Tips: Taking Revolut Stateside! 🇺🇸

Jetting off to the United States? Awesome - here are some tips for using your RevolutCard across the pond!

Do I need to exchange my money into USD?

Quite simply, no! Your RevolutCard will convert your balance into the local currency when you use it abroad, so you don’t ever need to worry about it!

However, if you’re worried that the exchange rate might change so you get less buck for your pound, you can exchange between GBP, EUR and USD in the app and lock in a rate.

Do I need to tell you to activate Magstripe transactions?

Magstripe transactions (Magnetic stripe = the black strip on the back of your card) are already enabled on your RevolutCard.

You can disable magstripe transactions in your app, however it’s worth keeping them as quite a lot of ATMs and merchant terminals still use this technology in the United States.

Using a MetroCard Vending Machine in the United States:

If you use a MetroCard Vending Machine (MVM) - the ticket machines for the New York Subway - you’ll be asked to ‘enter your zip code for verification’. Type in ‘99999′ when prompted. This indicates that an international card is being used and your transaction will be authorised.

Why have I been charged twice for my restaurant bill?

The way American restaurants add a tip to a bill can make it seem like you’ve been double charged. This is because your card is swiped twice - one for the payment and again once the tip has been added.

Here’s how it works:

Your meal cost $40. Your card will be swiped and the $40 will be deducted from your available balance. If you add a tip ($10 for example), they’ll swipe your card again deducting the amount for the bill again plus the tip. A total of $90 will be deducted from your available balance. The first transaction of $40 will be automatically credited back to your account within 10 working days.

Our tip is to pay for your meal on your RevolutCard and tip with cash!

Have you been to the United States with your RevolutCard, or anywhere else for that matter, and have some handy tips to share with our community? Did you find some ATM’s that didn’t charge or other Revolut hacks? Share them with our community here!