Banking Without Borders
Banking Without Borders is a podcast about modern money — from digital banks and cashback cards to savings, credit cards, FX, global accounts, and the financial products reshaping how people manage money in the UK and beyond.
We focus less on hype and more on what actually matters: who a product is for, how it makes money, where the trade-offs are, and whether it’s genuinely worth using.
If you want clear thinking, real-world context, and fewer buzzwords and less BS when it comes to banking, cards, and personal finance, this is the podcast.
Banking Without Borders
Is Klarna Max a Real Alternative to Revolut Ultra?
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Revolut Ultra (£660/year) and Klarna Max (£540/year) both promise lounge access, travel insurance, points, subscriptions and “thousands” in annual value.
But when you actually look under the hood, they’re very different products.
In this episode of Banking Without Borders, we compare:
- Rewards: RevPoints vs Klarna’s cashback-to-Avios system (and why the maths matters)
- FX & international spending: Visa rates vs Revolut’s margin
- Lounge access: 1,800 lounges vs DragonPass — and no free guests
- Travel insurance: the 72-hour booking rule, cancellation cover, and medical limits
- Car hire excess: £10,000 vs £2,000 (and the exotic vehicle exclusions)
- Subscriptions: Financial Times, The Times, ClassPass, WeWork, Audiobooks, ASMALLWORLD and more
- Who each plan actually suits
We also discuss whether Klarna Max feels like a finished product yet — and whether it could eventually become a full UK current account.
If you’re thinking about paying £500+ a year for a fintech membership, this episode will help you decide whether either of these plans genuinely justifies the price.
Connect with us (via LinkedIn)
Jan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-watermann/
Jonny: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonny-pease
Got a question or topic you want us to cover? Drop us a message at jonny@technicallymoney.com
