Wink review

The monthly fee is CRC 0, so there is nothing to pay to keep the account open each month. That sits at the lower end of the field, where monthly fees across the site reach as high as €99. The card itself is a debit card on the visa network.

Currency coverage is 2, which is thin for anyone who wants to hold several balances side by side. Wink pairs that with multi-currency, virtual card and travel features in multi currency, virtual card and travel, so spending abroad is covered even though the number of held currencies stays small.

Support runs on help centre and email, so questions go to the help centre or by email. A phone line or live chat is not among those channels, which may matter if you prefer talking a problem through. Written answers suit routine account questions and card basics.

A virtual card is one of the features listed in multi currency, virtual card and travel, alongside multi-currency and travel options. That gives you a separate card number for online shops, and it lets you keep the physical debit card out of use while travelling. It is listed with travel, so it fits trips where you would rather not present the physical card in person.

Wink is built for CR, where Coopenae R.L. operates the account. The physical debit card runs on the visa network, so it is accepted wherever that network works, while the account itself is aimed at local use. Support runs on help centre and email from the same market.

The card type is debit, so spending draws on the money in the account rather than on a credit line, and the monthly fee is CRC 0. A secured credit card such as Varo Believe Secured Credit Card or Chime Card suits a different aim, building a credit record alongside the balance.

The monthly fee of CRC 0 is at the low end of the field, where the median sits at €0 and the highest reaches €99. Conversion costs matter more abroad, since the median conversion fee across the site is 1%. Spending away from home can cost more than the monthly fee ever does.