Porth

Has anyone any experience of these please?

Whilst in France a month ago used our credit card and good rates of exchange however when the statement came in 2.99% charge for non-sterling transaction.

Bit of an irritation really but I do understand (I think) the reasoning.

guesswork

Get a Halifax Clarity Credit Card You will get Commercial exchange rates and no charges

missile

You have to read the charging structure.

amideislas

I don't need them because I don't spend from UK banks, but CantonFX prepaid card seems to be highly rated. No charges, slightly under interbank exchange rates.

Porth

Thanks for the Caxton info

Mitzyboy

Ive just got a Caxton FX card. The Global one.
You load it with sterling, and you can use it in the US, Europe, the Far East ... wherever. There are no charges (apart from what you might get for withdrawing cash at ATM's) and the rates of exchange are competitive as well.

I did this because I am fed up of American Express and Mastercard etc taking their 2.7% or whatever for using a card in a foreign country. Especially American Express ... you know, the card for the global traveller!!!!

shazzabob

nat west and many others now do a credit card that you dont pay any fees for europe and give you a good exchange rate ,when you use a card in spain they should ask if you want to pay in euros or sterling ,alway opt for the local currency if not they will give a really bad rate, pr paid cards ae good but you cant use them to hire cars and such , look at the card repayment structure.
1/ if you take money out as cash there is a charge and a exchange charge, you also get charged from day one with interest if you take money out of Spanish machine you may get charged to do this

2/if you use it to pay for items pay in local currency

3/ read the terms of use ie how much they will charge you for using their card and the fees in europe

we use a nat west card and pay it off in full when we get home so never get charged

Porth

thanks to everyone

Porth

Shazzabob whilst it now looks like we are going to a pre paid FX with Caxton I have today spoken to Nat West who have been our bank for let us say 35+ years.

They say they do not provide either a pre paid card just simply the standard card. If you use it in another country you are charged with 2.75% of the amount as a non-sterling transaction. Therefore if you have information which contradicts this please let me know by pm.

Kath Las Colinas

I have an Abbey Zero (now Santander) credit card, a Nationwide Gold credit card and a Halifax credit card. I do not pay commission or exchange rate charges on any of them but get the bank exchange rate which obviously can vary from day today.

For cash, I use my Santander debit card in a Santander ATM and again don't get any charges although this only works in Spain.

Kath

frigilianafreddy

I use Halifax clarity credit card. Fee free for purchases and 1% for cash, if you pay balance at end of month. All the "free cards" are better value than the likes of Caxton.

I didn't know about the Santander fee free cash, though. Missed a trick, obviously!!!!

Porth

just closed my Santander account due to a huge service issue and where they lost a substantial cheque for almost eight months.

Mitzyboy

I can tell you that I got a Caxton Card because I know someone who travels round the world, the States, Middle East, Europe .... he's probably got more experience than all of us put together, so I think you made the right decision

Remember though, if you get the global card you charge it in sterling. That means you can be in the US, Far East, Europe or Australia, and still use the same card. The rate of exchange will be the day that you make the transaction. There are no fees. They don't charge if you withdraw cash from ATM's BUT the ATM operator might. In the US I pay between $2 AND $3 per withdrawal, whatever amount

shazzabob

i stand corrected just look it is a nationwide credit card sorry

johnnyone

I use a Nationwide card for purchases and a Halifax clarity card for cash.
No charge on either and you get the commercial rate. The clarity card charges interest at 12.99%pa on cash withdrawals, so around 1% on the value of the cash withdrawn.
I was over at 18-25th july and was getting a tad over 1.26, so around 1.245 after interest.