🥇 Curve Card – Review 2022 + bonus £5

Item: Curve Card
Rating: 5
Author: Libor Tušar

What is the Curve payment Card and what is its main function?

This card is a bit different than the others. I like the concept this company has come up with and, in this case, their unique idea. Curve Card is a British (physical) payment card, which is smarter than Your regular card issued by banks. Main function of this card is to pair all Your current payment cards into one, Curve. This will help You save wallet space. If You own only two cards, it may not be of such use to You, but in case You are using three or more cards, You will greatly appreciate this gadget. Even though Curve Card is issued by a British company, it fully supports most world’s banks cards. I can confirm following ones which I have personally tested: Revolut, Monese, Monso, N26, TransferWise and Raiffeisenbank.

Curve Card Blue functions

International ATM withdrawals in foreign currency without any fees and at a wholesale currency exchange rate.
Cash withdrawals from all ATM’s are free of fees up to 200 EUR/month.
Payments in all local and foreign shops (both brick-and-mortar and e-shops) are without fees and at a wholesale currency exchange rate, regardless if you pay in CZK or other foreign currency.
Curve uses a wholesale currency table for any foreign currency conversions. Transactions are free up to 500 EUR/month.
Curve will unite all of your physical and virtual cards into one.
Easy and free transaction between Curve Card friends with limit 500 GBP/day.
The application is continuously creating one time axis for all cards, where You can clearly see all of Your cards’ payments. Payment categorization support is a matter of course, so You can always monitor what You are spending Your money on.
You can mark each payment with a textual label, or pair it with a receipt photograph. Subsequently, You can filter all of Your payments with the same label (for example: „vacation“), and easily calculate how much money You have spent during Your vacation.
Cash-back 1% for 90 days when paying at selected businesses (for example Shell, Lidl, Tesco, Ikea, McDonald’s etc.) You will find the complete list of supported businesses here.
The possibility to take the payment back in time by 14 days. The Go Back in Time function is free and it gives You the option to move Your payment (max. 500 EUR/month) to a different card, paired within the Curve application, up to 14 days from the day of Your actual payment.
Curve Card will keep Your other cards secure on the internet. When You are using it for an online payment, the business You are buying from will not be able to see the actual card number, expiration date or CVC code of the card paired within the Curve application. In this manner, the original card is completely hidden from the merchant. Any refunds in the event of a complaint or a warranty claim work without problems.
Any cash withdrawal or a payment done via Curve Card is followed by a notification on Your mobile phone. In the case of a theft, or card loss, You can immediately lock Your Card for any further transactions, using Your mobile application. If You happen to find Your Card afterwards, You can simply unlock it and keep freely using it. If this happened with Your regular bank card, You would have to wait until the bank issued You a new one.
Deposit function comes in handy when booking a hotel or renting a car.
Card insurance against misuse up to the amount of 100 000 EUR.

Curve Card Black functions

All the Curve Card Blue functions + additional ones:

Cash-back 1% for an unlimited time when paying at selected businesses (for example: Shell, Lidl, Tesco, Ikea, McDonald’s etc.) You will find the complete list of supported businesses here.
Curve uses a wholesale currency table for any foreign currency conversions. Transactions are without any monthly limits.
The possibility to take the payment back in time by 14 days. The Go Back in Time function is free and it gives You the option to move Your payment (max. 1000 EUR/month) to a different card, paired within the Curve application, up to 14 days from the day of Your actual payment.
Travel insurance (only valid for UK, FR, DE, IE, IT, PT and ES nationals).
Electronics insurance (only valid for UK, FR, DE, IE, IT, PT and ES nationals).

How can I get my Curve Card?

The only way to obtain it is to place an order via Curve application (available for Android and iOS), which You can download for free onto your smartphone. Use this promo link to download app to get bonus (You and me) £5 onto our cash-back Curve accounts. You can use this bonus later for any payments you are making with Your Curve Card. Your Card will be delivered by post within 3 working days from the day You have placed the order. The first transaction must be made within 7 days of registration to get bonus!

