How Many Banking Apps Does an International Lifestyle Really Need?

Short answer? Probably fewer than you’re using. 

One app for GBP. Another for USD. One for sending money overseas. Another for travel. Maybe another for savings. 

Before long, managing money internationally starts to feel less like freedom and more like admin. 

If your life crosses currencies and countries regularly, the better question isn’t “Which banking app do I need next?” 

It’s: 

“How much of this can I manage in one place?” 

Why does international money management get so fragmented? 

Because an international life rarely fits neatly into one currency. 

You might earn in one currency, save in another, receive money in a third and spend in several more when you travel. 

Traditionally, solving each need has meant adding another account, app or provider. 

The result? 

Your money may be perfectly organised individually, but collectively, it’s scattered everywhere. 

And every time you want to know where you stand, you’re opening apps, checking balances and working out what sits where. 

Do you really need a different account for every currency? 

Not necessarily. 

Your iFAST Multi-Currency Current Account lets you hold and manage 11 currencies — GBP, USD, EUR, HKD, SGD, CNY, JPY, CHF, AED, CAD and AUD — in one account.  

So instead of treating every currency as a separate financial relationship, you can manage more of your international money from one place. 

That matters when you’re regularly receiving, holding, converting or spending across currencies. 

Because the real benefit isn’t simply having 11 currencies. 

It’s having less to keep track of. 

Can your everyday money still earn interest? 

Yes. 

Money sitting in a current account doesn’t necessarily have to sit idle. 

Your iFAST Multi-Currency Current Account is interest-bearing across all 11 supported currencies. And when you want to put money away for longer, iFAST Global Bank also offers Fixed Term Deposits, including shorter terms on many currencies.  

So the account you use to manage international money can also help that money keep working while it’s there. 

What about actually spending money abroad? 

Holding different currencies is only half the story. 

Eventually, you want to use them. 

That might mean paying a merchant while travelling, sending money internationally or moving funds between currencies. 

This is where using your iFAST account as a financial hub, rather than simply another bank account, becomes more useful. 

With Worldwide Scan & Pay, you can make eligible cross-currency payments by scanning participating merchant QR codes through the iFAST GB app.  

So when QR is how people pay where you are, you already have another way to join in. 

Open. Scan. Pay. 

No additional payment app to manage just for that moment. 

And when your money needs to go somewhere else? 

International money doesn’t always stay with you. 

Sometimes it needs to reach another bank account. Sometimes a digital wallet. Sometimes someone on the other side of the world. 

Your iFAST account includes tools such as EZRemit and EZWallet for international money movement, alongside the multi-currency and spending capabilities already available through your account.  

Again, the point isn’t that you should never use another financial service. 

It’s that you shouldn’t need another one for every single thing you do internationally. 

Is having fewer financial apps actually better? 

Only if one account can genuinely do more of what you need. 

Having specialist accounts for investing, local commitments or other specific needs can make perfect sense. 

The frustration starts when your phone is full of financial apps simply because no single account handles enough of your international life. 

More accounts can mean more balances to track, more currencies to monitor, more transfers between providers and more logins to manage.  

That’s why consolidation isn’t really about having fewer icons on your phone. 

It’s about having fewer financial workarounds. 

One account should earn its place on your phone 

You already have iFAST Global Bank. 

The question is whether you’re using everything your account can do. 

Hold and manage 11 currencies. Earn interest on supported balances. Make international transfers. Pay through participating QR networks with Worldwide Scan & Pay. Put eligible funds into Fixed Term Deposits when you want to save for longer.  

Rather than adding another app every time your international life becomes a little more international, see how much further the account you already have can take you. 

One account. Fewer workarounds. More ways to move internationally. 

18+. Interest rates are variable and subject to change. Please refer to the iFAST Global Bank website for current rates and full terms and conditions. Eligible deposits are protected by the FSCS subject to applicable limits and conditions. 
Scan & Pay is for cross-currency payments only. Availability of QR payments varies by country and merchant. T&Cs apply. 
Fixed Term Deposits are subject to a fixed deposit term. Early withdrawal before maturity is not permitted except in exceptional circumstances and may result in loss of accrued interest. T&Cs apply. 

Same currency international transfers will incur fees. Refer to our Fees and Charges for up to date figures.