The fine print on fees

swype

SWYPE CARD • FEES

What does it actually cost to use a Swype card?

Most everyday spending is free. Here's every fee that can apply, in plain terms.

READING TIME

2 minutes

LEVEL

Basic

YOU'LL NEED

Nothing

Short answer: a normal purchase in the same currency as your card costs nothing. Fees only show up for specific situations — mostly international spending, declines, and a couple of recurring account charges.

①

Spending in the same currency: free

If you're paying in the same currency your card is issued in — online or in person — there's no fee on the purchase itself. This covers the vast majority of everyday spending.

②

Spending in a foreign currency

When

Fee

Foreign currency purchase

$0.55 + 2.75% of the amount

International purchase reversed

$0.75

International refund received

$0.55

③

Declines and small/reversed transactions

When

Fee

Domestic transaction declined

$0.15

International transaction declined

$0.55

Domestic purchase returned/reversed

$0.55

Transaction under $5.00

$0.10

This includes transactions declined for trying to use a prohibited merchant type, or for exceeding the 95% balance policy — both still count as a decline.

④

Recurring account fees

When

Fee

Monthly maintenance, starting ~30 days after activation

$2.50/month

This is deducted automatically from your balance if there's enough to cover it. It won't push your balance negative — if there's less than $2.50 available, only what's left gets deducted.

Important

Filing a dispute or chargeback costs $50, win or lose. Try resolving directly with the merchant first — it's faster and free. Also, if your card sits at a very low balance and keeps getting declined repeatedly, that pattern itself can trigger an additional fee, so it's best to either top up or stop attempting transactions that keep failing.

See a charge you don't recognize?

Send us the amount and date and we'll help you figure out what it was.

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