Starling vs Wise: bank account or multi-currency account for your foreign money?
Starling is a UK bank: one free personal account in pounds, an optional euro account, no fee on card payments or cash abroad, and FSCS protection. Wise is a multi-currency account built around transfers: you can hold more than 40 currencies, receive money with local account details in nine of them and convert at the mid-market rate for a visible fee, but it is not a bank.
If you live in the UK, the two are less competitors than partners, and plenty of people use both. The useful question is which one to use for each job: spending abroad, taking out cash, holding euros or dollars, getting paid by a foreign client and sending money to another country. We worked through each case with the fees both providers publish.
At a glance
| Starling Bank | Wise | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | UK bank with one personal account and an optional euro account | Multi-currency account, card and transfer service (e-money) |
| Monthly fee | None | None (the card costs £7 to order; the digital card is free) |
| Card payments abroad | No Starling fee; Mastercard exchange rate | Free in currencies you hold; otherwise Wise’s conversion fee (from 0.24% on the UK pricing page) |
| Cash abroad | No Starling fee; limit of £300 a day | £250 a month free, then 2.69% |
| Hold other currencies | Pounds plus a euro account with its own IBAN | 40+ currencies; local account details in AUD, CAD, EUR, GBP, HKD, HUF, NZD, SGD and USD |
| Send £1,000 to euros | 0.4% conversion fee plus £0.30 delivery (local network), at Starling’s exchange rate | £3.81 in total at the mid-market rate (paying in by bank transfer) |
| Protection | FSCS up to £120,000 | Safeguarded e-money, not covered by the FSCS |
| Who can open it | UK residents aged 16+ | Residents of the UK, EEA, US and many other countries |
Spending and cash abroad
Starling charges nothing for card payments in another currency and uses Mastercard’s exchange rate. Cash withdrawals abroad are also free from Starling, up to a daily limit of £300 in the local currency; the ATM owner may still add its own fee.
Wise works differently. If you already hold the currency in your Wise account, spending it costs nothing. If you do not, Wise converts at the moment of payment and charges its usual conversion fee, the same one it charges for transfers. On the UK pricing page conversions start at 0.24%; for pounds to euros the fee was about 0.33% on our check date. Cash is free up to £250 a month, then 2.69% on the amount above.
Worked example: a week in Spain, €800 by card and €400 in cash
| Starling | Wise (converting pounds as you go) | |
|---|---|---|
| €800 card spending (about £670) | £0 in Starling fees | About £2.20 in conversion fees |
| €400 cash (about £335) | £0, if you spread it over two days (£300 daily limit) | £250 free, then 2.69% on £85: £2.29, plus the conversion fee |
| Total extra cost | £0 | About £5.60 |
Sterling amounts at the mid-market rate on our check date. Always pay and withdraw in euros when a terminal or ATM offers to charge you in pounds.
Holding euros and dollars
Starling’s euro account sits next to your sterling account, has its own IBAN and no monthly fee. Moving money between pounds and euros costs 0.4% on top of the exchange rate, and Starling adds a further 0.5% margin at weekends and on bank holidays, so convert on weekdays. Starling does not offer personal accounts in other currencies: its US dollar account is for limited companies only and is not taking applications at the moment.
Wise lets you hold more than 40 currencies in one account with no monthly fee and gives you local account details in nine, including EUR, USD and GBP. That means a US client can pay you by ACH as if you had an American account, and a Swiss or Australian payer can use AUD, CAD or other details where available.
Getting paid from abroad
Worked example: a client pays you €2,000
Starling: paid into your euro account, the euros arrive free of charge. If you keep them to spend in euros, there is no cost. If you convert all of it to pounds on a weekday, the 0.4% fee is €8; at a weekend, the extra 0.5% margin adds about €10 more.
Wise: paid to your Wise euro account details, a domestic euro payment arrives free. Converting €1,000 from a Wise balance into pounds and sending it to a UK account cost €5.31 on our check date, so roughly €10.60 for €2,000, at the mid-market rate and on any day of the week.
Worked example: a US client pays you $1,500
Starling: a payment in dollars to your personal account is received without a Starling fee, but it is converted into pounds at Starling’s inbound exchange rate, which Starling describes as a mid-market point plus a margin it does not publish as a percentage. The payer will usually have to send it as an international wire.
Wise: the client pays your Wise USD account details. A domestic ACH payment arrives free; a domestic wire costs $6.11 to receive. You then hold the dollars, spend them with the card or convert them when you choose.
Sending money abroad
Starling sends money to 34 countries in 17 currencies. You pay a 0.4% conversion fee on top of Starling’s outbound exchange rate, plus a delivery fee: £0.30 for euros, Polish zloty and US dollars on local networks, £0.90 for Czech koruna and Hungarian forint, and £5.50 for anything that has to go by SWIFT.
Wise shows one fee upfront and converts at the mid-market rate. The fee depends on the currency route and on how you pay in: bank transfer is cheapest, a debit card roughly doubles it.