How much will Curve Card cost me?

Basic Curve Blue version is free. There are no monthly fees and no issuing or shipping charges (if You have used the promo code). The other option is Curve Black. The advantage of Curve Black is the option to add up to three cash-back partners, for an unlimited period of time. Another benefit of Curve Black are higher limits for fee-less transactions and ATM withdrawals. Curve Black will cost You 9,99 EUR/month. Highest ranked Card – Metal is not currently available in all coutries. This Card boasts the option to add up to six cash-back partners. The Card itself is made of actual metal. For a casual traveller, Curve Blue is more than enough. I am currently using Curve Black, but I have used Curve Blue during my first year.

What are the fees for ATM withdrawals and transactions?

ATM withdrawals in foreign currency abroad are free (with a paired card in CZK currency) up to £200 per month (Curve Blue), after +2% fee from the withdrawn amount or £2. It depends on which amount is higher (2% fee versus £2). With Curve Black it is free up to £400 per month, after +2% or £2. Again, it is the bigger amount that counts (2% fee versus £2). Most banks would ordinarily charge You a 5% fee. Link to an official price list.
ATM withdrawals in local currency within your country are free (with a paired card in your local currency).
Payments in foreign currency abroad (both in brick-and-mortar shops and e-shops) are free of currency conversion fees up to £500 per month (Curve Blue), after +2% fee, limit-less for Curve Black. Most banks would ordinarily charge You a 5% fee. Link to an official price list.
Payments in your local currency within your country are, of course, fee-less (both in brick-and-mortar shops and e-shops).
If You are withdrawing or paying in foreign currency during weekends, count with an 0.5% fee for all transactions in currencies: GBP, EUR, USD and with an 1.5% fee for all other currencies. If, however, the paired card You are paying with is in the same currency like Your payment or withdrawal, there is no currency conversion and hence no fees.

What does Curve Card make its money on?

Since there are no monthly fees with Curve Card Blue, surely You must be wondering, where the company gets their profit from. It is Your card transactions that help Curve earn its money. Curve pays the bank 0,2-0,3 %, then it cashes in the remaining 1-1,6% of the transaction value from the payment terminal operator. Curve also profits on currency exchange. Globally speaking, tens of thousands of exchanges can add up to some very interesting amounts.

How to choose a payment card that You want to use for Your transactions or ATM withdrawals?

It is simple. Open the Curve application on Your smartphone and swipe to pick Your desired card from the list, then confirm it by tapping its picture. In case You do not have enough time to choose between cards, use Curve with the last card you opted for, and then from the comfort of Your home, take advantage of the function Go Back in Time to match the transaction with a card of Your choice.

Curve mobile application functions

You can use it to do all of the following and more: adding new payment cards, picking the card You want to pay with, monitoring the transactions on all Your cards, lock Your Curve Card, display the current PIN of Your Curve Card, show monthly Card limits and monthly payment overviews sorted into categories (food, electronics, travel…).

My observations on day to day use

I have had the Card since the beginning of October 2018, so I take the liberty of saying: „everything is working fine, as promised by Curve Card“. In all this time, the system had 5 drop-outs during which I could not use my Card for a little bit. The operator has apologized for these outages via notification. But first things first. The issuing and shipping of the Card went fine. Also, adding my cards to the application was without a problem. I have made my first contact payment at a shop, and thus activated the Card. I have also tried contactless payments and they are working without a glitch. As soon as You have made Your payment, a notification appears on Your phone. I really like the well worked-out expenses overview within the application. I have tested the cash-back function at a Shell gas station and in IKEA, and indeed I have been credited 1% back from both of my payments, on the very same day. When looking at one of my regular cards’ bank statements, Curve Card payments or ATM withdrawals are shown as internet transaction with a CRV prefixed, and based in London.

