What do I need to travel to the USA from Ireland?
Irish citizen heading to the USA? Discover exactly what documents you need for a seamless travel.
Using Revolut in the USA from Ireland: Fees and how does it work
The United States is a popular choice for Irish people looking to travel outside of Ireland. But with the US dollar (USD) as the local currency rather than the euro, managing your money can quickly become expensive if you’re not careful with exchange rates and foreign transaction fees.
If you have an Irish Revolut account you might be wondering how well it works in the US. In this guide, we’ll walk you through what you can and can’t do, as well as some of the costs. We’ll also introduce you to the Wise Account, which allows you to easily manage, send, spend and receive US dollars.
Learn more about the
Wise Account 🔎
Does your Irish Revolut account work in the USA?
Yes, your Irish Revolut account will work in the US. But to answer this question fully, let’s break down the different features of a Revolut account and examine how they work in the country.
Can I use my Irish Revolut card in the USA?
Your Revolut card will work most places where Mastercard or Visa is accepted, including in the US.² This means you can pay by card at various businesses, including shops, restaurants, hotels and petrol stations.
If you hold USD in your Revolut account it’ll debit from that balance. Otherwise, Revolut will convert the money from other balances automatically.
For ATM’s only the physical Revolut card will work, while virtual cards can be used online and through compatible digital wallets.
Can you receive US dollars with Revolut?
Irish Revolut accounts allow customers to open balances in 30+ currencies, including USD.¹ However, it only offers local account details for EUR and GBP, so to receive USD you’ll need to do a SWIFT transfer.³
Here’s how to find the account details to do this:
- On the main menu go to “Home”
- Press “Accounts”
- Choose the US dollar balance
- Select “Details”
When it comes to USD transfer, Wise does things a bit differently than Revolut. With Wise you have the option to receive US dollars via local account details. This can mean less fees for you, as the SWIFT system usually has additional costs associated with using it that local transfers don’t - read more about the Swift Payment Network.
Get your US local account
details with Wise 💰
Revolut fees in the USA: What are the charges when using the card?
When you use your Revolut card in the United States there are fees that may apply. Here are some of the main ones to be aware of, and how they compare to the Wise fees.
| Fees | Revolut | Wise |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly subscription fees | Standard - Free⁴ Plus - 3.99 EUR per month Premium - 8.99 EUR per month Metal - 15.99 EUR per month Ultra - 45 EUR per month | None |
| Order a card | Varies depending on the account type, card type and delivery method⁴ | 7 EUR |
| Foreign transaction fee | No fee (if spending in your base currency)⁷ | No fee (if you are spending in the currency you have in your account) |
| Currency conversion fee | Fair usage fee of 1% for Standard accounts and 0.5% for Plus accounts after monthly exchange limit is used⁵ Additional fees of 1% for Standard accounts and 0.5% for Plus accounts apply on weekend⁴ | Variable fee starting at 0.61% |
| ATM withdrawals | 2% of the withdrawal (minimum 1 EUR) after monthly free allowance is used. Free allowance varies depending on plan.⁵ | Withdraw up to 200 EUR per month in 2 or less withdrawals for free. After this it’s 1.75% + 0.5 EUR per withdrawal |
Revolut exchange rate: What you need to pay attention to
When converting between USD, EUR and any other supported currencies, Revolut uses its own exchange rate. According to Revolut, it's a variable rate and based on different independent sources.⁵
🔎 Keep in mind: weekend surcharges will apply if you have a Standard or Plus account, of 1% and 0.5%, respectively.⁵
By comparison, Wise always uses the mid-market exchange rate (the same you normally see on Google) with no markups or weekend fees. This makes it easier to understand exactly how much you’re paying when converting between currencies.
Is Revolut available in the US?
If you’re moving from Ireland to reside in the US you can open a Revolut account there.⁶
| Read more: Wise vs Revolut |
|---|
Wise Account: Manage, spend, send and receive US dollars
As we already touched during this article, the Wise Account is also an option for spending in the US. And there is more you can do with it.
With the Wise Account you can:
- Hold 40+ currencies and convert between them at the [mid-market rate](https://growth-layer.live/ie/mid-market-rate. We will show our conversion fees upfront
- Get local account details in 8+ currencies, including USD, GBP, and EUR
- Receive cashback on EUR, GBP and USD held in your account
- Order a Wise debit card which you can use with our Smart Conversion technology]
- Set up Auto Conversions based on your desired rate in the Wise app or use our Wise Rate Tracker to request exchange rate notifications directly to your email
- Create Wise Virtual Cards, and save on online shopping
- Get instant notifications of all your purchases via the Wise app so you can track your expenses. If you lose your card, you can easily cancel it in the app to keep your money safe
- Have a supporting, English-speaking customer service
Open your Wise Account
for free 🚀
Sources used:
- Revolut - Supported currencies for holding
- Revolut - Where can I use my Revolut Card?
- Revolut - My account details and IBAN
- Revolut - Compare plans
- Revolut - Personal Fees (Standard)
- Revolut - Supported countries where I can sign up for Revolut
- Revolut - Card fees
Sources last checked on date: 5 August 2025
*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.
We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
