To apply for a Curve Card you must have a European recipient address (e.g. using a UKPOSTBOX virtual mailbox) or you must be in Europe. Also, after receiving the card, your first purchase must be made in Europe at a European ATM or POS, you can either make the purchase yourself in Europe or ask a friend in Europe to help you, otherwise the Curve Card can only be used as a souvenir!
The Curve Card is a UK-issued physical Matercard debit card that can be operated via the Curve app digital wallet. Instead of calling Curve a digital wallet, call the Curve Card a firewall to your own real credit card!
Why do I say that? With the Curve App e-wallet, you can connect your real Mastercard and Visa credit cards to Curve to prevent your real credit card information from being leaked directly to shopping sites.
After adding a real credit card to Curve, purchases made through a Curve-issued physical MasterCard debit card will actually be charged to your real credit card, which is ostensibly paid for by the Curve Card.
If you accidentally reveal your card information on an unsecured shopping site, it will only reveal the Curve Card card information and not your real credit card information. With the Curve app, you can lock your card with one click, ensuring the safety of your Curve Card and your real credit card funds. So, Curve Card is a firewall for credit cards.
About registering Curve
Curve website: https://www.curve.app
Click on the DOWNLOAD FOR FREE button to download the Curve app.
Enter a European mobile number that can receive SMS messages to get the download link. If you don’t have a European SIM card, Google “Giffgaff” for free or a UK SIM card.
Open the download link within the SMS and the system will direct you to the Google Play or Apple Store download page depending on your phone’s operating system. Download and install.
To start registering with Curve, follow the instructions and fill in your personal details, including the mobile phone number where you received the text message. Fill in your real European address or legal rented European virtual mailbox address, if the address is wrong then you will not receive the card.
You will need to upload your passport information as authentication during the registration process, and also if the Curve app locates that the phone is not in Europe, there is a chance that the registration may fail.
After successful registration, the card is sent out after 24 hours and it usually takes 3-5 days to reach a European address, it took me about 10 days to receive the card, I don’t live in Europe and it was forwarded to my country via virtual mailbox.
Once you receive your card, log in to the Curve App, click the Activate button, enter the last four digits of your Curve card number, and you’re good to go.
For the first time, the Curve Card can only be used at European Pos and ATM machines, and purchases must be made by swiping the card and entering a PIN before payments can be made in other countries or online.