Do you think it is impossible to avoid fees when withdrawing money from ATMs abroad ? Nothing could be further from the truth: for years there have been completely digital neobanks that offer free cards with exceptional conditions to save us money when travelling . One of the latest discoveries was Rebellion Pay , in this article we tell you all about its account, its card and our experience.
Update : After a few incidents (some serious and some less serious), Rebellion ended its activity in 2023, leaving travelers a little orphaned. But there are always the options of Revolut and N26 , for us the two best cards for traveling. The information in this article is from before its closure.
1. Introduction to commissions
Before we dive into the advantages of the Rebellion Pay card, let's clarify some concepts so that you better understand how continuing to use traditional cards on a trip affects (and harms) us. If you already have this clear, go to point 2.
✓ How to have money on a trip?
It is one of the main headaches: what are the options to have money on a trip and which one is the most convenient for us. You will mainly have three ways to withdraw money abroad:
- Take all your cash from home , and exchange it if your destination uses a different currency. Where? The easiest way is at the airport, although the exchange rates are worse. It would be best to do it at a currency exchange office or bank in the city.
- Exchange all your money at the bank and get the currency you need before you leave on your trip.
- Withdraw money from ATMs during your trip as needed.
We ruled out the first two options from the start for two reasons: the fees are very high and we didn't want to carry large amounts of money around. So we started to investigate how to withdraw money from foreign ATMs without having to lose a lot of money in each transaction.
The solution was simple: forget about traditional banks and opt for cards from new banks.
✓ Commissions that affect us on a trip
But to understand it better, let us clarify what commissions are usually applied when withdrawing money abroad (in a currency other than that of your bank):
1. Fees for withdrawing money from a different ATM : this applies both abroad and in your country. This is either a fixed amount (between €3 and €5) or a percentage of the total amount withdrawn (between 4% and 5%). Sometimes the fee is different depending on whether you are in an EU country or a non-EU country.
2. Exchange rate : the normal thing is to use the official tables of the card provider (Mastercard, Visa, etc.) but sometimes banks apply a commission in the form of a %. Some may even have created their own exchange rate tables, which are obviously much more unfavourable.
There are also commissions for making payments in foreign currency , which entails paying a % of the total transaction.
Please note : in some countries (such as Thailand) local banks have their own commission , which we cannot avoid. When making a withdrawal from the ATM, a notice must appear announcing the exact amount of this commission and we can accept it or not. One solution? Cash advance , that is, going into a bank branch with the card and asking to withdraw money from there.
✓ Example of a withdrawal and a purchase abroad
We give a concrete example to see how the commissions of a normal bank, in our case Openbank, affect us. We are traveling through the USA and we want to withdraw $500 and also make a payment of $100:
| Bank | Withdrawal of $500 | Payment of $100 |
| OPENBANK | 491.01€ (4.5%) | 96.79€ (3%) |
| REBELLION | 469,87€ | 93,97€ |
* At the time of writing the article, the official exchange rate was as follows: $500 = €468.05 / $100 = €93.62
✓ How to avoid commissions abroad?
Rebellion offers a Spanish account , APP and Mastercard card totally free with which you can withdraw money from any ATM, including foreign ones, without commissions (although with certain limits that we explain later). In addition, it applies the official Mastercard exchange rate , which is constantly updated. You can see it here .
Therefore, both for cash withdrawals abroad (either in € or in a different currency), and for making payments in stores or online, we will be exempt from these fees.
Please note : When you withdraw money in a country with a currency other than €, you will be asked if you want to be charged in local currency or in €. Always choose the local currency!
2. Rebellion Pay Card and Account
Since we tested it back in 2020, it has become one of the cards we always take with us on our trips. But it's important not to take just one, because you never know what can happen, but Rebellion offers good conditions and, despite its rookie flaws, we find it interesting. Here we tell you more about it:
✓ What is Rebellion Pay?
Neobanks that apply a zero-commission policy to compete with traditional banks, which are determined to charge us for each transaction, are becoming more and more common. Well, Rebellion is one of them. It is a Spanish neobank , founded in 2017 to offer financial services and since 2019 open to the general public operating as an Electronic Bank.
And it seems that it is taking hold for the moment. Users are increasingly choosing this type of bank, which is based on the simplicity of operations, new technologies and, of course, on its free products!
Thanks to all these advantages, we think that Rebellion is one of the perfect complements for your travels: free virtual and physical cards, the possibility of withdrawing money from ATMs around the world without commissions, an account without fees or fine print, exclusive cashback promotions on streaming platforms, supermarkets, trips, etc. And they continue to create new features and expand promotions, find out about them all in the Rebel+ section of the APP.
✓ How exactly does Rebellion work?
The world is evolving, and the banking sector is no exception, so we have to forget about the way traditional banks work. With Rebellion you will do everything through the APP. Registration, review of transactions, or even recharging funds in the account/card.
Yes, this is one of the aspects that we like the most. With Rebellion you will have a lifetime account, with a Spanish IBAN and with an identical mechanism to that of any other bank, but you will also be able to add funds to your card with a simple “payment”. In other words, from the APP itself you will have the possibility of making a top-up on your Rebellion card from your usual bank card, as if it were another electronic payment. And for free .
This way you can add credit to your card as you need it. But they also offer the option of automatic recharge . And you might be wondering… what is this? Well, it is the possibility of scheduling automatic recharges, for example, on a certain day of the month or charging €x every time your account falls below a certain value.
