How to Get Next-Day Travel Money in the UK

Do you need foreign currency in a hurry? Although it's generally possible to arrange, unfortunately for you, these snappy services always come at a premium, with hefty delivery fees and hidden exchange rate margins chipping away at the total foreign currency amount you receive.

However, it's not all bad news. In this short guide, we look at the three main options for getting foreign currency in a pinch: ordering travel money to your door, picking it up at a foreign exchange bureau, or, if you can afford to plan ahead a little, using a travel debit card.

Option 1: Have Your Travel Money Delivered

The simplest but priciest option to receive next-day travel money in the UK is to order it online and have it delivered straight to your door. There are several providers which offer this service, including Travelex, Tesco Bank, Sterling FX, and John Lewis Finance (all of which we compare below).

The first thing to note is that all of these providers impose cut-off times on when you can order foreign currency the day before to be eligible for next-day travel money delivery. These include:

• Sterling FX: Before 12 PM
• Travelex: Before 3:00 PM
• Tesco Bank: Before 1:30 PM (USD and EUR only)
• John Lewis: Before 3:00 PM

Once you've ordered, most providers will use trusted private couriers or Royal Mail Special Delivery to send the money to your door, which you'll have to sign for upon delivery.

Option 2: Pick Up Your Travel Money

Another option for getting travel money on a dime is to order foreign currency online and then pick it up the next day from a currency exchange bureau at an airport or city centre branch. Most of the services we looked at in the previous section also offer this service too. This way it works is simple:

1. visit an FX provider's website and choose the foreign currency and amount you want to buy (you can normally specify the amount either in sterling or in the foreign currency you want to buy),
2. choose the pickup branch and time convenient for you,
3. pay for the transaction by card (this is the fastest method),
4. collect the cash in person at the branch the next day (branches are commonly found in city centres and airports).

Of course, this method only makes sense if there's a branch near you, but fortunately, exchange bureaus make their home in practically all major UK airports, so if you're planning to leave the UK by plane, then this should be an accessible option for you.

Fees For Next-Day Pickup

Like travel money delivery, pickups are often charged on the exchange rate, meaning the provider gives you a worse exchange rate than what they themselves use to convert your currency. These rates are usually identical to the rates for delivery (1% to 5% or more depending on the exact currency), except you won't pay the extra delivery fee if it applies.

We recommend checking out Change Group, whose rates are slightly lower than the market average at only around 2% or 3% for conversions to most major currencies. You can arrange your conversion online and pick up your travel money at any of their branches, which can be found in airports and city centres around England, especially in the London area:

Option 3: Use a Virtual Travel Card

A final option for getting travel money at short notice is to sign up for a travel debit card like Revolut or Wise and use the virtual debit card they give you. With both providers, you'll get a virtual debit card automatically upon signing up, and if you can afford to wait a few days before you travel, you'll also get a physical debit card too.

Like their physical counterparts, virtual debit cards are fully-legitimate debit cards (typically issued by Mastercard or VISA) with a 16-digit card number associated with your account, an expiry date, and a three-digit CVV number. You can use your virtual debit card the same as your physical one, the only difference being that you won't be able to swipe or insert it at payment terminals, so you'll need to tap your mobile phone instead (for which you'll need an internet connection).

• Account Name: Standard
• Monthly Fee: £0
• Virtual Card Type: VISA
• Max. Number of Virtual Cards at Once: 20
• Can Set Spending Limits: Yes
• Can Block Card Online: Yes
• Mobile Wallet Compatibility: Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Fitbit Pay, Garmin Pay.
• More Info: See our full Revolut review or visit the website.

With Revolut's state-of-the-art mobile app, in particular, you can easily exchange balances in over 30 foreign currencies at very low exchange rates on the weekday (though fair use limits and weekend surcharges may apply). Even if you have multiple currencies on your account simultaneously, the card will automatically detect your country and start using the local balance first.