You are limited to one card physical card in your card on your account. However, in addition to your physical card, you can order up to 10 virtual cards which can be used for online payments.
You can find your account details by signing in and clicking on the "View details" link under the Account Balance heading.
No, any payments into your account must come from a bank account in your name.
You will need to contact us to change your address. Please email us at help@fairfx.com.
We will not send out PINs in the post. To check your PIN, please go to the “Cards” page and select the card. A panel will appear on the right. Under the image of your card, you'll see an option to “View PIN”.
There is a £1.00 fee for UK and International ATM withdrawals.
If you don’t have enough money for the transaction you’re making in that currency wallet, we’ll take money from the balance you have in your other wallets to complete the transaction. We call this “wallet alignment”. You’ll see that the balance in the currency you are paying in will go into a negative temporarily, this should only show for around an hour. The wallet alignment process will then take place and money will be taken from another wallet, correcting your negative balance. These are the transactions you will see noted as an exchange on your statement.
If you registered before 24th August 2023 and upgraded to the new account, all your money will have been moved across to your account balance. This includes any money that was on Linked Cards that you ordered on previous accounts.
You can order new Linked Cards on your new account, these cards can have access to your main account balance, or you can create a separate balance for them.
If you registered before 24th August 2023 and upgraded to the new account, any Linked Cards attached to your old account when you moved would have been cancelled. You can order new Linked Cards on your new account.
You can get in touch with our team using the contact details on our site: https://www.fairfx.com/contact
Your card can be used anywhere that Mastercard payment is accepted.
Please open your Apple or Google Pay wallet app. You should see an option to add a new card to your wallet. The process will prompt you to enter some of your card details.
You can order a Linked Card as a gift however please note that when you add them to your account we will email them to invite them to sign in and set up a password, so it may not be suitable as a secret gift!
No, only main account holders can add money to the balances which the cards draw from.
If a Linked cardholder is over 18, they can order their own separate card in their own name which they may add their own money to.
When you first download the app you will be asked if you wish to enable biometric authentication. If this feature is enabled on your device you will be able to choose to use it. If you decline this you will be asked to use your email address and password to sign in.
To sign out of your account, please click on where your name (or initials if you are on the mobile app) is displayed. This will open a small menu with an option that allows you to log out.
When you sign into your account, after entering your account details, you will be sent a code via SMS that you will be asked to enter This is called Two Fact Authentication, and it helps us ensure the safety of your account.
When you enter these details you will be given the option to have the website "remember" you. If you select this, you will not be asked to enter this code again for 90 days.
To change a PIN, go to your "Cards" page and click on the card. A menu will appear with the option to "Review card settings". On the next menu choose "Reset PIN".
Once you have done this, you will need to confirm it by using the card at an ATM, either by withdrawing cash or checking your balance.
If you want to change the type of account you have at any point after you have finished registering, please contact our team directly. Please note that if you change your account type, any cards that you have ordered will need to be reissued.
Yes, please first add your own UK bank account details as a recipient to your account by choosing the recipients tab.
Once you have set up your account as a recipient, go to the Payments page of your account and choose to make a payment. You will be able to select your saved bank account details. Please note that for GBP to GBP transfers there is a £5 fee.
When you request a physical version of a virtual card you have, you can continue to use the original virtual card details for online payments. However once you receive and activate the physical card, the CVV (the last three digits on the back of the card) and the expiry date will update to match what you have on the physical card.
This means that if you have saved your virtual card details as a payment method with any online merchants, it's a good idea to check those details and update them when you activate a physical card.
Please note that you can only have one physical card per person.
No, the card is blocked for use with cryptocurrencies.
If you don't have enough money in the right currency for the card payment you're attempting, but you do have enough money in another currency which allows alignments, money will be taken from the currency you have sufficient funds in, and exchanged into the currency you are making the payment in.
For example, if you are trying to make a €20 euro transaction and have a 0 balance in euros on your account, but you do have $100 USD, the money will be exchanged and taken from your pot of USD funds in order to complete the payment and allow the card to pay the merchant in the currency requested. This is called alignment.
Please note alignment is not possible in every one of the 20 card currencies. Currency alignment will not take place for transactions in the following currencies: Czech koruna, Romanian new leu, Turkish lira, Israeli new shekels, and Singapore dollars. If you attempt a transaction in any of these currencies and do not hold enough of that currency to complete it, the transaction will decline.
If you hold power of attorney for someone else, you can set up a FairFX account on their behalf and we can speak with you about their account.
Please ensure that you register the account in the name of the donor, not your own name. Once registered, please contact our team at help@fairfx.com and email us:
Once we have this, we will be able to discuss any questions you have about the account and help you to process payments as if you were the account holder.
If you intend to use a FairFX card on behalf of the person you hold power of attorney for, please order yourself a Linked Card from the account in your own name.
When you need card to secure a deposit, for example for a car hire or a hotel, use a credit or debit card. When this happens the merchant can block off money on your card for a period of 30 days, which means it will not be available to you for the rest of your trip. You can still use your FairFX Currency Card for the final bill and benefit from great rates!
The cards are blocked for use with merchants who classify themselves as one of the following:
- Betting/track/casino/lotto
- Money orders (wire transfer)
- Quasi cash
- Dating and escort services
You cannot use your card in North Korea or Iran where the card is blocked for use.
The FairFX Currency Card is a multi-currency card that allows you to hold balances in 20 major currencies, move money between them with ease and top up at some of the best exchange rates available and spend around the world.
The card is a prepaid Mastercard and is issued by Equals Money International Limited.
The main account holder can have up to 11 cards, all of which draw form the account balance. One of these cards can be a physical card, the rest will be virtual.
It’s possible to have up to 10 additional people on your account. You can order one card for each of the people you invite, which can be physical or virtual. That card can draw from a separate balance or draw from the main account balance.
Go to the “Cards” page and choose the “Create card” option at the top left of the page. If this is your first card order, you will need to load £50 to your balance before ordering a card.
Go to the “Cards” page and choose the “Create card” option at the top left of the page. You will then be given the option to order a card for yourself or for another person, you may need to select “Linked cards” if you already have your own card. You will be able to choose someone you have already added to your account or add someone new.
All money is held in your balance, not on a card. To top up your card you will need to load the balance that it draws from. Click the “Add money” option at the top right on the “Cards”, “Overview” or “Payments” page.
To add money, you will need to load funds to the balance that the card draws from, which will be either the main account balance or a separate balance, depending on which option you chose when you set up the card. To move money from the separate balance back to the main balance, go to the “Payments” page and select “Internal transfer”.
To change your mobile number, please sign in and click on your name at the top of your account page, then select “My details”. Click on “Mobile number” to change your number.
If you've just received your shiny new card through the post, we hope you love it! Here are the first steps to take:
1. Activate your card online on your account page on the website or on the app. You'll need to go to the on the menu at the left. Select your card and a panel will appear on the right. Under the image of your card, you'll see an option to activate your card.
2. Get your PIN, you can do this on the same page you activate your card on.
3. Sign the back of your card.
4. Make your first transaction! This first transaction will need to be a CHIP and PIN transaction rather than a contactless transaction. Once you've made your first Chip and PIN transaction you will be able to use contactless going forward.
Yes, please select the "Exchange" option at the top right of your overview page. This will take you to a screen which will allow you to select the currencies you'd like to move between. When you made your selection, you'll see the rate that the money will be exchanged at before you continue with your order.
You can use your card anywhere that Mastercard is accepted.
If you want to use your card for a transaction in a currency other than the 20 balance currencies, please top up your sterling balance.
Please put enough on your sterling balance to cover any transactions you want to make, and the card will debit money out of that balance to complete the transaction. This will happen automatically. You don't need to let us know in advance or change any settings, your card will simply pay out in the currency the merchant is charging you in, easy!
There's a 2.25% out of currency fee for transactions that happen in currencies other than the 20 available on your card. The exchange rate that would be used is the rate set by Mastercard for the currency you're paying in, which you can find here: https://www.mastercard.us/en-us/personal/get-support/convert-currency.html
The 20 card currencies are:
- Pounds sterling
- Euro
- US dollar
- Australian dollar
- Canadian dollar
- Swiss franc
- Czech koruna
- Danish krone
- Hong Kong dollar
- Hungarian forint
- Israeli shekel
- Japanese yen
- Norwegian kroner
- New Zealand dollar
- Polish zloty
- Romanian leu
- Swedish kroner
- Singapore dollar
- Turkish lira
- South African rand
You can also use your card for transactions that take place in currencies other than the ones listed above, there will be a 2.25% out of currency fee for transactions not in one of the 20 wallet currencies. Your card can be used anywhere that accepts payment by Mastercard.
