Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Revolut. Compare fees, insurance, services and find the ideal card in Spain.
This comparison examines 10 cards in Spain, among them ING Tarjeta de débito, ING Tarjeta de crédito, Revolut Standard, Revolut Plus, across the Mastercard, Revolut, American Express networks. Three things genuinely separate one card from another, and the annual fee is only the first: next come the bundled insurances, trip cancellation, medical cover abroad, baggage, purchase protection, whose value often exceeds the fee as soon as you travel, and foreign exchange charges, which quietly cost 2 to 3 per cent of every purchase in another currency with traditional issuers and nothing at all with the neobanks. Payment and withdrawal limits matter too, and they are negotiable. The table compares them line by line, without an overall score: the right card for a frequent traveller is not the right card for someone who rarely leaves home. Anyone going abroad twice a year usually saves more with a no-foreign-fee card than a premium card's insurance ever returns in claims.
Select 2 to 4 cards to compare side by side.
Visa
Mastercard
Amex
Revolut
| Criteria | ING Tarjeta de crédito Standard | Revolut Standard Standard | Amex Gold (métal) Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
Annual Fee | Free | Free | €16/month (€192/year) |
Payment Limit/mo | Within credit limit | Up to balance (debit card) | Within credit limit |
ATM Limit/wk | Within credit limit | Up to balance (debit card) | Within credit limit |
Travel Insurance (Medical) | Not stated | Not included in this plan | Gold insurance for purchases and travel |
Trip Cancellation Insurance | Not stated | Not included in this plan | Not stated |
Baggage Insurance | Not stated | Not included in this plan | Not stated |
Purchase Protection | Free online purchase insurance above €30 (non-delivery, faulty item) | No credit protection (debit) | Gold purchase insurance |
Car Rental Insurance | Not stated | Not included in this plan | Not stated |
Concierge Service | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Airport Lounge Access | Not stated | Lounge passes available to buy | 2 free lounge visits a year |
Cashback / Rewards | Not stated | RevPoints: 1 point per €10 spent | Membership Rewards points usable to pay for purchases |
International Acceptance | Wide (international network) | Wide (Visa or Mastercard depending on issue) | Narrower than Visa or Mastercard |
Overview of all cards. Scroll horizontally on mobile.
| Criteria | ING Tarjeta de débito Standard | ING Tarjeta de crédito Standard | Revolut Standard Standard | Revolut Plus Standard | American Express Renfe Premium | Amex Gold (métal) Premium | Revolut Premium Premium | Amex Platinum (métal) High-end | Revolut Metal High-end | Revolut Ultra High-end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Annual Fee | Free with Cuenta NÓMINA (physical card €5 with Cuenta NoCuenta) | Free | Free | €3.99/month | €8/month (€96/year) | €16/month (€192/year) | €9.99/month | €65/month (€780/year) | €15.99/month | €55/month |
Payment Limit/mo | Up to balance (debit card) | Within credit limit | Up to balance (debit card) | Up to balance (debit card) | Within credit limit | Within credit limit | Up to balance (debit card) | Within credit limit | Up to balance (debit card) | Up to balance (debit card) |
ATM Limit/wk | Up to balance (debit card) | Within credit limit | Up to balance (debit card) | Up to balance (debit card) | Within credit limit | Within credit limit | Up to balance (debit card) | Within credit limit | Up to balance (debit card) | Up to balance (debit card) |
Travel Insurance (Medical) | Not stated | Not stated | Not included in this plan | Not included in this plan | Not stated | Gold insurance for purchases and travel | Not included in this plan | Platinum purchase and travel insurance | Overseas medical insurance included (plan terms) | Overseas medical insurance included (plan terms) |
Trip Cancellation Insurance | Not stated | Not stated | Not included in this plan | Not included in this plan | Not stated | Not stated | Not included in this plan | Not stated | Not included in this plan | Trip and event cancellation cover included |
