The Great "Using plastic abroad" Hunt

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  • Gloomendoom
    Gloomendoom Posts: 16,550 Forumite
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    After our Nationwide card was eaten on the second day of a US holiday, I used my Barclays debit and Barclaycard (both Visa) without any problems for the rest of our stay. Cash withdrawal fees were reasonable as long as I used BoA ATMs. I never had to use my Barclaycard Mastercard.

    Also had a Clarity refused by an ATM in Cyprus. Again, Barclaycard to the rescue.
  • andrar
    andrar Posts: 272 Forumite
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    Anyone know how good South Africa are at accepting cards? I'm heading there for a few weeks over xmas and new year (doing a wee tour from Durban to Cape Town) and was going to load up a FairFX card to take with me rather than cash, anyone know if this will be ok and accepted at atms there?
  • benjus
    benjus Posts: 5,433 Forumite
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    In Argentina - whenever I used a Mastercard (Metro Bank debit) all the ATMs I found added an extra fee. When the same ATM was used with a Visa card (Nationwide / HSBC debit) the fee was not added. Also had fees added in Uruguay with my Mastercard, although didn't try with a Visa card to compare.

    Of course, if you want the best exchange rates in Argentina, the answer is to bring USD cash and not to use ATMs at all...
    Let's settle this like gentlemen: armed with heavy sticks
    On a rotating plate, with spikes like Flash Gordon
    And you're Peter Duncan; I gave you fair warning
  • slbhill
    slbhill Posts: 5,441 Forumite
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    About 5 years ago we were passing through Belgium on our way to the ferry back home on a bank holiday weekend, and needed fuel. Stopped at a petrol station - the kiosk was shut but they had pay-at-pump... except we couldn't get it to accept any of our cards. Fortunately we were rescued by a passing motorcyclist who paid for our fuel with his card, in exchange for cash. He explained that the machines only take the chain's prepaid cards, not anything else (credit card, debit card, cash). Not much use for travellers! I really hope it's changed now.
  • caanro
    caanro Posts: 4 Newbie
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    Using plastic in cafes, coffee shops, restaurants isn't possible.
  • paulj11999
    paulj11999 Posts: 1 Newbie
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    We've just returned from a holiday visiting Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. I successfully used a new Halifax Clarity credit card in all countries to both withdraw cash and use at PoS with chip/pin.
    Best part about this card is that there are no fixed charges to use it abroad. If you use it to withdraw cash you just pay the interest and no fixed charges.
    I reckon I saved about £30 in charges alone with this card
  • tgt
    tgt Posts: 13 Forumite
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    Halifax Clarity Mastercard used to withdraw local cash during mid-Nov last year to May this year. For several months used successfully on ATMs belonging to several local banks. In the last few months of the period it failed cash withdrawals on ATMs of local banks, HSBC and Citibank, except for one local bank's ATMs - Public bank :huh:. Purchases continued to work. There was no problem with the card or account as confirmed by Halifax.

    Have now got Metro bank credit & debit cards as well - no ATM cash fees to Metro or exchange rate loading, just Mastercard rate - as backup for next time. You have to live near a branch of the bank in London though.
  • FelixTCat
    FelixTCat Posts: 31 Forumite
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    Anyone know how good South Africa are at accepting cards?
    I don't know about FairFX but when I travel to South Africa each year I have no trouble getting cash from ATMs with my debit card or using my credit cards in restaurants, supermarkets etc.
  • FelixTCat
    FelixTCat Posts: 31 Forumite
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    During a recent visit to Bremen in North Germany we found that many restaurants would not accept credit cards and would only accept debit cards if they had the EU symbol on them (not seen for many years in the UK). We even found a petrol station that wouldn't accept either. Our hotel also refused, though there was an ATM opposite so we were able to pay in cash.

    We didn't have any such trouble during a visit to Berlin last summer.
  • huw01
    huw01 Posts: 350 Forumite
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    I have used the three following cards for ATM's and purchase in Australia, Middle East and Europe without any real problems. Norwich & Peterborugh Visa Debit, Metrobank MasterCard Debit and Halifax Clarity Mater-card Credit card.

    The only problem Ive come across is in Australia when using a debit card to make a purchase. On the EFTPOS terminals you haves a choice of Checking, Savings or Credit accounts to select before putting your PIN in. Although they are debit cards from current accounts (i.e checking ) the transaction is only successful if you select the Credit account option. Never understood that really.

    However I now only use debit cards to withdraw ATM cash so to avoid any interest charges that the Halifax Clarity would accrue and use the Clarity card for purchases only.

    I have also noticed that two identical amounts taken out one after another on the N&P (visa debit) and the Metrobank (MasterCard debit) can be quite different amounts when converted into sterling. I've noticed a difference of up to 70p on a conversion of €200.!
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