Curve Card and Apple Pay

You can link your Curve Card to your iPhone or Apple Watch and pay by Apple Pay. I tested this function and works preferctly.

Conclusion

Personally, what I like the most is the idea of unifying all Your cards into one, while using only one PIN. I do have to say that if I am working with foreign currencies, I prefer the Revolut Card and its additional functions. For this reason, I have my Revolut Card added into Curve Card. Another function I really enjoy is the card locking within the Curve application. All it takes is a situation when You can’t find Your wallet, where all of Your documents and cards are. At first You break up in sweat, but after your pulse rate has gone down, You can reach into Your pocked to find Your phone and open the Curve application. Then it is just a matter of seconds to lock Your Card. After a while of confused running around the house, You realize Your wallet has been in Your jacket pocket all along. With a feeling of relief You open Your application once more, this time to unlock Your Card. The issuing and use of Curve Blue will not cost You anything, so why not give it a try…

Use this promo link to download app to get bonus (You and me) £5 onto our cash-back Curve accounts. You can use this bonus later for any payments you are making with Your Curve Card. The first transaction must be made within 7 days of registration to get bonus!

Oficial Features

Anti-Embarrassment Mode (Backup Card)

If your selected card doesn’t go through, we’ll automatically try the backup card you choose, so you can pay without panic. Every time. Setting up your backup cards Step 1: Go to your “account” in the Curve app Step 2: Tap “settings” on the top right corner Step 3: Scroll to “features” and tap “Anti-Embarrassment Mode”.
Feature available on all 3 cards : Curve Blue, Curve Black, Curve Metal Cashback

Earn money when you spend money.

Get 1% instant cashback from your choice of 100+ retailers. From global brands like Apple, ASOS, and IKEA to major supermarkets, to everyday go-tos like Uber and Amazon.Your cashback will go straight into a Curve Cash card on the app, which you can spend right away. Cashback on top of cashback.Already get similar cashback rewards with one of your other cards? Amazing! Now you’ll get 1% on top when you pay with that card through Curve. That’s double the cashback on a single payment… we’re nice like that.
Feature available on all 3 cards : Curve Blue (3 retails for 90days) , Curve Black (3 retailers , unlimited), Curve Metal (6 retailers, unlimited)

Go Back in time (GBIT)

Free up cash when you need it Our unique ‘Go Back in Time’ feature* lets you switch payments from a debit card to credit card, up to 3 months after the payment was made – helping you spread the cost and earn those juicy credit card rewards. Go Back in Time doesn’t just help you correct accidental payments. Move past payments from debit cards to credit cards, and you can spread the cost of any payment to improve your immediate cash flow. Steps – just TAP , SWIPE AND SWITCH Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Nhf_33Bn2U
Feature available on all 3 cards : Curve Blue, Curve Black, Curve Metal

Access to fair FX rates

Get fair exchange rates on all your cards / Spend on adventures, not fees. On all your cards, free ATM withdrawals (limits apply) abroad, greater security against loss, and cashback at the likes of Easyjet and Booking.com – yep, you definitely need to add Curve to your travel checklist. 24/7 customer support wherever you have a signal. The Curve foreign exchange rate typically offers a lower markup than the big banks. Because any card you add to Curve automatically adopts our rate, you never have to worry about getting screwed over by your bank or a Bureau de Change kiosk ever again Feature available on all 3 cards: Curve Blue (acces up to £500/month), Curve Black (unlimited), Curve Metal (unlimited) ATM Withdrawal Free ATM withdrawals Dreading ATM fees? Don’t – you can take out up to 200£/month, totally free.
Feature available on all 3 cards Fee – free foreign ATM withdrawals : Curve Blue (£200/month), Curve Black (£400/month), Curve Metal (£600/month)