Baggage Insurance | Not stated | Not stated | Not included in this plan | Not included in this plan | Not stated | Not stated | Not included in this plan | Not stated | Delayed or lost baggage and flight delay covered | Delayed or lost baggage and flight delay covered |
Purchase Protection | Free online purchase insurance above €30 (non-delivery, faulty item) | Free online purchase insurance above €30 (non-delivery, faulty item) | No credit protection (debit) | Everyday purchase protection (plan terms) | American Express purchase and travel insurance | Gold purchase insurance | Everyday purchase protection (plan terms) | Platinum purchase insurance | Everyday purchase protection (plan terms) | Everyday purchase protection (plan terms) |
Car Rental Insurance | Not stated | Not stated | Not included in this plan | Not included in this plan | Not stated | Not stated | Not included in this plan | Not stated | Car rental excess covered (plan terms) | Car rental excess covered (plan terms) |
Concierge Service | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Platinum services (Amex OnStage, invitations) | Not stated | Not stated |
Airport Lounge Access | Not stated | Not stated | Lounge passes available to buy | Lounge passes available to buy | Not stated | 2 free lounge visits a year | Discounted lounge access | More than 1,550 airport lounges, Fast Track | Discounted lounge access | Unlimited partner lounge access |
Cashback / Rewards | Not stated | Not stated | RevPoints: 1 point per €10 spent | RevPoints: 1 point per €10 spent | Renfe Points on every purchase | Membership Rewards points usable to pay for purchases | RevPoints: 1 point per €4 spent | Membership Rewards points | RevPoints: 1 point per €2 spent | RevPoints: 1 point per €1 spent |
International Acceptance | Wide (international network) | Wide (international network) | Wide (Visa or Mastercard depending on issue) | Wide (Visa or Mastercard depending on issue) | Narrower than Visa or Mastercard | Narrower than Visa or Mastercard | Wide (Visa or Mastercard depending on issue) | Narrower than Visa or Mastercard | Wide (Visa or Mastercard depending on issue) | Wide (Visa or Mastercard depending on issue) |
Explore the details of each type of coverage and service.
| Card | Travel Medical | Trip Cancellation | Baggage | Car Rental |
|---|---|---|---|---|
ING Tarjeta de débito | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
ING Tarjeta de crédito | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Revolut Standard | Not included in this plan | Not included in this plan | Not included in this plan | Not included in this plan |
Revolut Plus | Not included in this plan | Not included in this plan | Not included in this plan | Not included in this plan |
American Express Renfe | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Amex Gold (métal) | Gold insurance for purchases and travel | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Revolut Premium | Not included in this plan | Not included in this plan | Not included in this plan | Not included in this plan |
Amex Platinum (métal) | Platinum purchase and travel insurance | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Revolut Metal | Overseas medical insurance included (plan terms) | Not included in this plan | Delayed or lost baggage and flight delay covered | Car rental excess covered (plan terms) |
Revolut Ultra | Overseas medical insurance included (plan terms) | Trip and event cancellation cover included | Delayed or lost baggage and flight delay covered | Car rental excess covered (plan terms) |
* Cover depends on each card's terms; "Not stated" means the issuer does not mention it on its product page.
Our recommendations based on your usage profile in Spain.
You travel often and want airport lounges and travel insurance.
More than 1,550 lounges, Fast Track and Platinum insurance for €65 a month. Revolut Metal (€15.99/month): overseas medical insurance, unlimited weekday exchange and €800 of free withdrawals a month, with wider acceptance than Amex.
You want a free card for everyday use.
Free with Cuenta NÓMINA, free withdrawals at several ATM networks in Spain and online purchase insurance above €30. Revolut Standard: free, fee-free weekday exchange up to €1,000 a month.
You pay a lot by card and want to earn points.
