Currensea

Founded by two former Barclays, RBS, NatWest and J.P. Morgan executives, Currensea boasts a formidable banking pedigree. Thanks to this expertise, Currensea is the UK's first debit card specifically designed for travel. The company uses open banking to circumvent the fees imposed by other card providers, meaning that users can save up to 85% on every transaction they make abroad. Currensea has partnered with all major high street banks, including HSBC, Lloyds and Santander, which has allowed it to scale its user-base considerably.

Travel numbers are experiencing an uptick, which is good news for Currensea. This trend has allowed the company to double cardholder numbers in a relatively short amount of time. Being the only card of its kind on the market, Currensea faces little direct competition, especially as it has allied itself with the UK's most influential consumer banks. However, in the ever-changing fintech world, it's likely that we'll see new entrants into the market in the next few years.