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last time were abroad i seem to remember getting stung a few times for fees when using my cards.
what are the best options (other than cash) for reducing fees for general purchases whilst on holiday.
its france this year - gite for a few weeks in loire valley.
cheers
Starling bank is free abroad I believe.
Easy to open an account, put spending money in and use. Takes about 3 days for a card.
We always use our Monzo accounts when abroad - pay in local currency, always a great rate and zero fees.
I use Monzo, Halifax clarity or Chase - all fee free
The Monzo will also let you draw local cash from a machine free (obviously unless the machine charges)
I generally load it up before I go but if you have an internet connection on your phone you can load from your bank account and litally draw it straight out in €
Monzo usually have the best rates, they also have currently a 3.15% savings account. Instant access
I use my Virgin Money debit* card, they don't do foreign currency so card use abroad is free, and the exchange rate applied seemed ok.
*Think the credit card is the same but I don't use mine much here let alone abroad.
Just pay on your card as long as your bank doesnt charge for overseas transactions - the rate you get is decent. I have a Halfix Clarity credit card but we only use it for purchases we want to defer until the next statement date. Otherwise i have a Wise account and use that.
For cash requirements we just grab £200-300 worth in a single transaction so that we only pay one ATM fee (most machines aborad charge a fee now even if your provider doesn't) - all but the smallest places accept cards now so we rarely need more than this, indeed we came home with plenty to spare last trip.
I’ve been using a Halifax Clarity Card for years. Alongside other options, it does what you are asking for.
I just got caught out by Tesco £27 In transaction fees, I’ll be cancelling the card
I use Revolut for payment overseas. Works well no fees.
I found using cash machines in banks usually didn’t charge a fee, may be only Portugal/Madeira, most recent places visited anyway, Spain I use Santander since that’s the home country and so it’s free.
As said above if taking cash I take maximum per withdrawal so fewer visits just in case there is a withdrawal charge.
Some sort of travel credit card like Halifax Clarity. I've attached a link below for more information.
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cr...-credit-cards/
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Nationwide debit/credit cards.
I got a Monzo card a year ago and used it extensively in France and Spain without issue. The only thing is how much cash you can withdraw which is £250 in 30 days. Above that and you get charges.
So both me and Mrs B now also have Chase cards which allow £500 per day and £1500 per month.
I'd still use Monzo first though because I like and have got used to the app.
Probably not a good ideaQuote:
Originally Posted by Kingstepper
https://www.nationwide.co.uk/help/tr...r-card-abroad/
Another here for the Halifax Clarity card. Been using it abroad for years now with no issues. Handy that you can now pay it off online instead of having to go into a local branch like you had to in the old days😁
Depends on the card, I don’t pay fees.Quote:
Originally Posted by lewie
Debit cards definitely not unless you have the FlexPlus account, otherwise they charge for transactions. Credit cards are ok.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kingstepper
It's worth mentioning that the FlexPlus account is worth the monthly fee if you go abroad at all. You get Worldwide Travel Insurance cover, European breakdown cover, mobile phone insurance and fee-free debit card transactions.
Me too - I plan on using it again later this year. I always check before I go away to see if it is still a good card to carry and it still seems like a good option.Quote:
Originally Posted by noTAGlove
Can all those that say they aren’t getting charged confirm that they are getting good exchange rates as well,
And another for Halifax Clarity Card.
Revolut for me - rates are good as well. You can even load into different currency accounts when rates are good. Also set transactions into different currencies to trigger automatically when rate goes to a certain level.
Always been happy with them for years now.
Monzo rates are constantly good - saved us nearly £400 on our 9 week round the world trip.Quote:
Originally Posted by adrianw
As an example, today the GBP to USD exchange rate sat at £1 to $1.26, Monzo were quoting £1 to $1.246 - best I could find locally was $1.23
Revolut all the way, I have the Metal one which is around £140 per year but includes worldwide travel ins and loads of other benefits such as when
I was delayed last month they sent me free lounge passes for up to three people!
Or they do a free basic one (got Mrs n Daughter one) they love it also and no charge abroad, you get a great transfer rate or can convert to foreign currency before you travel if you like.
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MoneySavingExpert have consistently rated the Clarity card as top (or joint top) credit card for decades.Quote:
Originally Posted by adrianw
I can't find details of the fx rates now, but when I first took the card I'm sure I recall they then used very low spread fx rates - Amex or interbank? I can't recall the phrase used and perhaps no longer the case, but still appears to be overall a great card for overseas spending.
I tend to use Wise, previously called TransferWise. Just checked if I transferred $200 it would cost me £160. £0.70 fee, exchange rate of £1.00 to $1.25560.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris_in_the_UK
Also used it for EUR, NZD and Canadian Dollars. Consistently a good rate compared with other exchange mediums I’ve used.
Also have Halifax Clarity credit card
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Montello
Plus one here. Been using ours on our Pacific cruise no problems. Had to get Dollars when in the small Polynesia islands.
Quote:
Originally Posted by adrianw
Great exchange rates NZ and Aus dollars US dollar was comparable yesterday.
Talking to a couple of fellow passengers who have signed up to Revolut the other day will put £80 on my card. Result.
Ive had Revolut for a few years now and always found it to be very good.
Comparing it to the lads Monzo card, I think he got a slightly better rate but not much in it.
You can draw up to 200 euros a month for free as long as the cash port machine doesn't charge you a separate fee.
Banca March in Spain is free for withdrawals and we always use the same ones when we go to Tenerife.
revolut, curve or Wise cards - they all have certain free/low fx limits per day and different products that you need to research what suits your needs
Revolut did not work in the Bahamas last summer. So I would advise checking before you go to wherever. Luckily I found out before we went when trying to prebook an airport transfer.
Sterling Bank account. No fees for transactions abroad.
Another Clarity user here. Exchange rate is the commercial rate and we've never found anywhere that doesn't accept it. The only thing to be aware of is that there is a charge, 1% I think, for cash withdrawals.
I also use a Halifax Clarity Card
Another vote for Revolut, you can add sterling and exchange for euros, use the euros abroad, and convert back or not as you see fit any balance.
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Exchange rate is 0.5% above the base rate, isn’t base rate the commercial rate?Quote:
Originally Posted by Beanie
I stand corrected, I haven't checked but I've no doubt you're right. We've had ours a long time, since Nationwide withdrew their Flex account, I think it was called, and the Clarity was almost as good.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kingstepper
Even at 0.5%' I'm still happy.
FWIW, Nationwide still offer their range of Fiex accounts. For the basic Flex accounts, foreign transactions are 2.99%. For FlexPlus, it is still 0%.Quote:
Originally Posted by Beanie
https://www.nationwide.co.uk/-/asset...nd-charges.pdf