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I&M Bank Tanzania review

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

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Our verdict

I&M Bank Tanzania suits travellers who want to hold several currencies on one card and pay no conversion charge abroad. It charges a monthly fee of RWF 25,000 and runs on Mastercard, though the monthly cost is higher than the fee-free alternatives listed alongside it.

Key facts

Best for
Travellers holding several currencies who want no currency conversion charge.
Monthly fee
RWF 25,000 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Currency conversion fee
0% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Card type
Prepaid (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Top-up fee
Nil (no card reload fee) (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Card network
Mastercard (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Currencies
4 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
I&M Bank (Rwanda) Plc (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
Rwanda (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Founded
2010 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Support channels
Phone, Email, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Features
Multi-currency, Travel
Official website
imbankgroup.com

Credit cards

Currency conversion fee
0% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Rewards type
Points (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Rewards rate
0.5% on POS and online shopping (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Perks
Unlimited airport lounge access (800+ locations), Up to 50 days credit period (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Card kind
Credit (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
I&M Bank (Rwanda) Plc (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
Rwanda (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Founded
2010 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Support channels
Phone, Email, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Features
Multi-currency, Travel

Apps and profiles

Get the app
App Store
Elsewhere
WikidataX

Pros and cons

Pros

  • No currency conversion charge on spending abroad, the figure I&M Bank Tanzania tops the table for.
  • Top-up is Nil (no card reload fee), so loading the card adds nothing to the balance.
  • A multi-currency card covering 4 currencies, so a single card handles several trips.
  • Support runs through phone, email and help centre, giving a phone line and a help centre as well as email.
  • Runs on mastercard, accepted widely across the countries on the site list.

Cons

  • A monthly fee of RWF 25,000 applies, where both JMMB Moneyline and JMMB Money Transfer prepaid card and CrediMax Cardy EX prepaid Visa charge JMD 0 and BHD 0 for theirs.
  • The card is prepaid, so the balance is loaded before spending rather than drawn from a bank account, unlike a conventional debit card.
  • The monthly fee sits above the prepaid card median of €0, a level most prepaid cards on the site do not charge.
  • The I&M Bank (Rwanda) Plc is supervised in RW by the National Bank of Rwanda, so the account is held in Rwanda rather than the market most readers shop in.
I&M Bank Tanzania

Ready to try I&M Bank Tanzania?

Scored 9.2 / 10 by DebitCue.

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Who it suits

  • Travellers who hold several currencies and want a card that covers each trip.
  • Anyone who spends abroad regularly and would rather avoid a conversion charge.
  • Prepaid users comfortable loading a balance before they spend it.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Readers who want a card with no monthly charge, such as CrediMax Cardy EX prepaid Visa.
  • Anyone wanting a debit card that draws on a bank account, since the card is prepaid.
  • People shopping in a market other than Rwanda, where the licence sits.

Using it abroad

The currency conversion fee is 0%, which is the figure that separates this card from most of the cards in the same category. The site median across all cards sits at 1%, and the median for cards picked for travel is 0%, so a card with any conversion charge adds a cost this card does not. On the comparison, I&M Bank Tanzania is ranked 1 of 259 brands on this measure, and the spread across the site runs from 0% to 10.5%. The card is built for travel, and it is listed under the multi-currency and travel features. It holds 4 currencies, which means a balance can be held across several of them before a trip and spent without a conversion charge in the currency of the merchant. Payments run on mastercard, so acceptance follows that network rather than a single domestic scheme. Cards that the site lists as travel options but that still charge a conversion fee leave that cost in place on every purchase made outside the home currency, and a card listed for no foreign fee caps the worst case at 1.95% rather than at nothing at all.

