I’ve been using Transferwise for a few years now to sort out foreign currency transactions… very useful and generally cheaper than classic banking rates.
However, the fact that you can now have your own multi-currency bank accounts within their own card is genius, especially when travelling. I have used it to load Swedish Krona, US Dollars, Euros, and Turkish Lira. And it works a dream for holidays: Just choose your currency, add an approximate amount from your UK debit card (or from any other currency you already have on the card), and you’re sorted. Just use it like a regular Mastercard while abroad and incur no fees on any transaction!
If someone is transferring foreign currency to you then simply give them your virtual bank account details for that currency, and again you’re not going to get stung with transfer fees. You can choose when to transfer it to another currency, or leave it in the original currency.
I know there are now a few options on the market, but Transferwise is the one that has served me well. Recommended!