The day I start to worry about money passing through WISE or REVOLUT is the day I pack it all in. WISE is not covered by a deposit protection scheme but it states that 'your funds' are held with other financial institutions. In the same way, I do not share others' concerns for the 1,000,000 Baht protection scheme (DPA) in Thailand. You have a significantly higher chance of being struck by lightening than losing money with WISE or REVOLUT.
I will continue to use WISE and have Revolut, and Monzo, as back-ups.
I repeat my recent experience with WISE (which dented my 'fan-boy' status but did not cause me to move away from them).
They did their lob properly in preventing an attempted fraud on my Euro account (into Mexican Pesos). They also did their job properly in securing my account and seeking various ID confirmations. To put this in perspective WISE say they have 1,000 staff globally dealing solely with fraud - it is a huge challenge for financial institutions. WISE carries out 7 million fraud checks every day
Where they let me down was in the in the communication process (or lack of it) and that allowed frustrations to build that caused me to look more closely at other money transmission businesses. I had (what seemed like) 2 days of not being able to move funds; every time I was told that the account was 'unrestricted' I went to do a transfer and that was 'blocked'....it was a Groundhog Day situation and I couldn't see a way to break the circle....Customer Support, whilst polite and helpful, simply kiss the asses of 'compliance/security' and the two did not seemed joined up. This is an area that I think they need to improve.
WISE:-
United States
Wise US Inc. is registered with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and renews its registration annually. It is
licensed as a money transmitter in the states listed here, and supervised by regulatory authorities in each of those states.
In other US states and/or territories, money transmission services are offered by our partner financial institution Community Federal Savings Bank, which is supervised by the Office of the Comptroller of Currency.
United Kingdom
Wise Payments Limited is authorised as an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with registration number 900507.
Wise Assets Limited is authorised to carry out investment activities by the FCA with registration number 839689.
Is Wise safe?
Wise is safe to use, and a safe place to keep your money. We have strict measures in place to make sure your money is always available, and work against fraud and thieves to keep them away from our business. Our teams are trained regularly on the latest guidance around keeping customers’ money safe.
Is Wise FSCS protected?
Wise safeguards your money and will never lend it out, so we don’t need FSCS protection. FSCS protection is there to get your cash back if the bank was to ever fail.
14.8 million customers already trust us. Cutting-edge technology and 24/7 customer support combine to keep your money with Wise safe and ready for you to use.
wise.com
REVOLUT:-
Was granted a full UK banking licence in 2021.
How is your money protected at Revolut?
The Bank (Revolut Bank UK Ltd) provides the same level of protection for your funds as any bank in the UK.
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) is an independent statutory organisation that protects your money in case the bank fails. In this unlikely case, FSCS is legally obliged to pay back eligible customers up to a maximum compensation amount, which is currently £120,000 per person per bank (for eligible deposits). FSCS aims to pay compensation within 7 days of a bank or building society failing, ensuring that your funds are quickly and reliably available to you.
You’ll have peace of mind knowing your funds are secured if anything should happen, just like with any other bank.