Please go to the “Cards” page and select the card. A panel will appear on the right. Under the image of your card, you'll see an option to “View PIN”.
If you are a Linked Card holder, you will need to sign into your account and follow the instructions above to view your PIN.
This service allows you to transfer funds from your GBP bank account to a bank account overseas, and also exchange money from a foreign currency back into GBP, directly from your account.
Please go to our international transfer page for more information.
Go to the “Cards” page, click on the card, select “Review card settings” and then choose the option to “Cancel card”.
You need to be a UK resident to order a FairFX Currency Card.
If your card number starts with 539250 or 533919, the statement below applies to you:
We are not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. Instead, the issuers, Valitor, have segregated your funds in a safeguarding account with Citibank. This means those funds would be separated from our other assets in the event of our insolvency and used to repay you and other clients. Any money on your card is held in a safeguarded account held by the card issuers (Valitor Limited) chosen banking provider (Citibank).
If your card number starts with 558047 or 549619, the statement below applies to you:
We are not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. As part of Equals Money International Limited, all FairFX customer funds are held in a specially designated safeguarded bank account (held at either Citibank UK Limited, Royal Bank of Scotland, or Barclays Bank PLC) that is separate from all other funds at the bank and our operating accounts. The account is only used to safeguard our customers' money, and no one other than Equals Money International Limited has any interest or right over the funds in the account. This way, if anything were to happen to FairFX, the funds on your card would be safe.
Cards usually take around 5 working days to be delivered. Delivery time depends on the postal system and card manufacturers so we cannot guarantee this. Unfortunately it’s not possible to choose a different delivery method.
Your FairFX Currency Card can be used wherever Mastercard payment is accepted, all over the world, including in the UK. You can use your card both online and in-person to make payments.
You can even use your card for transactions outside of the 20 available currency balances. The card will pay out automatically in whichever currency you are being charged in, with a low 2.25% out of currency fee.
To close your account please contact our team at help@fairfx.com or through the Live Chat function on our website.
If you suspect fraud on your card, please pause the card immediately. This will prevent any further transactions. Once you've done that, report this to us by emailing help@fairfx.com.
Yes, you can use your FairFX Currency Card for point of sale transactions and this includes online transactions, as long as the company you are trying to pay accepts payment by Mastercard.
To change your name, please email us at help@fairfx.com with an original copy or a certified copy of your marriage certificate or deed poll certificate. Please provide clear colour scans in PDF, or clear colour photographs. The full document needs to be visible with no concealed information.
The document can be certified by one of the following:
Please contact our customer services team who will be able to investigate and tell you what to do next.
Please email us on help@fairfx.com. We're available on email 365 days a year.
To change your password navigate to the sign in section on the website or app and then click on "Forgot Password".
Please note our customer services team are unable to update your password for you for security reasons.
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is a secure way of signing into your FairFX account. It involves sending a code to your phone to verify you when you log in.
How does it work?
1. Sign in as normal with your email address and password
2. You'll receive an MFA (multi-factor authentication) passcode to your mobile device via SMS (text) message.
3. Enter this code on the next screen.
What if my mobile number is incorrect?
If you think your mobile number is incorrect please contact us on help@fairfx.com and we can arrange a call to update your details.
I have a foreign mobile number will you accept this?
Yes, please make sure you provide the country code with the phone number.
What if I'm in a place that doesn't have any phone signal while I'm abroad?
You can choose to save your device so that you don't have to enter the code again for 90 days. So, we would recommend you sign in and complete two-factor authentication on your device before you leave for your trip so you don't have to do it while you're away.
If you're locked out of your account please email help@fairfx.com from your registered email address to request we unlock your account.
When you sign up for an account with us, we're required to run an identity check to confirm your details. This is not a credit check and does not affect your credit score.
If you do not initially pass the identity check, please do not be concerned. It simply means that there is not enough publicly available information to verify you at the address you have provided. If you do not pass, we will email you to request further documentation. The email will link to our partners, Trunarrative. You will be able to upload documents securely to Trunarrative.
We will need a clear colour scan, clear photo or a pdf. The full document needs to be visible with no concealed information.
