What this solves
Three ways to fund euro spending — SEPA transfer to a Dutch account, Wise multi-currency card held with EUR balance, or Revolut Standard. They look similar but the cost differences are not obvious. SEPA is free but slow and requires a destination bank; Wise is mid-market FX with €0 ATM fees up to €200/mo; Revolut Standard is free to hold but FX markup kicks in over a weekly cap.
- SEPA bank transfer: free within SEPA, but you need a euro-denominated bank account first. Slow (1–2 business days). No card = no card-swipe spend.
- Wise multi-currency card: €0 to hold, mid-market FX (~0.4% on conversion), €0 ATM fees up to €200/mo then €1.50/tx + 1.5%. Card issuance €7–€12.
- Revolut Standard: €0 to hold, 0% FX markup up to €1000/mo then 1.5% (weekend markup varies). €200/mo free ATM withdrawal then 2% fee.
The trip-spending calculator
Estimate your card spend, ATM mix, and whether you'll need to fund a euro bank account. We'll compute total cost across all three options.
Everything you'd put on the card: hotels, restaurants, museums, transport.
How many cash pulls during the trip.
SEPA only works if you have a euro account or a multi-currency account with EUR.
How to read results
All three numbers are total cost of spending the same euros — not balances. SEPA is €0 only if you have a euro account; if not, the calculator marks it N/A. Wise and Revolut fees include the one-time card-issuance fee on Wise and the FX markup that only kicks in once you exceed their free quota.
Wise wins most non-EU comparisons because its free-quota structure (€200/mo ATM, full mid-market FX) beats Revolut's tighter quota. Revolut wins on the first €1000 of card-spend per month if you already have the card.
If you already hold a Dutch bank account (Bunq, Knab, ING, ABN), the comparison collapses — SEPA is essentially free and everything else is overhead. Travelers without a euro account should plan to open a Wise or Revolut account 1–2 weeks before the trip to receive the physical/virtual card in time.
Limitations
- Revolut's free FX quota is monthly, not per-trip. If you've spent €600 on Revolut earlier in the month, only €400 remains free. The calculator assumes a fresh month.
- Weekend FX markup on Revolut is up to 1% extra. Friday evening to Sunday EUR→USD conversions on Standard plans can add 1%. The calculator averages this out.
- Wise's "free ATM up to €200/mo" caps the number of withdrawals at unlimited below the cap, but charges 1.5% + €1.50 above. Heavy ATM users pay more than the calculator suggests.
- SEPA Instant (under 10 seconds, 24/7) is free at most banks but not all — check your home bank's SEPA Instant availability before relying on it for last-minute top-ups.
FAQ
Is Wise a bank?
No — Wise is an Electronic Money Institution (EMI), not a bank. Your funds are held in segregated accounts at partner banks (in NL: ABN AMRO). For tourist-spending purposes this distinction doesn't matter; for large balances (>€100k) it does.
Which is faster to set up — Wise or Revolut?
Revolut: ~10 minutes for the app, virtual card immediately, physical card 3–9 days. Wise: ~15 minutes, virtual card immediately, physical card 7–14 days. Both can be opened with a non-EU passport if your home country is supported.
Can I use SEPA without a euro account?
You can send euros from any SEPA-participating bank, but the destination account has to accept euros. If you don't have one, opening Bunq or Knab (both Dutch challenger banks) is the cheapest path — accounts are €0/mo, €0 SEPA, and come with a Maestro card.
Does the calculator account for iDEAL top-ups?
No. iDEAL is a Dutch online bank-redirect used for e-commerce. Some non-Dutch banks (Knab, Bunq, some German banks) support iDEAL out of the box; Wise and Revolut do not. If you'll shop online at bol.com or NS, a euro account with iDEAL is the cheapest path.
Sources
- Wise fee schedule and ATM terms (wise.com)
- Revolut Standard tier pricing page (revolut.com)
- EPC (European Payments Council) — SEPA Instant Credit Transfer scheme rules 2026
- De Nederlandsche Bank — EMI vs banking-licence consumer guidance (DNB.nl)
Related tools
Where the €200/mo free ATM quota gets spent.
Where the card you fund actually works at the till.
VAT refunds to your card return in the same currency you paid in.
Cash tipping rounds up what the card can't cover.