Currensea debit cards now charge 0.95% fee

Currensea now charges a 0.95% fee for using its Hilton, Marriott, and United Airlines debit cards to pay UK tax bills to HMRC.

Currensea has changed how its co-branded debit cards handle payments to HM Revenue & Customs. Payments to HMRC are now subject to a 0.95% fee, but they also now earn points. Previously, such payments incurred no fee but earned no points, though they did count toward spend-based milestone rewards.

Currensea issues debit cards for Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, and United Airlines MileagePlus. The company stated that the fee is necessary because the interchange payment it receives from HMRC is a very low fixed amount, not a percentage. The fee allows Currensea to offer points on these transactions.

Points earned versus the fee

For personal tax payments like self-assessment, the points earned do not cover the 0.95% fee on their own, based on Head for Points' valuations. The earn rates and valuations for UK spending are as follows:

Therefore, paying the fee for personal taxes is only worthwhile if the cardholder also values the elite night credits triggered by the spend.

When paying the fee makes sense

The report states that using these cards for HMRC payments can be justified for personal taxes if the spend helps unlock milestone bonuses. The cards offering such bonuses for UK spend are the Hilton Honors Debit Card, the Hilton Honors Plus Debit Card, and the Marriott Bonvoy Premium Debit Card.

For the Hilton cards, cardholders earn five Elite Qualifying Nights for every £5,000 spent. The basic Hilton card has an annual cap of 15 nights, while the Plus card caps at 30 nights. The Marriott Premium card offers one Elite Night Credit for every £4,000 spent, with an annual cap of five credits.

Paying HMRC can also help meet spending requirements for annual renewal bonuses. The Hilton Honors Debit Card offers 5,000 bonus points for spending £5,000 in a card year. The Hilton Honors Plus Debit Card offers 10,000 bonus points for spending £10,000.

The calculation changes for business taxes like VAT, PAYE, or Corporation Tax. If the 0.95% fee can be treated as a business expense, the transaction becomes more viable. The Marriott Bonvoy Premium Debit Card, with a points valuation of 0.75p per £1 spent, is highlighted as a strong option. The United Airlines Debit Card is also mentioned as a potential candidate.

Current sign-up offers

Head for Points notes limited-time increased sign-up bonuses on three cards. Until September 7, 2026, the Hilton Honors Plus Debit Card offers 50,000 bonus points instead of the usual 15,000. Until September 15, 2026, the Marriott Bonvoy Premium Debit Card offers 40,000 points, up from 15,000, and the standard Marriott Bonvoy Debit Card offers 15,000 points, up from 5,000.

The report states the value of these bonuses covers each card's annual fee, effectively providing a free first year.

Source: Head for Points