Vanquis review
Updated September 28, 2026 · DebitCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Vanquis is a credit card built for travel, and it charges £0 a month with a 0% currency conversion fee. That combination suits applicants with poor credit who want a visa card for spending abroad rather than a multi-currency account that holds your own balance.
Key facts
- Best for
- Travel spending on a credit card with a £0 monthly fee and a 0% currency conversion fee.
- Monthly fee
- £0 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Currency conversion fee
- 0% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Card network
- Visa (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Help-centre, Phone (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Features
- Travel
- Official website
- vanquis.com
Credit cards
Apps and profiles
- Elsewhere
- WikidataWikipediaLinkedInTrustpilot
Pros and cons
Pros
- No monthly charge: the travel credit card carries a monthly fee of £0.
- A currency conversion fee of 0% on a visa card, so card spending abroad adds no conversion cost.
- Built around travel and aimed at poor credit, so it opens for applicants with a weaker file.
- Support runs on help centre and phone, so a phone line covers problems while away.
Cons
- It is a credit card, so the balance is borrowed and repaid rather than taken from a current account.
- Support is limited to help centre and phone, with no live chat listed.
- Only visa is listed for this card, so there is no other network option on the same product.
Who it suits
- Travellers who want travel features and a 0% currency conversion fee on a card costing £0 a month.
- Applicants with poor credit who find cards aimed at stronger files closed to them.
- People content to hold credit and settle the balance later, who want a visa card.
Who should look elsewhere
- Wise, if holding a multi-currency account matters more than travel credit, since Wise charges a 0.1% currency conversion fee.
- Bitpanda, which lists a €0 monthly fee, if you would rather not carry a credit balance.
- bunq Spain, which lists a €0 monthly fee, for spending in euro without borrowing.
Fees and FX
On the travel credit card, the monthly fee is £0 and the currency conversion fee is 0%, so holding the account and spending abroad both sit at the low end of this comparison. Nothing has to be paid to keep the card month to month, and purchases in another currency cost 0%. The figures apply to the travel card itself.
How Vanquis compares
9.2 vs 9.4
9.2 vs 9.0
9.2 vs 8.9
9.2 vs 9.2
9.2 vs 8.8
9.2 vs 8.5
9.2 vs 8.5
9.2 vs 9.0
9.2 vs 8.8bunq Spain lists a €0 monthly fee, which suits euro spending rather than borrowing.
9.2 vs 8.8
9.2 vs 8.7
9.2 vs 9.2Bitpanda lists a €0 monthly fee, a similar monthly cost on a different spending model.
9.2 vs 9.0
9.2 vs 8.9
9.2 vs 8.8
9.2 vs 9.6
9.2 vs 9.4
9.2 vs 9.4
9.2 vs 9.2
9.2 vs 9.1
9.2 vs 9.1
9.2 vs 9.1
9.2 vs 9.1
9.2 vs 8.8
9.2 vs 8.8- 9.2 vs 8.8
- 9.2 vs 8.8
9.2 vs 8.8- 9.2 vs 8.8
9.2 vs 8.5
9.2 vs 8.5
9.2 vs 8.5
9.2 vs 8.3
9.2 vs 8.2
9.2 vs 8.0
9.2 vs 8.0
Where Vanquis is available
- Available
- United Kingdom
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What does the Vanquis travel card cost to hold?+
The travel credit card carries a monthly fee of £0, which is the standing cost on the account. The other number that matters for travel is the currency conversion fee of 0%. Both figures are set out for the travel card rather than for the wider Vanquis range.
How much does it cost to spend in another currency?+
Spending outside the card's home currency costs 0%, and that figure is what separates this card from most of the travel range. On the site's comparison, Vanquis ranks 1 of 259 brands on currency conversion fee.
Do I need a strong credit file to get this card?+
Vanquis lists poor credit for the card, so it targets applicants whose file is not strong. The trade-off sits in the card kind, since this is a credit card and the balance gets repaid rather than taken from a current account.
Which network does the card run on?+
The card runs on visa, the network most common in this comparison. Acceptance abroad is set by the network rather than the issuer, so a visa card travels widely. Support is listed on help centre and phone if a payment is declined.
Is this a debit card or a credit card?+
It is a credit card rather than a debit account, so spending runs on borrowing that has to be settled later. The listed feature set is travel, which points at trip spending and holidays rather than day to day money handling.
What support is there if the card fails abroad?+
Support is listed on help centre and phone, so a phone line and a help centre cover most questions. Worth having the card details to hand before a trip, because the help centre is the first stop if a purchase is blocked. The network is visa, which is useful to quote to a merchant.
Is a cheaper card available if I do not want to borrow?+
Wise charges a 0.1% currency conversion fee, above the 0% on this card. On monthly cost the alternatives sit at €0 for Bitpanda and €0 for bunq Spain, close to the £0 here.
Is Vanquis the right card for me?+
It suits travellers who want travel features and a 0% currency conversion fee on a credit card, particularly with poor credit. People who want a multi-currency account rather than borrowing may prefer an alternative. Listed support is help centre and phone.
Sources
- vanquis.com/credit-cards checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Card kind, Credit needed
“Compare our credit cards”
- vanquis.com/credit-cards/travel-credit-card checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Features, Currency conversion fee, Monthly fee, Card network, Support channels
“The Vanquis Travel Credit Card does not charge foreign transaction fees”
Compiled from 2 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Free ATM withdrawals, Card type, Protection.
Vanquis
Travel spending on a credit card with a £0 monthly fee and a 0% currency conversion fee.