Here’s a brief summary of the main features of the multi-currency accounts available to US citizens and residents, from the following providers:
TransferWise borderless account | Citi International | HSBC Expat | TIAA WorldCurrency Account | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Minimum balance | $0¹ | $200,000? | New customers need to hold a minimum of £60,000 in deposits or investments? | $2,500 to open or $100 per month¹² |
Service fees | $0¹ | $150/month if you below minimum balance? | £35/month if you don’t hit the minimum balance? | No fee apart from for Swiss franc accounts¹³ |
Currencies available | 40+ currencies² | 21 currencies? | USD, GBP and EUR? | 20 major and emerging currencies |
Debit card availability | Available to UK/EU residents.³ Coming soon to US residents. | Yes? | Yes, for either sterling or US dollar? | Unavailable |
ATM limits | First £200 withdraw within 30 days is free, after that charge of 2%¹ | £2,000 per day? | Depending on your card, up anywhere from £1000 to US$1500? | Not applicable |
International transfers | Fees from 0.35%-3% | Fees from US$0-$60? + likely exchange rate markup? + possible other bank fees if sent via SWIFT? | Fees from £0-£35¹? + likely exchange rate markup¹¹ | TIAA SWIFT wire fee of $35 waived if converted by TIAA first + Conversion fee + correspondent bank fee of $30 |
Exchange rate used for currency conversion | Mid-market rate —?like the rate you find on Google + percentage fee depending on the currencies | Citi IPB Reference Exchange Rate? — likely poorer than the rate you find on Google | The smaller the amount you transfer, the worse the rate¹¹ — likely poorer than the rate you find on Google | Base rate + currency spread up to 1%¹³ — generally 0.75% spread if exchanging less than $100,000 but get better when you send more¹? |
Local bank details | Currently available to receive local bank details for domestic transfers in the UK, the EU, and Australia | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered |