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Zing travel money app to shut down – what you need to do and the top alternatives

Smartphone showing the Zing app next to a sleek black Zing physical card
Gavin Shepherd
Gavin Shepherd & Petar Lekarski
30 January 2025

If you're a Zing user, you should spend, move or withdraw your funds before it shuts down on 22 May 2025. It's unclear if you'll still be able to access your cash after this deadline, so it's best to move your money beforehand.

Newbies can no longer sign-up for the travel money and international payments app after parent firm HSBC announced the closure this month. Zing is shutting down due to "changes in strategic business priorities".

Zing will start closing its services from 2 April 2025

Since launching last year, Zing's low fees had made it one of our top picks for prepaid travel cards, which allow you to lock in an exchange rate before travelling abroad. But this is changing...

Zing closure timeline

Until 2 April 2025

No changes – you can keep using the app and your card as normal.

2 April to 21 May 2025

Transfers into the account stop working – you won't be able to add money or receive payments into your account.

You can still access the app, spend using your card and make payments out of your account.

22 May 2025

Zing shuts down – all accounts will be closed and you'll no longer be able to use the Zing app or your card.

How to get your money out of Zing before it closes

You have several options:

  • Send the money to your bank account for free. If the money in your Zing account is in any another currency, you can convert it back to pounds first – you won't be charged for this. Once that's done, you can just transfer the pounds back to your current account.

  • Withdraw it in cash. But remember that only your first ATM withdrawal each month is free, so time your withdrawals accordingly.

  • Spend it using your card.

We asked Zing what would happen if you still had money left in your account after the app shuts down, but all it would tell us at this stage is that it will communicate with customers about transferring their funds ahead of the closure date.

Beware of scammers

Fraudsters can use financial providers shutting down as an opportunity to con you out of your money. So beware: Zing and its parent HSBC will NEVER ask you to transfer money to specific accounts.

If you've been asked to make a transfer or if you're unsure of the identity of the payee, contact Zing immediately through its in-app chat or by emailing support@zing.me.

Our top-pick alternatives

Zing is a prepaid travel card – this means you can load your chosen currency to it before going abroad, then use it to spend while you're there. The main advantage of a prepaid card is that it lets you lock in an exchange rate in advance, giving you peace of mind before you travel. But there are other options worth considering:

  • Chase DEBIT card. This gives you the near-perfect Mastercard exchange rate when you spend and doesn't charge fees for spending or cash withdrawals overseas.

    It also gives an ongoing 1% cashback on most purchases – up to £15 a month – meaning you get a little back on your holiday spending. Plus, it's a debit card, so you don't need to pass a hard credit check to get it.

  • Barclaycard Rewards CREDIT card. Here, you get Visa's near-perfect exchange rates when you spend and no fees for spending or cash withdrawals. Provided you pay it off IN FULL each month, there's also no interest.

    It gives a smaller 0.25% cashback but, as with all credit cards, you do get extra refund protection for items costing over £100 if things go wrong. Though you'll need to pass a full credit check to get it.

  • Revolut PREPAID card. This lets you exchange currency at interbank rates on weekdays (slightly better than Visa's or Mastercard's). However, there's a 1% fee for exchanging over £1,000 a month, and fees for any exchanges on weekends.

    If you'll be exchanging regularly on weekends, or you want to exchange more than £1,000 a month, you may be better off with Wise. While it charges a fee of at least 0.33% for exchanges, the fee doesn't rise at weekends.

    For lots more options, including if you're looking for cash, see our Cheap travel money tips.

MSE Email icon 4 February 2025

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