Revolut vs Mercury
Different products: Revolut is personal travel banking, Mercury is US startup banking.
| Revolut | Mercury | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | $0 | $0 |
| Card issue fee | $0 | $0 |
| FX model | weekend markup | interbank with markup |
| FX markup | 50 bps | 100 bps |
| Free ATM / month | unlimited | unlimited |
| Multi-currency | ||
| Apple Pay | ||
| Google Pay | ||
| Virtual cards | ||
| Crypto | ||
| Joint account | ||
| Availability | EU, UK, US, AU, JP, SG, NZ + selected | US-incorporated entities (LLC, C-Corp) |
Revolut, best for
- Daily spending on the card during the week
- Stock and crypto trading inside the app
- Splitting bills and group expenses
Weak for
- Weekend FX (1% surcharge applies)
- Large transfers (use Wise instead)
Mercury, best for
- Solopreneur LLCs needing a US business bank
- International founders with a Delaware C-Corp
- USD-denominated invoicing and payouts
Weak for
- Personal banking (it's business-only)
- Non-US incorporated structures
The verdict, in plain words
Revolut wins for day-to-day EU spending and crypto trading; Mercury wins for US business banking and international founders.
Consider an EU freelancer paid in USD. They want to spend that USD locally in Euros with a good exchange rate, maybe dabble in crypto, and avoid fees. Revolut’s free unlimited ATM withdrawals and slick app for trading make it the obvious choice. Imagine an Indian dev moving to Lisbon; Revolut handles the currency conversion smoothly. It's your everyday wallet, supercharged.
Now, picture a US founder running a remote team, with employees in Europe and Asia. They need a proper US business bank account, perhaps a Delaware C-Corp, to handle payroll and receive investment. Mercury’s focus on US incorporation and its business-centric features are built for this. It’s the serious business tool, not the travel wallet.
If you're on the fence, default to Revolut for personal spending and basic investing. Mercury is for those who need a US business entity or are running a formal US-based company. The real deciding factor? Mercury requires a US business entity, while Revolut is generally accessible to residents of many countries for personal accounts.
Affiliate disclosure: we earn a small commission if you sign up via either link. We list both because both are genuinely useful.