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Following on from my Curve vs Nationwide post, I have been looking at how the Curve Metal service compares with the Mono Premium and Revolut Metal bank accounts.
Of course, Curve isn’t a bank account but a service that aggregates multiple payment cards into one debit card. However, the Curve Metal subscription functions the same as premium package back accounts.
Curve and many other fintech banks use AI to improve their service. Many use artificial intelligence development services to come up with inventive ways to improve features for customers when using apps, compared to traditional banks.
All the information provided in the post is from my completely unqualified interpretation of the documents I have read. It isn’t extensive, the Curve insurance document is 32 pages long, and I haven’t studied it that much detail. So this won’t be 100% accurate, but hopefully, it will give you an idea of how these premium accounts compare, and you can then research things in detail yourself.
For Monzo and Revolut, I have taken the information from their product pages and not read into the fine print that much.
The Curve Metal Plan Overview:
- Premium 18g brushed metal card in 3 unique metal colours
- Supports Mastercard & Visa debit and credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, & Samsung Pay
- 1% cashback at six premium retailers
- Unlimited fee-free spending in 200+ currencies, with access to the interbank rate
- Free foreign ATM withdrawals up to £600 /month
- Go back in time up to £1,000, within 14 days
- Worldwide travel insurance available to residents of the UK (includes lost luggage)
- Electronic device insurance open to residents of the UK, including loss and theft (up to £800)
- Rental car collision damage waiver insurance with coverage provided by AXA Travel Insurance Ltd.
- Access to over 1,000 LoungeKey airport lounges worldwide at up to 60% discount.
Curve Metal vs Monzo Premium vs Revolut Perks Comparison Table
| Curve Metal | Monzo Premium | Revolut Metal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | £14.99pcm £150 per year (equivalent of £12.50 pcm) | £15 | £12.99 |
| Travel Insurance | Worldwide travel for your family (partner & Children) £50 excess for most things No cover for pre-existing conditions Trips limited to 90 days Some sports limitations (Skiing and snowboarding are covered) Includes Covid related issues | Cancellation up to £5,000 Medical bills up to £10m Lost valuables up to £750 Includes Winter Sports £50 excess Via Axa | Overseas medical insurance Including winter sports coverage Delayed baggage and flight insurance |
| Phone Insurance | £800 value limit / £50 excess Limited to one claim within a 365 day period. Proof of purchase required Accessories not covered | £2,000 and accessories up to £300 £75 excess Provided by Assurant | Discounted device insurance 20% off regular coverage |
| Purchase Protection | N/A | N/A | Theft and accident coverage for up to 365 days Get event tickets refunded up to £1000 per year Refund protection - Get refunded up to 90 days post-purchase for items between £50 and £300 |
| Breakdown Cover | None but Rental car collision damage waiver insurance | None | None |
| Foreign Fees / | Great FX rates. Fee-free ATM withdrawals. | £600 fee-free withdrawals abroad every 30 days | No fee currency exchange without fees Monday-Friday in 30 fiat currencies |
| Cashback | 1% Curve Cash for 6 retailers Various rewards | None | 0.1% within Europe and 1% outside Europe |
| Interest | None | Earn 1.50%/1.49% AER/Gross (variable) interest on up to £2,000 | Up to 0.65% AER on Savings |
| Lounge Access | Access to over 1,000 LoungeKey airport lounges worldwide at up to 60% discount. Typically £20 per person | LoungeKey discounted access to over 1,000 lounges Flat fee of £24 per person, per visit. | LoungeKey And SmartDelay providing free access for flights delayed more than 1 hour |
| Card Features | |||
| Other Features | Metal Card Backup cards | Metal Card Virtual Cards Various additional discounts such as cheaper breakdown insurance | Metal Card Unlimited disposable virtual cards Crypto investing with reduced 1.5% fee |
Travel Insurance & Rental Car Collision Damage Waiver
All three companies provide comprehensive travel insurance, including winter sports. Both Curve and Monzo have a £50 excess for treatment. I couldn’t find the figure for Revolut, but I would expect they have the same excess
Curve does provide a rental car collision damage waiver which I guess would be more of a travel perk than anything else. This is a type of protection that limits how much a car hire company will charge for repairs. The rental must be paid for in full with your covered card (unlike your phone insurance).
Revolut also has a Car hire excess for 31 days of your trip.
Phone Insurance / Purchase Protection
The phone insurance with Curve Metal is a little confusing as it is bundled in with travel insurance. However, to the best of my knowledge, it also covers theft and damage while at home.
It is not the best phone insurance plan with a value limit of just £800 and no accessories. With phones like the iPhone 13 Pro Max or Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra costing over £1k this could be an issue. The excess is just £50, though.
Monzo is more thorough, covering up to £2000 and up to £300 in accessories. The excess is quite a bit more at £75.
Revolut is weird, they don’t specifically have phone insurance, but they do have a purchase protection perk. This covers a variety of things:
- Cover in the event of damage or theft for purchases in the last twelve months.
- Speedy refunds in relation to faulty products, or non-compliant products where merchants or sellers may not be accepting requests for a return with items valued between £50 and £300
- Refunds for tickets for shows, museums, or amusement parks, in the event of cancellations linked to unforeseeable circumstances such as health reasons, including Covid-19, car accidents, or legal obligations. In these cases, Revolut undertakes steps to refund its customers and to take action against sellers where necessary.
Purchase protection only covers new products bought from a business.
They do sell mobile insurance at a 20% reduced rate, and this may be handy if your phone is over a year old.
Breakdown Cover
None of these provides breakdown cover, which is one of the big selling points of the Nationwide account.
Lounge Access
All three services offer LoungeKey lounge access. Curve states “typically” £20 per person, but Monzo is a flat £24.
I can’t find the price for Revolut, but I would expect that it is the same. Revolut also has a SmartDelay perk which will give you and 3 friends free access to a lounge if your flight is delayed for more than an hour.
Cashback and Interest
Curve also has various cashback and reward offers. With Curve Cash, you can have 6 selected retailers that will then provide 1% cashback
There are then bonus cashback rewards. For example, there is currently a 25% cashback on an Amazon Kindle book purchase.
Monzo lacks cashback but does have 1.5% interest on up to £2000 in savings which could give you £24 per year interest reducing the effective cost by £2pcm.
Revolut has both cashback and interest. Cashback is 1% outside of Europe, so it should cover all spending in the UK. Then 0.1% in the EU. They then have 0.65% on savings with no limit that I can find.
Foreign Fees / Crypto
All three companies offer various foreign spending perks providing you with the best exchange rates possible and fee-free withdrawals.
It is also worth noting that Revolut offers cryptocurrency providing you with an easy way to get into crypto and the Bitcoin revolution. They have quite steep fees and I gave up using them within months, but it is a good way to get into it.
Overall
All three services are quite similar, which is clearly by design, as they will all deliberately match each others offering.
Revolut is perhaps the weakest due to the lack of proper mobile insurance, but it is the cheapest, and they have the best cashback offer, reducing the effective rate further.
Curve is probably the best offering, but mobile phone insurance lets it down. I think the 1% cashback via 6 selected retailers would earn me far more per year than the 1.5% on £2,000 interest. I plan to do all my food shopping using that card, plus Amazon spending, so I think I’d get about £5 cashback per month. If not more.
Monzo is good if you can easily make the most of that 1.5% interest. Unless you plan to hammer the lounge access, I would say the Nationwide FlexPlus account is a better buy than Monzo Metal.
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
Monzo is the best option for me!