Travelling with my Revolut card. How can I protect the funds?

I've even had it happen that the hotel takes an approval on my card when I check in (normal practice is to then use the approval to process the payment), and then run a separate payment on check out, this tying up even more funds than they should while I wait for the approval to expire.
 
Why not get the hotel to take the payment rather than letting it be a 'hold' on your card.
 
There are two risks to be mindful off, having your phone stolen, second is your card being stolen. These are not risks bespoke to Revolut when travelling abroad.

There are multiple security measures you can take.

  1. Turn on biometrics to access your account.
  2. Ensure passcode is different to the passcode used to unlock your phone
  3. Ensure your phone auto locks quickly
  4. Freeze card in the App after each use
  5. Keep money in pockets / savings accounts so that your balance is low incase card is stolen no transactions can happen
  6. If using saving accounts turn on the selfie feature that requires you to take a selfie and have it verified before money can be taken out.
  7. Set up your web access to Revolut so that you can block cards should you lose your phone etc
 
Dr Strangelove said:
My experience with a Revolut debit card in the US was that it was not that long. Can’t remember exactly but payment reverted within at most 48 hrs of checkout.
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Yes, though it tends to vary a lot depending on the hotel (or sometimes even location!) in question. Regardless, your funds are held throughout the duration of the stay and thereafter which can be a right dose if you hadn't bargained on it. Given the time lag with a credit card, it's not an issue at all really.
 
Why woukd you feel the need to 'protect' your funds. What do you mean by 'protect'. Protect from what, what do you envisage could happen?.
Suppose better question is - why does having funds with Revolut concern you re 'protection' more so than having your funds in another way?
 
You must be living in a well protected bubble to pose that question!
 
dubliner8 said:
You must be living in a well protected bubble to pose that question!
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I think it's a valid statement. Most of the points been made could apply to any debit/credit card. Especially the alleged stories when it's clear that a phone was stolen having been left unlocked in one case.
 
Most (admittedly not all) of the revolut scams are applicable to many other cards/online banking and there's a lot of good advice in this thread that would help protect for both. Millions of users, including me, have used revolut perfectly safely for well over 5 years now and in that time have I have faced scams on my AIB credit card and attempts at my BOI debit card but nothing, fingers crossed, yet on Revolut.
One additional general bit of advice is to review what can happen (revolut and others) if people snatch your phone in an unlocked state. e.g. is your email accessible without password protection (this is where many trip up as people can then change passwords, and enter the email to verify etc).
Then general phone safety - do you need to get it out and unlock it on a metro train or can you wait until you get off the train? The number of people I see walking around cities with a €1000+ phone as a map on holiday is mental - literally you may as well advertise you're not local and have something worth stealing!!
 
dubliner8 said:
You must be living in a well protected bubble to pose that question!
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But what specifically concerns you or the OP about Revolut more so than any other app, bank or way of carrying money. None of them are without flaws.
 
I’ve had instances in the US where I’ve set-off with more than enough money for the trip and I’ve had to access cash from elsewhere because I’ve ended up with so many holds and charges on my card which then reverse, which is fine, but there’s a period where you can run low on money.

e.g. I check into a hotel and they take a hold on, say, $4,000 for the stay. They then stick a hold on $500 a day to cover incidentals, of which I have very few because I’m off spending $500 somewhere else. So now I’m down $10,000 after 6 nights. Then they charge me $4,000 for my stay when I check out, but the holds don’t fall away immediately, so I’m down $14,000 even though I’ve only spent $7,000. Then I head somewhere else and I’ve no cash so I have to take it from elsewhere and a few days later I get the money on hold back, but by then I’ve been hit with other holds. It’s a mess. It’s like you need $16,000 to spend $8,000.
 
Following some posts on this website, I now have locks on individual apps on my phone, such as messages and Gmail.
 
Does the 150 limit only apply to tapping ? And do google/apple pay just ignore this ?
 
Bronte said:
Not sure what that means but we did a big holiday in America two years ago without revolut.
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Indeed, but I prefer the exchange rate offered by Revolut and the absence of non-Euro transaction fee. Many posters have said they would not keep more than a couple of hundred on their Revolut card. I have several thousand on it and I have been wondering if that's risky. Ironically, my BoI credit card was subject to a spurious charge on my way to the US in February but a phonecall to BoI got it cancelled, at a cost of €18 for the call! However, luckily I had another cc and Revolut to pay my way.
 
  1. Tap 'Accounts' and 'Add new'
  2. Select 'Pockets'
  3. Choose your Pocket type and follow the instructions
 
theresa1 said:
  1. Tap 'Accounts' and 'Add new'
  2. Select 'Pockets'
  3. Choose your Pocket type and follow the instructions
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Thanks I see that now. However, to set up a Canadian dollar pocket, I have to fund it from the € acc and pay exchange rate and fair usage plus weekend charge, today and tomorrow only.
 
Slim said:
Thanks I see that now. However, to set up a Canadian dollar pocket, I have to fund it from the € acc and pay exchange rate and fair usage plus weekend charge, today and tomorrow only.
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There will always be a fee for converting FX with any company. In revolut it is best to convert during the week when markets are open otherwise they charge you additional fee to offset the risk. I would imagine the EUR/CAD exchange rate is going to be fairly stable over the next few months, so you can either create a EUR pocket and convert to CAD when needed or convert to CAD now.
 
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