Using it day to day

The card is prepaid, so money goes on the card first and is then spent from that balance. That structure suits anyone who wants to set aside a fixed amount to spend, or to hold part of a balance in a currency other than the currency they earn in. Payments run on mastercard. Getting help is straightforward through phone, email and help centre. A phone line, an email address and a help centre cover most questions about a payment, a balance or a top-up, and a phone call is the faster route for anything urgent. On the site, 75.6% of cards offer a help centre, 67.3% offer phone support and 58.1% offer email, so this card's channels sit within the range readers see most often. A card that offers only online channels leaves a question about a stuck payment to a form instead of a person.

Fees and currency costs

The monthly fee is RWF 25,000, charged on the card itself. For context, the median monthly fee across the prepaid cards on the site is €0, and the highest reaches €31.38. Among the cards compared here, the fee compares with €5 on Skrill, JMD 0 on JMMB Moneyline and JMMB Money Transfer prepaid card, and BHD 0 on CrediMax Cardy EX prepaid Visa. A card holder who uses the card only for a short trip each year pays the monthly charge for the whole time the card is open, so the number of months in use matters more than any single purchase. The currency conversion fee is 0%, against a site median of 1% and a prepaid median of 0.5%. Loading the card costs Nil (no card reload fee), so the balance is topped up without a separate charge. Between them, the recurring monthly fee and the absence of a conversion charge pull in opposite directions, and the second only matters to a holder who spends in another currency.

Who runs it

The card is issued by I&M Bank (Rwanda) Plc, which is based in Rwanda and founded in 2010. The National Bank of Rwanda is the regulator listed for the business in Rwanda, so the licence and the supervision sit in that market rather than in the country of the brand name on the card. For readers outside Rwanda, that point decides how usable the card is, because a licence in a single market does not extend to another. Questions about the account, the balance or the licence itself go to the bank through phone, email and help centre, which covers phone, email and a help centre. A brand licensed in the reader's own market would answer the same questions under a local regulator, which is a difference worth weighing before applying.

How I&M Bank Tanzania compares

Where I&M Bank Tanzania is available

Available
Rwanda
Licence in Rwanda
National Bank of Rwanda, checked September 26, 2026

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

Frequently asked questions

What does it cost to keep the card open each month?+

The monthly fee is RWF 25,000, charged for as long as the card is open rather than only when it is used. Most prepaid cards on the site sit at a median of €0, and the highest reaches €31.38. The cards compared here charge JMD 0 and BHD 0 for theirs.

Is there a charge when I spend money abroad?+

No. The currency conversion fee is 0%, against a site median of 1%. The card is ranked 1 of 259 brands on this measure, so spending in another currency does not add a conversion cost to the price of the purchase.

What happens when I add money to the card?+

Loading the card is Nil (no card reload fee), so the balance is topped up without a separate charge on top of the amount added. That keeps the cost of funding the card clear, though a holder should note the monthly fee still applies while the card stays open.

How many currencies can the card hold?+

The card covers 4 currencies and is listed under the multi-currency and travel features. A balance can therefore be held across several of them, which suits a reader who earns in a different currency from the market they spend in.

Which network do the payments run on?+

Payments run on mastercard, so acceptance follows that network wherever it is accepted. Cards on other networks are used in different places, which matters for a reader whose spending sits mostly on a single scheme.

Who issues the card and where are they regulated?+

The card comes from I&M Bank (Rwanda) Plc, founded in 2010 and based in Rwanda. The regulator listed for it is the National Bank of Rwanda, so the licence sits in that market and does not extend to other countries.

How do I get help with the account?+

Support runs through phone, email and help centre, which covers phone, email and a help centre. A phone call is the quickest route for a question about a payment or a balance, while the help centre covers written queries.

Is this a debit card or a prepaid card?+

It is a prepaid card, so the balance is loaded onto the card and spent from there rather than drawn straight from a bank account. Readers who want their card to follow the money in a current account would need a debit card instead, as 74.3% of the cards on the site are.

Sources

Compiled from 6 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Not confirmed yet: Free ATM withdrawals, Protection.

I&M Bank Tanzania

I&M Bank Tanzania

Travellers holding several currencies who want no currency conversion charge.

9.2/10See alternatives