Worked example: £1,000 to a euro account and £1,000 to a US account
| Transfer | Starling | Wise (bank transfer in) |
|---|---|---|
| £1,000 to EUR | £4.00 (0.4%) + £0.30 = £4.30, at Starling’s rate | £3.81 all in; €1,189.19 received at the mid-market rate |
| £1,000 to USD | £4.00 + £0.30 = £4.30, at Starling’s rate | £4.60 all in; $1,321.84 received |
| £1,000 to a SWIFT-only country | £4.00 + £5.50 = £9.50, at Starling’s rate | Depends on the route; shown before you pay |
Wise quotes from its price calculator on our check date. Starling’s fees are published, but its outbound rate is not described as the mid-market rate, so compare the amount received in each app before sending.
Everyday banking features
- Starling is a full current account: salary, Direct Debits, a Mastercard debit card, cash deposits at the Post Office (free up to £1,000 a calendar year, then 0.7%) and no paid tiers to choose between. A replacement card costs £5, or £10 if it is lost or stolen abroad.
- Wise is not a current account replacement for most UK residents: it has no overdraft or credit, and it is designed for holding, converting and moving money rather than for everyday bills.
- Wise’s card can spend any currency you hold for free, and you can convert in advance when the rate suits you; Starling’s card always converts at the Mastercard rate at the moment of payment.
Availability and protection
Starling Bank Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the FCA and PRA. Eligible deposits, including money in the euro account, are protected by the FSCS up to £120,000 per person. Personal accounts are for UK residents aged 16 or over with the right to reside in the UK.
Wise Payments Limited is an FCA-authorised e-money institution. It safeguards customer money in separate accounts, but Wise balances are not covered by the FSCS. Wise is available far more widely, through Wise Europe SA in the EU, Wise US Inc. in the US and other regulated entities, so it keeps working if you move abroad; a Starling account requires UK residence.
Verdict by use case
| If you… | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Spend abroad by card and take out cash | Starling | No Starling fee on card payments or cash abroad; Wise charges its conversion fee unless you already hold the currency, and 2.69% on cash above £250 a month. |
| Earn or save in euros | Starling or Wise | Starling’s euro account is FSCS-protected with a 0.4% weekday conversion fee; Wise converts at the mid-market rate on any day. |
| Get paid in US dollars or other currencies | Wise | Local account details in USD, EUR and seven other currencies; Starling converts foreign payments to pounds at its own rate. |
| Send money abroad regularly | Wise, checking Starling’s rate | Wise’s mid-market price is visible upfront; Starling’s fee is low but its exchange rate is its own. |
| Want bank deposit protection | Starling | FSCS up to £120,000; Wise balances are safeguarded but not FSCS-covered. |
| Might move outside the UK | Wise | Available in the EEA, the US and more; Starling needs UK residence. |
Our view: for a UK resident, Starling is the better main account and the better travel card for card payments and cash. Wise is the better tool for being paid in dollars and other currencies and for regular transfers at the mid-market rate. Keeping both costs nothing a month.
Frequently asked questions
Is Starling or Wise better for spending abroad?
Starling, if you live in the UK. It charges no fee on card payments or cash abroad and uses the Mastercard rate, with a £300 daily cash limit. Wise is free only in currencies you already hold; otherwise it charges its conversion fee, and cash above £250 a month costs 2.69%.
Can I hold euros with Starling?
Yes. Starling’s euro account has its own IBAN and no monthly fee. Converting between pounds and euros costs 0.4%, plus a 0.5% margin at weekends and on bank holidays.
Does Starling offer a personal US dollar account?
No. Starling’s USD account is for limited companies only and is not currently accepting applications. Wise gives personal customers USD account details.
Which is cheaper for sending £1,000 to Europe?
On our check date Wise charged £3.81 all in at the mid-market rate. Starling charges £4.30 (0.4% plus £0.30) on top of its own exchange rate, so compare the euros the recipient will get in each app.
Is my money safer with Starling than with Wise?
Starling is a bank, so eligible deposits are covered by the FSCS up to £120,000. Wise safeguards customer money in separate accounts, but its balances are not covered by the FSCS.
Can I use both?
Yes, and many UK residents do: Starling as the main account and travel card, Wise for foreign-currency income and transfers. Neither charges a monthly fee.
Sources
Every fee on this page was checked against these official provider pages on .
- Starling — personal account schedule and fees (effective 31 May 2026)
- Starling — travel and spending abroad
- Starling — euro account
- Starling — send money abroad
- Starling — international payment fees by country
- Starling — USD business account
- Starling — FSCS protection
- Wise — pricing (UK)
- Wise — card fees (UK)
- Wise — price calculator quote (GBP to EUR, 1,000)
- Wise — price calculator quote (GBP to USD, 1,000)
- Wise — price calculator quote (EUR to GBP, 1,000)
- Wise Help — currencies you can hold and receive
- Wise Help — fees for receiving money by SWIFT
- Wise — US long-form fee disclosure (receiving USD wires)
- Wise Help — UK safeguarding (Wise Payments Ltd)
Fees, limits and availability change and can differ by country and account type. Worked examples apply each provider's published fee rules to round amounts; exchange rates move constantly, so confirm the final price in the provider's app before you pay. How we check fees is explained on our methodology page.