We will need both:
a) Proof of your ID in the form of a UK or international passport or a UK driver’s license.
and
b) Proof of your home address which can be one of the following dated within the last three months
Utility Bills
- Electric, Gas
- Landline Telephone
- Driving License. This must be the photo I.D which specifies the issue date as no older than 3 months
- Solicitors completion letter, must confirm that completion has happened and the date or a completed and signed Tenancy Agreement, by both the Tenant and the Landlord
- Council Tax Bills and Department of Work and Pensions
- Bank Statements
- Credit Card Statements
To view your recipients you will need to select the Recipients page on the left-hand side. While you're on the Recipients page, select your chosen recipient and you'll see a menu appear. You'll be able to edit the reference and the recipient's email address. Some information can only be changed by deleting the recipient and adding it again.
If you are transferring more funds than our online international transfer service can offer, please ask for a quote and our currency experts will be in touch directly to help you with your transfer.
https://www.fairfx.com/international-payments/request-quote
Here are some general guidelines to help keep your account secure:
· Never give out your one-time password or verification code
· Keep passwords secure and don't share them with anyone
· If you receive a call claiming to be from us that you are suspicious about, hang up and contact us via email or live chat on our website
· If you notice your card is missing, even if you think you have only misplaced it, freeze your card via your account page
· Report any transactions you don't recognise on your statement to our team at help@fairfx.com and freeze your card immediately
· Only invite people to your account that you trust
Remember, our team will NEVER:
· Ask for your account password, one time passcode, or verification code
· Send you an SMS and ask you to read the message to them
You can set limits on cards via the cards page of your online account. You can set limits for daily, weekly, monthly or lifetime use as well as single transaction limits. Simply select the card from the “Cards” page and click on “Spending limits” on the panel that appears. You'll be able to see how much of a given limit has been used by selecting the card. Any card transactions that exceed the limits you set will decline.
Yes, you can freeze your card which will completely prevent any further transactions taking place on it. It is not the same as cancelling a card because you can unfreeze the card on the website or mobile app whenever you would like. It's therefore ideal for securing your card if you have misplaced it, or for peace of mind if you think you will not be using it for some time.
To freeze your card, please sign in to your account, go to the "Cards" page, select the card you want to freeze, and choose the "Freeze" option.
You can change your email address on your account page. To change your email:
1. Click on your name at the top of your account page.
2. Select “My details”.
3. Choose “Email address” and follow the instructions from there.
If you think you have just temporarily misplaced a card, we recommend that you freeze it, so that you have the option of unfreezing it when you (hopefully!) find it again. Go to the "Cards" page, select the card you want to freeze, and choose the "Freeze" option.
If your card was stolen, or you think that it's lost and you will not be able to find it, please go to the "Cards" page, select your card, click "Review card settings" at the bottom of the cards panel, and choose to cancel your card.
Please go to the "Cards" page and select the card. A panel will appear on the right. Near the bottom of this panel, there is an option to "View transactions for [name on card]". This will take you to the transactions page of your account which will be filtered for transactions from that card specifically.
Please go to the "People" page of your account and click the "+Add people" button. You will be asked for some information about the person you are adding. Once you have added someone to your account, an invitation email will be sent to them to allow them to set up a password.
If you wish to remove a person from your account, please go to the People page of your account and click on the name of the person you wish to remove. On the menu that appears you will see an option to "Deactivate user".
If you would like the ability to use the card for business as well as personal use we recommend the Standard account. Please note that the Standard account also allows you to make contactless payments with your smart device, and order up to 10 Linked Cards.
If you want to change the type of account you have at any point after you have finished registering, please contact our team directly. Please note that if you change your account type, any cards that you have ordered will need to be reissued.
If you have a Standard account with FairFX you will be able to add your card to Apple Pay and Google Pay, allowing you to make payments on smart devices. If you have a Standard account, Linked Cards that you order for other people will also be able to be added to Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Virtual cards are digital versions of a payment card. If you order a virtual card, rather than being sent a physical card, you will not be sent anything in the post but you will be able to see your card details on your account page. You will be able to use these details to make payments online using the card. All the cards in your name on your account will draw from your main account balance.
If you have a standard account, you will be able to add virtual cards to Apple and Google Pay to use with smart devices.
Virtual cards can be ordered and ready to use within a few minutes.
You should only activate your physical card once you have received it in the post.
Once you've received it, please sign into your account, go to the "Cards" page and select your card. On the panel that appears you should see an option to activate your card.