Cheap Travel Money Discussion Area

KTF

murphydavid wrote: »

Do you know:
Does the Halifax Reward Current Account give you free cheque book's?
I presume you get the £5.00 a month reward added to the Current account just by paying in the £1000 a month so do you then get an additional £5.00 by spending £300 a month on the clarity reward card (ie thats £10 reward in one month).

My current accounts didnt come with any cheque books but I think there is an option to say if you want one (or not) when you apply. I cant imagine if there is a charge if you want one though.

The £5 is applied to each product i.e.

1. Cycle 1k through the current account = £5 appears next month.
2. Spend more than £300 on the card = £5 appears on the credit card statement balance next month.

The two payments are not combined and paid into the current account if that is what you were meaning?

murphydavid

KTF wrote: »

My current accounts didnt come with any cheque books but I think there is an option to say if you want one (or not) when you apply. I cant imagine if there is a charge if you want one though.

The £5 is applied to each product i.e.

1. Cycle 1k through the current account = £5 appears next month.
2. Spend more than £300 on the card = £5 appears on the credit card statement balance next month.

The two payments are not combined and paid into the current account if that is what you were meaning?

Thanks I'm getting there. Sorry to ask so much. With the card do you get the £5.00 if the £300 (about $450) spending is done overseas and presumably no reward if you don't spend in a shop but withdraw foreign cash to spend from an ATM.

KTF

I believe you get the £5 as long as the balance is over £300 in a billing period. This can be purchases in the UK or overseas.

I dont know if it also applies for taking cash out as its rare that I go over the £300 mark on the (mainly short) overseas trips that I do.

The best way to find out would be to call up Halifax and ask them.

PrepaidResearcher

Hi, I am doing some research into prepaid bank cards, and looking into designing a range of prepaid cards which come with different tariffs, similar to mobile phone tariffs, which allow users with different requirements to get different benefits and fees on their cards.

As you are all the most reliable method of asking people who actually use these cards, and making sure they are most appropriate for you, please take a few minutes to fill out these questions, which will be extremely useful in our market research, and hopefully resolve some of the problems users are unhappy about, with the existing range of prepaid cards available.

Thanks

Age:
Gender:
Country:

Do you use prepaid bank cards or currency exchange cards?
If no, would you consider using prepaid cards, and what is the reason for your answer?
If yes, which companies have you used prepaid cards from?
Have you used prepaid cards from more than one provider?
What made you choose the provider you currently use?
Are you satisfied with the service you receive from this provider?
What is your main reason for using prepaid cards? (e.g no bank account, to give money to childen, currency exchange, savings etc)
Do you use Pay Monthly cards or Pay As You Go?
Are you satisfied with the charges/fees on your prepaid card?
What additional benefits do you receive from your current provider?
Are you happy with the speed of transfer and ease of topping up your prepaid card?
What, if any, are your security concerns about using a prepaid card?
Do you have a bank account with a high street branch too?
Do you have children?
Would you use a prepaid bank card to give your child money to spend, as an alternative to cash?
Why?
Do you exchange currency, or make international transfers from your bank account?
Would you use a prepaid card to take money abroad or to send money to someone else abroad?
Why?
Would you be interested in using an e-wallet, or contactless payment system, instead of a traditional chip and pin card?

Suanlum

murphydavid wrote: »

Thanks I'm getting there. Sorry to ask so much. With the card do you get the £5.00 if the £300 (about $450) spending is done overseas and presumably no reward if you don't spend in a shop but withdraw foreign cash to spend from an ATM.

My understanding from speaking to the guy at Halifax is as already said it's the balance irrespective of how or where it's spent.
I already had a reward saver account because my pension goes in every month,when I asked about switching my Clarity to the reward version he had to speak to Cust Services and the £1000 a month going into my current acc was a condition of switching and I guess keeping the reward Clarity.
Yes we've got a free cheque book on our reward saver acc.

System

Can anyone advise here, off to vietnam next month and have found that you can't actually change any money to VND outside of vietnam, so options are limited to cards/travellers cheques, what is likely to be the best deal?
I have looked at the aqua card which I may get for emergency anyway, the pre-paid card caxton fx looks ok until you see the global one has an exchange rate fixed at 2.75% below the interbank rate - so in this case is the aqua going to be just as good for cash withdrawals? and has anyone got experience of using travellers cheques in vietnam?

cheers

wackojackouk

Hi guys

Sorry if this appears a stupid question but need some advice on the above card.

Was thinking of getting the Metro Bank debit card and this has also been recommended to me.

According to the Halifax site the Clarity Card has

No fee to transfer a balance
No cash withdrawal fee
No fee to use it anywhere worldwide
No annual fee.
12.9% Interest Rate APR.

I am going to Spain on holiday for a week at the end of October and possibly the USA for business the week before (beginning 22nd Oct).

Am I right in thinking I could use this card for BOTH purchases AND cash withdrawals (I will try and pay for goods/services on my card wherever possible but MAY need some cash here and there) and will pay ZERO interest providing I pay off the balance in full by the due date (in this case it will be November ish and then won't be re-used until the next holiday.

OR will I get charged the 12.9% / 12 obviously so in effect a 1% levy for withdrawing cash.

Would appreciate if someone could let me know if I would be better off with this or Metro Debit Card for both (of course I will need the balance on the card if I go through this route) or both?

Also, anyone know how long it takes to arrive?

Thanks

WJUK

John_Pierpoint

The latter so the quicker you pay off the debt the better.
Not everyone gets 12.9% (I think the European rules force the ASA say that only 50% have to get 12.9%).
Some people get cash back too (£5)

We have the Metro card as well. You never know when foreign ATMs might get "temperamental".

murphydavid

WakoJakoUK

Almost correct but the following is not

There are fees on balance transfers
From T&C
5.4 We may charge a handling fee of 3% (at least £3) for balance transfers offered at special promotional rates. We may also charge you for the following special services.
and
If you use it to get cash overseas you will be charged interest from the day you take out the cash till you pay it off so don't wait for the bill or due date. (So if you pay it all on the due date you will be charged over a months interest on cash withdrawals ATM)
I think that's all

murphydavid

the_r_sole wrote: »

Can anyone advise here, off to vietnam next month and have found that you can't actually change any money to VND outside of vietnam, so options are limited to cards/travellers cheques, what is likely to be the best deal?
I have looked at the aqua card which I may get for emergency anyway, the pre-paid card caxton fx looks ok until you see the global one has an exchange rate fixed at 2.75% below the interbank rate - so in this case is the aqua going to be just as good for cash withdrawals? and has anyone got experience of using travellers cheques in vietnam?

cheers

No experiance of Vietnam but this worked everywhere else I've been.
I would google to find the site that tells you where all the ATMs are worldwide and locate ones you will pass on your trip. Probably the first will be in the arrivals hall of the airport. Then use a Halifax Clarity Card to get a small amount of cash. Use the same card in stores and Hotels that will accept it directly. Then as soon as I got home I would look up my 'recent purchases' on the web and pay it all off ASAP.