- Monzo Max travel cover is underwritten by Zurich Insurance Company Ltd (FCA firm reference number 959113) and starts from 17 pounds a month for the account.
- Revolut travel cover is underwritten by Chubb European Group SE (FCA register number 820988), distributed by Revolut Travel Ltd (FCA FRN 780586), on the Metal plan at 14.99 pounds a month and the Ultra plan at 55 pounds a month.
- Both policies carry emergency medical cover: Monzo Max up to 10 million pounds, Revolut up to 10 million pounds. Neither covers pre-existing medical conditions as standard.
- Trip-length caps differ: Monzo Max 45 consecutive days, Revolut Metal 30 days, Revolut Ultra 90 days. Monzo cover ceases around age 71; Revolut requires you to be under 76.
Two UK app-based banks now build worldwide travel insurance into a paid account rather than selling it as a standalone policy. Monzo attaches cover to its Max account; Revolut attaches it to the Metal and Ultra plans. Because the insurance is a benefit of the subscription, the figures that matter are the underwriter, the cover limits, the trip-length caps and the conditions that must be met for a claim to pay. The two products diverge on several of those points.
Monzo Max and Revolut at a glance
Monzo Max is a paid current account from Monzo Bank Limited (FCA FRN 730427), priced from 17 pounds a month, with an extra 5 pounds a month for each family member added to the policy. The travel insurance is a personal multi-trip benefit underwritten by Zurich Insurance Company Ltd, with claims and assistance handled through Qover and the Zurich Assist helpline.
Revolut bundles travel insurance into two of its paid tiers. The Metal plan costs 14.99 pounds a month and the Ultra plan costs 55 pounds a month. On both, the insurer is Chubb European Group SE, with Revolut Travel Ltd acting as the regulated insurance intermediary. The Premium tier below Metal is not a travel-insurance tier on the same basis, so the meaningful comparison is Monzo Max against Revolut Metal or Ultra.
Cover limits compared
On headline emergency medical expenses the two are level: Monzo Max covers overseas emergency medical and assistance up to 10 million pounds, and Revolut Metal and Ultra both cover medical costs up to 10 million pounds. Cancellation and curtailment cover is also closely matched at up to 5,000 pounds on Monzo Max and up to 5,000 pounds on Revolut.
Smaller sections differ in their structure as well as their limits. Both policies carry separate headings for baggage, personal money, personal liability, legal expenses and, on some tiers, winter sports, but the sums insured and the per-item and per-trip sub-limits are not aligned between the two underwriters. Anyone relying on a particular section should read the relevant policy booklet directly, because those sub-limits sit underneath the headline figures and decide what a claim actually pays.
Age limits and eligibility
Age is one of the clearest dividing lines. Monzo Max travel cover applies to UK residents who hold the account, with the maximum age limit for all benefits set at 70 years inclusive. When a holder reaches 71, cover continues only until the next plan anniversary and then ceases. Revolut's policies require the insured to be under 76 years old at the time cover applies, giving a higher upper boundary for older travellers who still meet the other conditions.
Trip length is the other eligibility gap. Monzo Max covers an unlimited number of trips provided each is under 45 consecutive days, and trips beyond 45 days are not covered at any point, including the early days. Revolut Metal caps each trip at the first 30 consecutive days, while Revolut Ultra extends that to the first 90 consecutive days. Travellers planning a single long trip should weigh the 90-day Ultra cap against its 55 pounds a month cost.
The card-payment condition
Revolut attaches a booking condition that Monzo does not. Under the Chubb policies, a trip is only covered if the Revolut Metal or Ultra account is active before booking and is used to pay directly for at least 75 percent of the transport and accommodation costs. A trip booked and paid for outside the Revolut account can fall outside cover. Monzo Max cover applies to qualifying trips for valid plan holders without a comparable spend-through-the-card requirement, so the practical claim conditions are not identical even where the headline limits look similar.
Pricing structure
Neither product is bought as insurance in isolation; the premium is paid by the bank to the underwriter as part of the subscription. Monzo Max is from 17 pounds a month, with 5 pounds a month per added family member, and the travel insurance is one benefit among the account's wider features. Revolut Metal at 14.99 pounds a month is the lower monthly figure, while Revolut Ultra at 55 pounds a month buys the longer 90-day trip cap. The cost comparison therefore depends on whether the account's other benefits are wanted, and on whether the trip-length cap of each tier fits the traveller's plans.
Claims handling
Monzo Max claims run through Qover, submitted via a claims portal inside the Monzo app, where policy documents and travel certificates are also held. The policy asks holders to notify a claim within 30 days of becoming aware of it, and to contact Zurich Assist as soon as reasonably possible in the event of a hospital admission abroad. Revolut claims are handled by the Revolut Travel Insurance Claims Team and Chubb Assistance, with medical emergencies directed to the Chubb helpline. In both cases the assistance line should be contacted before incurring large medical costs where possible.
Which traveller each suits
The product that fits depends on age, trip length and how a trip is paid for. A traveller over 70 is outside Monzo Max but may still qualify under Revolut's under-76 rule. A traveller planning a trip between 46 and 90 days is outside both Monzo Max and Revolut Metal but inside Revolut Ultra. A traveller who books holidays on a card other than Revolut may struggle to meet Revolut's 75 percent payment condition, where Monzo Max imposes no such spend rule. Neither policy covers pre-existing medical conditions as standard, so anyone with a declared condition would need to look at a specialist standalone policy regardless of which account they hold. The FCDO advises that failing to declare existing conditions or pending treatment can invalidate cover, which makes the pre-existing exclusion central rather than incidental for affected travellers.
Sources
- Monzo Max worldwide travel insurance
- Monzo Max Zurich Insurance Product Information Document
- Monzo: making a travel insurance claim via Qover
- Chubb Revolut Metal Travel Policy Booklet
- Chubb Revolut Ultra Travel Policy Booklet
- Revolut Metal plan fees
- FCA Register: Revolut Travel Ltd (FRN 780586)
- FCDO foreign travel insurance guidance
