawal in Singapore, if you’d prefer not to buy something with your card, you can still get your card up and running by using your card to make an ATM balance enquiry instead.

How do I add money on the Wise card?

Before you can spend with your Wise card you need to have a balance in your Wise account. Topping up your Wise account is easy - you can add SGD from your bank or with a card, or give your local account details to someone else if you want them to send you money in SGD or other major currencies.

Here’s how to add money to Wise yourself, for spending with your Wise card:

1. Log into your Wise account online or in the Wise app

2. Select the currency balance you want to top up

3. Tap Add

4. Confirm the currency you want to pay with

5. Enter the amount you want to top up and select a payment method

6. Check everything over, confirm and follow the prompts to complete the payment

Is it safe to use the Wise card in Europe?

Yes. Wise is fully regulated and licensed in Singapore by MAS, and also by overseas regulatory authorities. That makes it a safe card to use for payments and withdrawals wherever you happen to be in Europe.

You can view your account balance and get transaction notifications with your phone as you travel - and also freeze or unfreeze your card if you ever need to, in just a couple of taps.

Use Google Pay or Apple Pay and spend with your phone

As soon as you order a physical Wise card you can also generate a Wise virtual card, in the Wise app Cards tab. This is a secure way to spend digitally or to make mobile payments.

All you need to do is to add your Wise digital card to your preferred wallet - like Apple Pay or Google Pay - and tap to pay on the move, or use your virtual card to pay when shopping online.

Advantages of using the Wise card in Europe

The Wise card is smart enough to know which currency you need wherever in Europe you happen to be. Here are a few tips on how to use your card most effectively for your trip:

• Wise supports 40+ currencies, including EUR and most major European currencies, helping you manage all the currencies you need for your trip

• Top up in Singapore dollars and you can switch over to euros in advance if you spot a good exchange rate

• You don’t have to convert in advance if you don’t want to - leave your money in dollars and you still get the mid-market rate when you pay

• Remember to always pay in the local currency wherever you are, to avoid DCC costs

Conclusion: is it worth using your Wise card in Europe?

The Wise travel card is a powerful international debit card which can help you spend securely, conveniently, and with lower fees, no matter where in Europe you happen to be heading. Add money in Singapore dollars and convert to the currency or currencies you need in advance, or just let the card do the hard work for you. In either case you get the mid-market rate and low, transparent fees, cutting your costs overall.