For example, if I'm traveling in the United States and need to withdraw $500 from an ATM, it would be as simple as opening the Rebellion app, going to the “reload” section and making a €500 deposit from my usual bank card, as an additional payment. I'll have that balance available immediately and can withdraw it from the ATM. Or, before the trip, I can schedule one of the automatic reloads so that my account always has a balance.
These top-ups are instant and free (€1,000 per month, after which a 2% fee applies). If you want to avoid this fee, you can always make a current transfer from another account to your Rebellion account.
As for the Mastercard , its operation is identical to that of any other debit card.
How to add credit while abroad?
As this operation will be like any other electronic payment, for security reasons your bank will apply its control mechanisms, normally sending a code by SMS. Therefore, you must have your number active and know that receiving this message does NOT cost you money. We normally change the Spanish SIM to slot 2 of the phone and put the local SIM with internet in slot 1, so we have both lines operational.
Keep in mind that you will also get an account with a Spanish IBAN number , so you will obviously have the option of making a lifetime transfer to transfer balance from one account to another. However, these are not immediate.
✓ Conditions, costs and limits
The most important thing to know is that signing up for Rebellion is free , that it allows you to withdraw money without fees 4 times a month from national ATMs and another 4 times from foreign ATMs, and that it has no maintenance costs. But it is always good to see all the detailed conditions, so here they are for you:
› Prices:
* €2 fee per month for accounts that are inactive for more than 6 months and €4.5 for accounts that have not been active for 12 months. To avoid this, we recommend setting up a direct debit for some payments such as Netflix or Spotify, or making a sporadic purchase in a store (check out the cashback offers, which are very interesting).
** Free card top-ups up to €1,000 each month, above this amount, a 2% fee applies. However, you can always make bank transfers without limit or fee to your Rebellion IBAN account (which, as you know, is Spanish).
› Card/account limits
Limits have been set for security reasons , to prevent possible fraud or misuse. Those that are monthly are reset on the 1st of each month.
Additionally, due to security concerns, the use of the Rebellion card has been blocked in these countries (where you will not be able to use it): Nigeria, Benin, Ivory Coast, Togo, Ghana, Senegal and Colombia.
✓ Other advantages and disadvantages
There are more interesting aspects that should be known in order to use this card and account appropriately:
- The card can be locked and unlocked at any time from the APP.
- There is a possibility to send and receive money between Rebellion users. These are Flash Transfers and they are instant.
- It is a nominative card , so you can make cash advances at bank branches.
- This is a prepaid card , not a credit card, keep that in mind!
- Both maintenance and shipping of the card are free .
- Valid only for residents in Spain , with DNI or NIE.
- Geolocated payments and transfers , with detailed information to accurately identify transactions.
- They have a great invitation system . You can invite as many friends as you want to Rebellion and you will each get €5 for each of the first 3 purchases over €10.
- If you're into crypto, they also have a cryptocurrency investment section .
- In addition, by paying with the Rebellion card you can enjoy many promotions and cashbacks in pharmacies, supermarkets, streaming platforms... You can find out everything in the Rebel+ section of the APP.
3. How to sign up + Promotion
The process to sign up is quick and easy, you will only need 5 minutes. In addition, as we announced, you can benefit from the welcome promotion just for being our reader ( temporarily UNAVAILABLE ).
✓ Process to register in Rebellion
As I said, follow these simple steps to become another Rebel:
STEP 1 : Click on this link to open the download page. If you are using a computer, you will see a QR code that you must scan with your phone to download the Rebellion app from your phone's market (there is also a URL in case the QR code fails). If you are using your phone, you will see a yellow button to click to download.
STEP 2 : It is time to complete the registration , in which you will be asked for your phone number, choose the security code to enter the APP, verify your phone with a code that you receive by SMS, fill in your personal information, accept the conditions, etc. Finally, an identity verification process is carried out using selfies of your face and your ID (a standard procedure in this type of registration).
STEP 3 : Once your data has been verified, they will confirm that everything is ready and you will be able to access the APP with the code you chose (remember, the 4-digit one). You will also have to verify your email address as a final verification step.
Welcome to the world of «Rebel». We recommend taking a look at the notifications that appear at the top left of the APP, with welcome bonuses, suggestions, etc.
✓ Recharge and request the physical card
Finally, there are two steps left to fully complete the registration:
The next step is to do a FIRST RECHARGE, you will see how simple it is.
- Click “add money.”
- Enter the amount you want to charge and the method (we recommend adding the card you normally use for your purchases, but you can also use Google Pay or bank transfer).
- If you choose to pay by card, you will go through the payment gateway with the verification process of your corresponding bank.
- The recharge will be immediate and your account balance will automatically increase.
At this point you will have been assigned a virtual card with which you can pay online and in stores using your mobile phone. To have the PHYSICAL Mastercard CARD , go to the "cards" section of the APP and request it by confirming the address.
It will arrive in approximately 2 weeks and remember that the request, shipping and maintenance are completely free ! When it arrives, go to the APP and activate it to start enjoying its benefits.
4. Personal experience
So far we have used the Rebellion card on a few trips, combining it with the Revolut card (our favourite) and it has worked perfectly for us. We have had no problems either when paying or when withdrawing money. Taking into account the limits, to avoid commissions we each had one 😉
But beware, we have seen several people complaining that their account has been closed for no apparent reason. Apparently, they had a bug that affected many users, so it is very important to carry other cards in case there is an error of this type in the middle of the trip, if we lose it or it is stolen, or if we run out of funds and no internet at a given moment.
We hope you now have a much better idea of how the Rebellion Pay card works . We think it's a very interesting option for saving on ATM fees when travelling abroad, and for using it on a daily basis. If you've used it, tell us how it went!
