A new banking system has launched in the Southern Hemisphere: the Wise – the new name of TransferWise – Borderless debit card has arrived in Australia and New Zealand. Lots of Aussies or Kiwis might be wondering what Wise is and how it can save them heaps of money overseas. Time for a question and answer session.
Why me? Well, I've been using Wise for a long time now, even back in the day when it was called TransferWise. As soon as the debit card launched in Europe I've been using it. Not just in one country. I've used the Borderless debit card in lots of countries worldwide now
Wise Borderless debit card Q&A session
Every time I use my Wise Borderless debit card (you can't miss these bright green cards) or whenever I tell people about the advantages, it intrigues them but there are also lots of questions. I guess you have some questions about TransferWise Borderless.
Here are the answers to the most asked questions about Wise Borderless. In Australia or New Zealand, these questions and answers will help everyone thinking about getting the Wise debit card.
What is Wise Borderless?
Wise Borderless (formerly knows as TransferWise Borderless) is the bank account plus debit card created by the people that came up with the cheap way of transferring money worldwide: Wise, which started as TransferWise. Borderless is a basic bank account that does exactly the same as a regular checking account from traditional banks like Commonwealth, ANZ, BNZ, Westpac etc.
Wise Borderless comes with a debit card which is the same as your everyday debit card. Pay for groceries in shops, shop online, or withdraw money from an ATM.
Wise's Borderless bank account is available in these currencies.
- American Dollar(USD) with Wire transfer number, Routing number, and Account number
- Australian Dollar(AUD) with BSB code and Account number
- British Pound(GBP) with UK sort code, Account number, and IBAN
- European Euro (EUR) with Bank code (SWIFT/BIC) and IBAN
- Hungarian Forint (HUF) with an account number
- New Zealand Dollar (NZD) with an account number
- Singapore Dollar (SGD) with Bank code, Bank name, and Account number
- Turkish Lira (TRY) with Bank name and IBAN
The Wise debit card (which comes with a bank account) can hold up to 50 currencies worldwide. This means you will be able to pay in local currency in heaps of countries overseas. No more currency fluctuations to take into account and no more high overseas credit card fees from your bank. Wise Borderless will set you free.
Is the Wise debit card the same as a travel money card?
Is it a Visa or a MasterCard debit card?
Can I use Wise Borderless card in the USA?
Which currencies does Wise Borderless support?
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Euro |
Turkish lira |
Sri Lankan rupee |
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British pound |
New Zealand dollar |
Vietnamese dong |
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US dollar |
Philippine peso |
Kenyan shilling |
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Polish złoty |
Russian ruble |
Moroccan dirham |
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Swiss franc |
Singapore dollar |
West African franc |
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Norwegian krone |
South African rand |
Ugandan shilling |
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Swedish krona |
Thai baht |
UAE dirham |
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Danish krone |
Israeli shekel |
Chinese yuan |
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Australian dollar |
Czech koruna |
Croatian kuna |
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Canadian dollar |
Bulgarian lev |
Egyptian pound |
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Japanese yen |
Chilean peso |
Tanzanian shilling |
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Hungarian forint |
Colombian peso |
Ukrainian hryvnia |
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Georgian lari |
Costa Rican colón |
Uruguayan peso |
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Hong Kong dollar |
Ghanaian cedi |
Argentine peso |
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Indian rupee |
South Korean won |
Nepalese rupee |
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Indonesian rupiah |
Nigerian naira |
Botswana pula |
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Malaysian ringgit |
Pakistani rupee |
Zambian kwacha |
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Mexican peso |
Bangladeshi taka |
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Romanian lei |
Peruvian sol |
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How can I enable a currency?
Open your Wise app or go to the website (make sure you open a Borderless bank account for free first). Go to your Borderless bank account and click on “add currency”. Select the one you need from the list and presto, it has been enabled for free. Easy as.
What are the costs of Wise Borderless in Australia and New Zealand?
Is Wise Borderless safe?
I’ve been using the card for a while now, in lots of countries around the world, and never experienced a security issue. It is super safe.
Can I use Wise everywhere overseas?
See all the things you can buy with your Wise debit card
How can I change the PIN number of the Wise Borderless debit card?
Have you used the feature to change your Wise PIN number elsewhere? Please post it in the comments and I’ll update this blog post.
Who should apply for Wise Borderless?
Wise Borderless is extremely useful for:
- Frequent travellers and backpackers
- Travellers going on a working holiday in Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK or Europe.
- Digital Nomads that are receiving payments in various currencies. Now you can receive and keep then all on your Wise Business Borderless account. Yes, there is a special Borderless version for us Digital Nomads and travelling freelancers.
Can I use my Wise credit to pay for the Borderless Card?
There is a small fee payable for the Wise Borderless debit card (5 GBP or the equivalent in your local currency). If you already have a Wise account because you use it to send money worldwide at a fraction of the cost that regular banks charge, then you can use the money on your Wise account to pay the card fee. East as.
Are there any downsides to Wise Borderless?
If all that you need is the basic bank features of receiving money, paying money and spending money (overseas) then Wise Borderless is the perfect solution for you.
Any tips to make better use of the Wise card overseas?
Who or what is Wise? Is it the same as TransferWise?
More questions about the Wise debit card?
Oops, did I forget to answer your question about the Wise (or if you still use the old name: TransferWise) Borderless debit card? No worries. I'm always happy to answer any question you might have. Just post it below in the comment section and I'll reply as soon as possible. Cheers.
I’m a great fan of Wise and use it extensively on my travels. Thanks for writing up this article but I disagree with your answer “Is the Wise debit card the same as a travel money card?” What a typical travel money card does: You can transfer in NZD using reguar transfer or POLi You can convert the money and store it in different currencies You can spend the money all over the world. That’s the essence of a travel money card. Wise meets all these criteria. I would answer the question as follows: Yes, but it’s a travel money… Read more »
Hahaha nice one, Felix. Good to hear other travellers are excited about the Wise Borderless card as well. I’ll tweak the text a bit so it reflects your feelings about Wise as well. 🙂
You can now set up Direct Debits from your account.
Indeed. You can now set up direct debits using Wise (the new name of TransferWise) in various countries. Their services keep evolving. The article has been updated.
If I use the TW debit card at a store and later I return the item, can the store refund the purchase price back into the card?
Hi JoAnn…. Yes, if you return goods and the merchant needs to refund the purchase amount it can be done on the TW card if that one was used to pay for the goods.
Is it possible to purchase the debit card using the funds from your multi-currency account as opposed to pay for it using a debit or credit card?
If I remember correctly (it’s been a while since I opened my TW account + card), you can only pay by card…. Using your TW credit aka a bank transfer isn’t an option when you order the TW debit card.
Well, I went ahead and ordered the card. Would like to make a correction. You CAN pay for the card using a balance in your TW account. For example, if you are in Germany (so your local shipping address will be in Germany – in case you are from another country) and have a German currency account (DEM) and you have enough DEM in that account to pay for the card, when you get to the checkout screen it will give you an option to use the currency in your DEM account to pay for the card. This is great!… Read more »
Awesome. That is good to hear. Thanks for letting me know. I’ll add the info to this blog post as well.
Can I use it on a cruise ship as my debit card to hand in
You can use it at any place (on land, sea or in the air) that accepts Mastercard debit/credit cards, which is almost everywhere worldwide.