MadRad

Hi,

I'm having visitors from the UK soon. They were asking if they can use Maestro and Mastercard debit cards over here as they don't have credit cards.

Does anyone know? Or should they bring traveller's cheques or some kind of a prepaid travel money card?

Thanks!

sir_eccles

Their cards should be fine but while they can go to an ATM tap in their PIN and get cash, if they are at a store checkout they will not be able to click debit and enter their PIN they will have to run it as a credit card and sign.

Bob

mastercard debit won't be a problem, the other one, depends on the location, but not as popular...but as SE said, they'll have to run them as credit card on the swipe jobby.

Don't bother with traveller cheques, people generally won't know what to do with them, unless your in a large city, but even then...

MsElui

i have issues with debit cards in some stores and they work in others. worst case use them at an atm to get cash.

TerryVA

Forget traveller's cheques. Just have them use the MC debit card as an ATM card, and get cash. There'll be a transaction fee, though, so they should take out at least a couple of hundred at a time.

Tarkak9

as long as they go to a hole in the wall having the same logo as on the back of their card (Plus, Interlink etc), they should be fine, otherwise they'll have to go inside the bank and do the equiv of a cash advance on the card.

As an extra precaution they should contact their bank to let them know they plan to go and use the card abroad so that withdraws etc won't be flagged and/or declined... just at the time they really need it!

N1cky

Also make sure they know to bring photo id with them for purchases in shops. This caught my in-laws out last time.

oicur0t

Get something like a Caxton's FX card (mastercard).... it's a much better rate than banks or credit cards. You just load it with cash.