Lydia review

The monthly fee is €0 on the account, so there is no standing charge for holding the card. That figure places Lydia first of 419 brands in our data on monthly fee. Any other cost you meet comes from how you use the card rather than from keeping it open.

The currency conversion fee is 0%, so card spending in a foreign currency carries no conversion markup. Lydia ranks first of 259 brands in our data on currency conversion. The card is a debit card, so it draws on the balance you hold.

Lydia issues a debit card, which spends directly from your own balance rather than borrowing. A virtual card is also part of the package through virtual card, useful for online spending. The account is built around the card, with a monthly fee of €0.

Yes. A virtual card is included through virtual card, alongside the physical debit card. Many providers in our data offer a virtual card as a separate feature, so it is worth checking whether it is bundled here at no extra cost, given that the monthly fee is €0.

It fits readers who want a card with nothing to pay monthly, since the monthly fee is €0, and who spend abroad without a conversion charge, since the currency conversion fee is 0%. It suits a straightforward card rather than a wide set of currency or travel features.

Both list a monthly fee of €0 for Lydia and £0 for Wise, so neither charges a standing monthly amount. The wider difference is scope: Lydia's package here covers a debit card and a virtual card through virtual card, so read each provider's own pricing before settling.

It is a debit card, meaning purchases come out of money you already hold and no borrowing is added to the balance. If you want a credit card instead, the alternatives listed here include secured cards, which work differently from this debit arrangement.