Starling Personal Account Debit Card review
Updated September 28, 2026 · DebitCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Starling Personal Account Debit Card suits anyone in the UK who wants a set monthly fee and a currency conversion fee of 0%, and it is a comfortable pick for kids' spending too. Overdraft borrowing is the one cost to watch, with an APR of 15%.
Key facts
- Best for
- A set-fee debit card for UK everyday spending and travel abroad.
- Monthly fee
- £0 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Currency conversion fee
- 0% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Free ATM withdrawals
- £0 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Card type
- Debit (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Card network
- Mastercard (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Starling Bank Limited (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Founded
- 2014 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Chat, Phone, Help-centre, Community (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Features
- Virtual card, Travel
- Audience
- Kids
- Official website
- starlingbank.com
Credit cards
- Annual fee
- £0 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- APR
- 15% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Currency conversion fee
- 0% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Rewards type
- None (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Perks
- Spaces, Bills Manager, Spending Intelligence, Scam Intelligence, Real-time transaction history, 24/7 support, Free ATM withdrawals worldwide (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Card kind
- Credit (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Starling Bank Limited (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Founded
- 2014 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Chat, Phone, Help-centre, Community (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Pricing model
- No annual fee
- Features
- Virtual card, Travel
- Audience
- Kids
Apps and profiles
- Get the app
- App Store
Pros and cons
Pros
- Monthly fee of £0 on a debit card, with an annual fee of £0
- Currency conversion fee of 0%, better than Wise at 0.1%
- Free ATM withdrawals worldwide, listed in its perks alongside real-time transaction history and 24/7 support
- A virtual card and travel support sit alongside the physical card, and the account is aimed at kids
- Support runs on chat, phone and help centre
Cons
- Borrowing costs an APR of 15%
- The card is on the Mastercard network, which is the smaller side of the site split
- There is no rewards structure: rewards type is none
- Free ATM withdrawals sit lower in the site ranking than the fee and FX figures
Who it suits
- UK residents who want a set monthly fee of £0 on a debit card
- Anyone spending in several currencies who values a currency conversion fee of 0%
- Parents opening an account for kids, with free ATM withdrawals worldwide in the perks
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone wanting cashback, since rewards type is none
- Borrowing cheaply, given an APR of 15%
- US readers, who would be better served by Varo Believe Secured Credit Card at a monthly fee of $0 or Chime Card (Secured Visa Credit Card) at $0
Fees and FX
The account runs on a set monthly fee of £0 and an annual fee of £0, so the everyday cost of holding it is predictable. That model is common across the market, where the site median monthly fee is €0 and the top of the range reaches €99. The main cost to watch sits elsewhere: borrowing is charged at an APR of 15%, which compares with a site median of 20.97%. Currency conversion on the card costs 0%. The rewards structure is none, so spending does not earn cashback, points or miles here.
Using it abroad
The currency conversion fee is 0%, which puts spending abroad at the cheapest end of the market and below the site median of 1%. ATM withdrawals are free worldwide as part of the account's perks, so the card's own allowance is £0. The card runs on the Mastercard network, which is accepted widely abroad. A virtual card is also available for online spending, and travel features are listed among the account's perks.
How it compares on our data
On our data, the card places at position 1 of 259 brands for currency conversion fee, and at position 1 of 419 for monthly fee. Free ATM withdrawals rank differently: position 41 of 115. Against a site median ATM free allowance of €0, a typical brand charges for withdrawals while this one lists free ATM withdrawals worldwide among its perks. Overall the account scores 7 out of ten.
Everyday use
The card is a debit card on the Mastercard network, so spending comes straight out of the current account balance rather than a credit line. Free ATM withdrawals are listed among the perks, and the account also includes a virtual card. Day to day tools include real-time transaction history, plus the Spaces, Bills Manager, Spending Intelligence and Scam Intelligence features listed in the perks. Help is available through chat, phone and help centre, backed by 24/7 support.
The company behind it
The account is provided by Starling Bank Limited, based in the United Kingdom, and was founded in 2014. It is authorised and regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority, with reference number 730166. Customers can reach the bank through chat, phone and help centre, and 24/7 support is listed among the account's perks. Around 273 of the brands on our site carry licences.
How Starling Personal Account Debit Card compares
9.1 vs 9.4
9.1 vs 9.0
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9.1 vs 8.5
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9.1 vs 9.2
9.1 vs 9.0
9.1 vs 8.9
9.1 vs 8.8
9.1 vs 9.6
9.1 vs 9.4
9.1 vs 9.4
9.1 vs 9.2
9.1 vs 9.1
9.1 vs 9.1
9.1 vs 9.1
9.1 vs 9.1
9.1 vs 8.8
9.1 vs 8.8- 9.1 vs 8.8
- 9.1 vs 8.8
9.1 vs 8.8- 9.1 vs 8.8
9.1 vs 8.5
9.1 vs 8.5
9.1 vs 8.5
9.1 vs 8.3
9.1 vs 8.2
9.1 vs 8.0
9.1 vs 8.0
Where Starling Personal Account Debit Card is available
- Available
- United Kingdom
- Licence in United Kingdom
- Prudential Regulation Authority (730166), checked September 26, 2026
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Starling debit card cost to hold?+
The monthly fee is £0 and the annual fee is £0, so holding the account costs nothing at either point. The account also lists free ATM withdrawals worldwide among its perks. Costs appear mainly if you borrow, which is charged at an APR of 15%.
Is there a fee for spending money in another currency?+
No. The currency conversion fee is 0%, and the card supports travel spending abroad. That is well below the site median of 1%. For comparison, Wise charges 0.1% on conversion.
Can I take out cash abroad without paying?+
Free ATM withdrawals are listed among the account's perks, and the free ATM withdrawal allowance is £0. The card runs on the Mastercard network, so it works at ATMs abroad as well as at home. Support runs chat, phone and help centre if a withdrawal is refused.
Is the money in this account protected?+
The provider is Starling Bank Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority under reference 730166. It is a full UK banking licence rather than an e-money setup, with support available through chat, phone and help centre.
Does the card earn any rewards?+
The rewards type is none, so there is no cashback, points or miles structure on the spending. Around 49.5% of the brands on our site do pay cashback. The account pays for itself through the set monthly fee of £0 instead.
Who is this account built for?+
The listed audience is kids, so it works as a first account for younger customers as well as a general personal account. A virtual card and travel support are both offered. Help is available through chat, phone and help centre, with 24/7 support listed among the perks.
Can I get a virtual card as well?+
A virtual card is listed among the account's features, alongside travel features, and the physical card is a debit card. Everyday money tools include real-time transaction history, Spaces, Bills Manager, Spending Intelligence and Scam Intelligence.
Which company runs this account?+
The account is run by Starling Bank Limited, headquartered in the United Kingdom and founded in 2014. Its regulator is the Prudential Regulation Authority. The account model is set as no annual fee, with no rewards attached.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starling_Bank checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Founded
“Founded 18 June 2014; 12 years ago (2014-06-18)”
- starlingbank.com checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Audience, Features, Headquarters, Legal entity, Licences
“Under 16s - The free debit card for kids, managed from your account.”
- starlingbank.com/current-account checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Annual fee, APR, Free ATM withdrawals, Card kind, Pricing model, Monthly fee, Perks, Rewards type, Support channels
“No monthly fees”
- starlingbank.com/travel checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Card type, Currency conversion fee, Card network
“Just use your debit card to spend abroad as normal”
Compiled from 4 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Protection.
Starling Personal Account Debit Card
A set-fee debit card for UK everyday spending and travel abroad.