VaultLeap review

The monthly fee is $0, and VaultLeap ranks 1 of 419 brands compared on that measure. The charge that does apply is on currency conversion, not on holding a balance, so the card only costs money when money changes currency.

VaultLeap charges 0.5% to convert currency, which places it at 115 of 259 brands compared on conversion cost. Across the site the median conversion fee is 1%, so the number to watch is what each conversion costs you rather than what the card charges to hold.

VaultLeap covers 3 currencies, and the account is described as multi-currency with a travel focus (multi currency and travel). That is enough for a trip funded in a home currency plus a couple of destinations, and thin for anyone splitting spending across a wider set of currencies.

It is a debit card, so spending comes straight from the balance rather than a credit line, and the money has to be there before a payment goes through. The card runs on the visa network, which is the point to check against the terminals you expect to use.

Support runs on email only. That means a question about a payment, a card that has been lost or a conversion rate has to be put in writing and answered in writing, with no phone line to fall back on when something is urgent.

VaultLeap is run by Klydo, Inc., the company named in its terms, and the card is offered in that name. The debit card sits on the visa network, so the entity on the terms is the one behind the card in your wallet.

Both are cheap to hold: VaultLeap's monthly fee is $0 and Wise's is £0, with Starling at £0 and Bitpanda at €0. Monthly cost therefore does not separate them, and the conversion fee of 0.5% is where the comparison turns.

Travel and multi-currency are the features VaultLeap lists (multi currency and travel), and the conversion fee of 0.5% is modest. The limits are the 3 currencies on offer and email-only support, so a traveller with many accounts or a tight schedule gets less from it.