Up to 20,000 welcome points, €100 hotel credit and 2 lounge visits a year, for €16 a month. American Express Renfe (€8/month): Renfe points on every purchase and 1,200 welcome points, worth €120 of journeys.
You want a no-fee credit card paid at month end.
No fee, month-end payment at 0%. Avoid revolving mode (18.95% APR). Revolut Plus (€3.99/month): fee-free weekday exchange up to €3,000 a month and purchase protection.
A debit card charges the account immediately; it is the everyday card, often free with an account receiving your salary. A credit card groups spending to pay at month end, or on credit (revolving or instalments) with interest: at ING, 18.95% APR on revolving. Pay the full balance to pay nothing.
In revolving mode, you repay a fixed monthly amount and the remaining balance accrues interest. Rates are high (17.48% nominal and 18.95% APR on the ING credit card). Choose month-end payment and only switch to revolving knowingly.
Hotels, large retailers, Renfe and online shops generally accept it, but acceptance remains narrower than Visa or Mastercard in small shops. Keep a Visa or Mastercard as a backup.
Collected in October 2026: American Express Renfe €8 a month, Gold €16 a month (up to 20,000 welcome points and €100 hotel credit), Platinum €65 a month (more than 1,550 airport lounges). The fee is charged monthly.
Standard free, Plus €3.99, Premium €9.99, Metal €15.99 and Ultra €55 a month. Exchange is fee-free on weekdays up to €1,000 a month (Standard) or €3,000 (Plus), unlimited above, with a weekend markup of 1% (Standard) or 0.5% (Plus). Free withdrawals range from €200 to €2,000 a month; above that, 2% outside Spain.
Always pay in the local currency. If the terminal or ATM offers to convert into euros (dynamic currency conversion), decline: the rate is usually worse than your card's.
Yes, up to €100,000 per depositor per bank. The FGD covers Spanish banks; ING España falls under the Dutch scheme and Revolut under the Lithuanian scheme, with the same €100,000 ceiling.
The Spanish card market is dominated by Visa and Mastercard, with strong growth in contactless and mobile payments, driven by Bizum, the instant payment service built into banking apps. Major banks (CaixaBank, BBVA, Banco Santander, Banco Sabadell) issue most cards, but online banks such as ING and neobanks such as Revolut are winning customers.
Spain went through heavy banking consolidation after the 2008 crisis: most savings banks (cajas de ahorros) were folded into large groups, and CaixaBank absorbed Bankia. Spanish credit cards often offer instalments or revolving credit at high rates: 18.95% APR on revolving with the ING credit card in October 2026. Debit cards are linked to the current account. ATM networks (Euro 6000, Servired and independents such as Euronet) determine withdrawal fees.
Spanish cards come as tarjetas de débito (immediate debit), tarjetas de crédito (month-end, instalments or revolving) and tarjetas prepago (prepaid). Co-branded cards are popular, such as the American Express Renfe, which earns rail travel points. Travel insurance and airport lounges are reserved for paid cards (Amex Gold and Platinum, Revolut Metal and Ultra). Bizum, built into major banks' apps, enables instant transfers between individuals.
Bank fees vary widely: online banks offer free cards (ING), while rewards and premium cards charge a fee (American Express from €8 to €65 a month). Withdrawal costs depend on the ATM network and account type. The Banco de España supervises the sector and the FGD (Fondo de Garantía de Depósitos) protects deposits up to €100,000. The EU PSD2 directive requires strong authentication for online payments.
To choose your card in Spain, start from how you use it. For everyday spending, a free debit card linked to a salary account is enough (ING). For travel outside the eurozone, Revolut applies its rate without a fee on weekdays within plan limits. To earn points, American Express cards (Renfe, Gold) charge a fee but offer welcome bonuses. Always check the APR before activating instalments or revolving credit.
* Fees collected in October 2026 from issuers' official pages (ING, American Express, Revolut). They may change: check with the issuer before applying. Supervised by Banco de España. Deposits protected up to €100,000.