Wise Challenges India’s Forex Card Market: Announces Country’s First Travel Card

Wise, the global technology company building the best way to move and manage money worldwide, today opened the waitlist for the highly requested Wise Travel Card in India.

The announcement coincides with the Global Fintech Festival in Mumbai, where UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, referenced Wise’s new launch during his visit as part of the broader UK-India economic collaboration that’s opening opportunities for British companies in India’s fast-growing fintech sector. This follows Wise winning the Best Cross-border Payment Solution category at the 2025 GFF Awards last night.

The card launch timing is significant as Indian travelers spent almost $17 billion on travel spending abroad according to data from the Reserve Bank of India, yet many continue losing thousands to hidden fees and inflated exchange rates through traditional forex and bank cards.

A smarter way to spend abroad built specifically for Indian travellers

A family visiting their daughter studying in London could lose over ₹17,500 to fees on a ₹5 lakh trip with traditional bank cards. The Wise card solves this. It will give Indian travellers the mid-market exchange rate – the one they see on Google – with only a small, transparent conversion fee with no other surprise charges.

• Widest currency range of any forex card in India covering everywhere you actually travel: hold and spend in 40+ currencies, from the destinations Indians visit most – the UAE, Thailand, Singapore, USA, and UK – to dozens more. Switch between any currency instantly within the Wise app.
• Complete everything within the app – no branch visits, no paperwork: the entire account opening process happens digitally using digilocker and video KYC. All documents like PAN card, address proof, proof of travel (passport, air ticket, and visas) are verified digitally.
• No need to guess which currency to load before your trip: smart conversion feature automatically uses the best rate available between currencies, even if you don’t have the local currency. Whether you’re paying for a hotel in Tokyo, or buying groceries in Dubai, the Wise card works it out for you.
• Start spending before your physical card arrives at your doorstep: get instant access to digital cards while your physical card is being delivered. Request up to 3 digital cards on the app and use the card numbers for booking flights online or subscribing to international services before you travel.
• Load money the same way you pay for everything else in India: top up via IMPS for instant transfers, or through NEFT and RTGS. Switch currencies, freeze or unfreeze your card, and track every transaction in real time through the Wise app.

Taneia Bhardwaj, South Asia Expansion Lead at Wise: “India is growing incredibly fast as a travel market, but the products we use when we’re abroad haven’t kept up with the needs of today’s savvy Indian travelers. The payments experience abroad should be as seamless as paying in India, and that’s why we’ve built the Wise card specifically for the Indian market.

From the fully digital onboarding that happens entirely in-app, to loading money via IMPS, to supporting 40+ currencies so Indians are covered whether they’re in Dubai, London, or Bangkok – we’ve designed every feature around how Indians actually travel and spend. Most importantly, our customers will see exactly what they’re paying with a fully transparent exchange rate and no hidden fees. No markups, no surprises, just clarity.

“We’re excited to have this card in the hands of our customers in India very soon.”

Join the waitlist

The Wise Travel Card waitlist is now open. Customers who join will be among the first to access the card when it launches, receiving priority access.