Cheap Travel Money Discussion Area

Aaron

Hi all. Hope some expert can help. I'm in NZ now but I've just lost my intended Halifax Clarity :mad: (now reported+killed) so I'm left with a choice of my average high street bank credit+debit cards (2.75% loading, plus interest on credit card cash withdrawals) and whatever I can open from here (I've still got ID but no NZ residence). I went into Travelex but the version of the Cash Passport card sold here is ATM-only with high fees: it cannot be used at retailers! So, what should I do to minimise transaction charges? Use my debit card in retailers? Draw batches of cash on it? Is there a locally-available prepaid card which could be loaded in sterling from either debit card or UK bank transfer?

I'm here for a few weeks yet, so losing my Clarity is probably going to cost me. I guess that's not usually covered by travel insurance though. :mad:

Donnie

Aaron wrote: »

Hi all. Hope some expert can help. I'm in NZ now but I've just lost my intended Halifax Clarity :mad: (now reported+killed) so I'm left with a choice of my average high street bank credit+debit cards (2.75% loading, plus interest on credit card cash withdrawals) and whatever I can open from here (I've still got ID but no NZ residence). I went into Travelex but the version of the Cash Passport card sold here is ATM-only with high fees: it cannot be used at retailers! So, what should I do to minimise transaction charges? Use my debit card in retailers? Draw batches of cash on it? Is there a locally-available prepaid card which could be loaded in sterling from either debit card or UK bank transfer?

I'm here for a few weeks yet, so losing my Clarity is probably going to cost me. I guess that's not usually covered by travel insurance though. :mad:

If anything comes out of your predicament, at least it serves as a warning for people to have a viable plan on which to fall back.
Having a FairFx Anywhere card would have cost you nothing. Your risk would have been minimised as you could have just transferred what you needed to use at the time.

Perhaps Susan1942 is listening.

Aaron

Donnie wrote: »

If anything comes out of your predicament, at least it serves as a warning for people to have a viable plan on which to fall back.
Having a FairFx Anywhere card would have cost you nothing. Your risk would have been minimised as you could have just transferred what you needed to use at the time.

Perhaps Susan1942 is listening.

Well, it's not a card from hell, so I've a viable plan - I'm asking if there's a better one I could try.

I thought FairFx needed an initial top-up, plus it might have well gone with the rest of the travel wallet, so there'd be the card replacement fee, plus the conversion charges. It would have been even better+cheaper if I'd not lost the Clarity card, but there's always a small risk of an improbable loss. The question is: what's best to do now?

CountryGoose

Aaron wrote: »

Well, it's not a card from hell, so I've a viable plan - I'm asking if there's a better one I could try.

I thought FairFx needed an initial top-up, plus it might have well gone with the rest of the travel wallet, so there'd be the card replacement fee, plus the conversion charges. It would have been even better+cheaper if I'd not lost the Clarity card, but there's always a small risk of an improbable loss. The question is: what's best to do now?

There will be a replacement card on its way to you. Can this be collected from your home and posted out to OZ, to be collected at a hotel or Post Restante on a future stop? The pin could be intercepted the same way and emailed or read out to you on the phone. You will also need to check with the Halifax fraud depot on all charges on your lost card.

And the idea of having a backup card is that it isn't in the main wallet, but hidden in your luggage or room safe for emergency use.

thaimoonmonkey

Susan1942 wrote: »

Thanks for the information. I am concerned after reading what has been happening with the Crown situation and how so many people have lost their money.
Looked at the Fairfax web site and tried to see who they are. Are they a Bank? It does not look so to me therefore it might not be a wise move.
Really confused about it all. Didn't realise that I paid as much as this in interest as I used my card 2 years ago also on a 7 week holiday. I need to let my bank know that I am out of the country in case they stop my card.

Thanks again

They are issued by Newcastle Building Society.

marks7389

Hi,

I have a Halifax Clarity card which I intend to use to withdraw cash on our holiday to Dubai.

I understand that Halifax do not apply any charges, other than cash advance interest, but do ATMs in Dubai generally apply their own charges (e.g. as is the case in Australia)?

Thanks.

Baldur

marks7389 wrote: »

I have a Halifax Clarity card which I intend to use to withdraw cash on our holiday to Dubai.

I understand that Halifax do not apply any charges, other than cash advance interest, but do ATMs in Dubai generally apply their own charges (e.g. as is the case in Australia)?

There were no ATM charges when I was last in Dubai, around 4 years ago - may have changed since, of course.

adindas

No Charge for ATM withdrawal sofar. But there is interest rate 12.9% per Annum to be paid start from the day of cash withdrawal.

But this is easily to be avoided or to be minimized by sending fast payment to our credit card on the same day with amount of cash withdrawal using online transfer.

ADINDAS

Baldur wrote: »

There were no ATM charges when I was last in Dubai, around 4 years ago - may have changed since, of course.

Baldur

adindas wrote: »

No Charge for ATM withdrawal sofar. But there is interest rate 12.9% per Annum to be paid start from the day of cash withdrawal.

The query was about charges by ATM operators, generally, in Dubai rather than charges for ATM withdrawals using the Clarity card.

The quoted interest rate is also not necessarily true for all Clarity card holders, the 12.9% 'typical' rate does not apply to all; with a range of interest rates being applied to different cardholders.

dungey1

With regards to the Nationwide Flexaccount:

We have a property and a bank account in France. For the past year, I have put money in the Flexaccount on a weekly basis (£100 or so) and used the card in France and taken cash from the machine at our French bank to top that account up....good exchange rate and no charge.

There's never more than about £500 or so to transfer so not enough to use a money transfer company (we did this originally when we bought the house).

I am able to take out £300 a time which I have worked out is going to cost me £7 from November.

I have looked at all sorts of alternatives, but nothing seems to be suitable, I know £7 isn't much however, I am not happy that Nationwide have made the changes and would be happy to change if I could find somewhere else. ANY IDEAS ?