Balances

See all your money at a glance Switching from app to app? Ain’t nobody got time for that. You can see all accounts in the “My Money” tab to get a 360° view of your balances in one place. (UK only, coming soon for the EEA.) Add an account to get started. See what you’re spending on your accounts at once with Curve insights. Modernise your old school bank with instant notifications, get categorised breakdowns of your total spend, see your bank balances in one place and track old transactions across your accounts. Great for transparency, terrible for realising how much you spend on coffee.
Feature available on all 3 cards : Curve Blue, Curve Black, Curve Metal

Loyalty Cards

Never miss a reward. Add your loyalty cards to the Curve app and ditch the physical cards for good. From Boots to Tesco’s*, they’re all on hand so you’ll never miss out on rewards again. Just don’t forget your phone! How does it work? Step 1: Head to “Loyalty” in your Curve Wallet Step 2: Tap the retailer you want to add and scan the barcode on your physical card. Step 3: There is no step 3. Your loyalty is now stored in Curve forever Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN0VE-erK7s
Feature available on all 3 cards : Curve Blue, Curve Black, Curve Metal

Apple Pay

Phone. Wallet. Keys. Drop the wallet and pay fast and cardless with Apple Pay.Not all banks support Apple Pay. Until added via Curve.Apple Pay can’t give you cashback. But we can. Head to ‘Settings’ on your phone to make Curve your default card in the ‘Wallet & Apple Pay’ tab
Available on all 3 cards : Curve Blue, Curve Black, Curve Metal

Google Pay

Phone. Wallet. Keys. Drop the wallet and pay fast and cardless with Google Pay.Not all banks support Google Pay. Until added via Curve.Google Pay can’t give you cashback. But we can. Google pay: Open the Goople Pay app, tap ‘Payment’, choose Curve and tap ‘Make default’
Available on all 3 cards : Curve Blue, Curve Black, Curve Metal

Samsung Pay

Phone. Wallet. Keys. Drop the wallet and pay fast and cardless with Google Pay.Not all banks support Google Pay. Until added via Curve.Google Pay can’t give you cashback. But we can. Samsung pay: Open ‘Apps’, ‘Settings’, then ‘NFC and payment’, and finally ‘Touch and Pay’ to make Curve your default.
Available on all 3 cards : Curve Blue, Curve Black, Curve Metal

Mobile Insurance

Protect your phone Integrated mobile phone insurance means your most precious asset is safe in our hands, even if it’s not always safe in yours.
Available on: Curve Metal

Lounge Key

Worldwide Airport LoungeKey Access.
Available on: Curve Metal

Metal Card

Steel the show Sleek, minimal, and over 3 times as heavy as your average credit card, Curve Metal looks and feels superior to any other card in your wallet. Purchase Protection Your purchases could be protected up to £100,000.Shop fearlessly knowing that if something you buy doesn’t do what it says on the tin, you could get your money back with Curve Customer Protection*.
Available on all 3 cards : Curve Blue, Curve Black, Curve Metal

Rental Car Collision Waiver Insurance

£25K rental car collision damage waiver Available on: Curve Metal Send Send money from any of your cards to anyone in your contacts, with just a few taps in the app.
Feature available on all 3 cards : Curve Blue, Curve Black, Curve Metal

Travel insurance

Travel with cover Lost bag? Flight delayed? We’ll cover it. Including up to €15M in medical costs.
Available on all 2 cards: Curve Black, Curve Metal

FAQ – frequently asked questions about Curve Card:

How do I get my Curve Card for free + £5 bonus?

To get Your Card for free (along with shipping to your country) and the additional £5 bonus, all You need to do is use this link to download app.

What is a Curve payment card?

Main function of this card is to pair all Your current payment cards into one, Curve. This will help You save wallet space. If You own only two cards, it may not be of such use to You, but in case You are using three or more cards, You will greatly appreciate this gadget.

Is using Curve Card free?

Yes, both; keeping of the Card and all Card payments are free of charge. The company makes their money on fees from the businesses, with each Card purchase You make.