3 Things I Learnt from Using My Revolut Card in Bali
TL;DR:
The Revolut Card gives a better exchange rate compared to moneychangers during the weekday. I can now bring less cash and pay easily with a travel card.
Read on to find out more! My content is in the Singapore context (e.g. SGD to IDR for example) but it should still be useful for everyone.
Also, I did not cover the withdrawal of cash from the ATM from my Revolut Card. I read around various forums and it seems like not all ATMs works, so I exchanged cash via the moneychanger in Singapore before heading over.
The rise of travel cards
There are so many multi-currency travel cards popping out. In Singapore, itself, there is a battle of travel cards, mainly Revolut and YouTrip. There are many articles comparing the difference so I will leave that for further reading with the embedded links. Somehow I got hold of the Revolut card and had the chance to try it out on my Bali trip.
I am aware of some “tips” shared in forums but going through the entire experience is always more memorable than reading about it!
How Easy Is it to Use Revolut Card in Bali
It is easy to use the Revolut Card in Bali! Given as a destination for tourists from all over the world, foreign cards are accepted in established hotel chains and restaurants. Some restaurants do add on extra charges for card payments. I dined in one which charged an extra 2% for card payment.
Places that Don’t Accept Foreign Cards
- Petrol Kiosk / Indomart (the mart within the petrol kiosk): Only accept local cards and cash
- Local eateries
My Baseline Exchange Rate
I was really interested to find out if the Revolut Card offers a better exchange rate than what I can change through a moneychanger.
My rate for SGD to IDR was 1 SGD for 10,250 IDR. I used this consistently to compare the rates from my Revolut Card transactions.
3 Things I Learnt From Using My Revolut Card in Bali
1. Remember your Pin!
This is new to me as my local (Singapore) cards do not use Pin for Visa/ MasterCard purchases. Also, the pin is much shorter than the pins required locally so... do remember your pin! It is the pin you key in during your sign-up process.
Get Kellyyspace’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
You can view your pin in your Revolut App.
2. Don’t use the Revolut Card during the weekends
The rates for Revolut Card are much better than the 10,250 IDR exchange rate that I had from the moneychanger. Below are the day-by-day transactions:
Just don’t use the card during the weekends, it is lesser (in my case, I paid $1.33 more if the amount was $100 sgd). The weekend has an extra charge of 0.5% to 1.5%. There is an explanation here on the Revolut site on why the extra charge.
I knew about this but just went ahead, thinking how much lesser can it be. Well, the stingy part of me stopped me from using the card during the weekends.
3. Turn on location services and get your receipt for easy post tracking
Before this, I used to work out my spending in a small notebook to make sure I have enough cash for my trip. Now, I am able to track my overseas transaction tracking easily with the app, remember the yummy places I’ve been and add in the receipt. I still have to keep track of my cash spending though (*hint to Revolut on how to make me even stickier).
Tips:
- Use cash on weekends. If need to, it is still sensible to use the Revolut card instead of a bank’s credit card which ranges from 2.0 to 2.5% markup fee.
- Get data so that you can keep track of your Revolut transactions in real time. For cautious users, you can freeze and unfreeze your card. Some users recommend to freeze your card when you are not using it and unfreeze it when you are about to pay.
3. A not-related side note: Carry a medium-sized tote bag around, especially if you are going grocery shopping. Bali has limited the use of plastic bags (a very applaudable move) and each reusable bag is about 10,000 IDR.
Summary
I enjoyed using a multi-currency travel card, particularly the Revolut card! I like the real-time notification of the transaction and how the immediate detail of the exchange rate reflects.
I hope to use more functions of the Revolut card and this means to travel (Post Covid-19)!
Update* Given that travelling is frowned upon while we battle Covid-19, I’ve been using free apps to learn Indonesian so that I can immerse myself in Indonesia’s rich culture when things normalized.
Update** I started using my Revolut card to buy currency so that it is cheaper when buying USD-based e-commerce items. Here’s my personal experiment.
