Cheap Travel Money Discussion Area

boogiesherbs

Hi I'm due to travel to Orlando in August I've applied been accepted for the Halifax Clarity card but a colleague recommended a fairFx pre paid card ,which would you recommend for Disney purchases?

NiftyDigits

boogiesherbs wrote: »

Hi I'm due to travel to Orlando in August I've applied been accepted for the Halifax Clarity card but a colleague recommended a fairFx pre paid card ,which would you recommend for Disney purchases?

Clarity of course. Cash withdrawals too.

oinkbubbadoo

Hi, I'm going to Zante in August!?!!! . Have loaded £350 onto a Post Office prepaid travel card. I was going to load more on it each month until we go but am now considering taking more cash and putting less on card. I'm worried we will not be able to withdraw from ATMs but also, how widely the card is accepted and if Greece goes belly up, will they accept a card readily in shops, restaurants etc and for boat trips from small companies etc. any advice gratefully received please?

NiftyDigits

oinkbubbadoo wrote: »

Hi, I'm going to Zante in August!?!!! . Have loaded £350 onto a Post Office prepaid travel card. I was going to load more on it each month until we go but am now considering taking more cash and putting less on card. I'm worried we will not be able to withdraw from ATMs but also, how widely the card is accepted and if Greece goes belly up, will they accept a card readily in shops, restaurants etc and for boat trips from small companies etc. any advice gratefully received please?

Poor card. Get a better one. One denominated in Pounds.

mrsimes

Hi there,

I missed the boat on the Travelex Supercard pilot, so took out a WeSwap card for a forthcoming trip to France. I'm only planning to use it for cash withdrawals (I have a Santander Zero for purchases).

Firstly, I was bit miffed with swap process; I chose to swap currency last weekend, when the rate was at 1.45, using the seven day option to avoid commission, thinking the applied rate would be locked to the rate at the start of the swap, however, it's just completed today, at today's rate.

I know they charge a fee for ATM withdrawals under 250 euros or 200 GBP, so does anyone know how you would use up the odd amount that would be left on the card at the end of the holiday? eg, say I have 259.12 euros and withdraw 250 from an ATM, would it be a case of finding something to the value of 9.12 euros to purchase somewhere? otherwise that balance just sits there?

In hindsight, I would probably have been better sticking to the Santander Zero for cash and just paying it immediately (as I have done previously - the interest on a few days usually amounts to a few pence!).

Many thanks,
Simon

dzug1

mrsimes wrote: »

Hi there,

, so does anyone know how you would use up the odd amount that would be left on the card at the end of the holiday? eg, say I have 259.12 euros and withdraw 250 from an ATM, would it be a case of finding something to the value of 9.12 euros to purchase somewhere? otherwise that balance just sits there?

Many thanks,
Simon

That's the disadvantage of a prepaid card - not just this one. The residual money just sits there or costs a bomb to get out.


It's really not worth getting a prepaid card unless you will use it frequently - I've got one I used twice 3 or 4 years ago with a fair sum still on it that I've never used. Sometime I must work out a minimum cost way of getting it out.

NiftyDigits

dzug1 wrote: »

That's the disadvantage of a prepaid card - not just this one. The residual money just sits there or costs a bomb to get out.


It's really not worth getting a prepaid card unless you will use it frequently - I've got one I used twice 3 or 4 years ago with a fair sum still on it that I've never used. Sometime I must work out a minimum cost way of getting it out.

This is quite wrong. It might be a problem with a foreign currency card, but with a card denominated in Pounds, you can spend to the last penny.

mrsimes

I can swap the residual Euros back to sterling, but still don't see how I can withdraw it, fee free.

Perhaps I can do cash back for the odd amount in one of the supermarkets (not sure if that's restricted to rounded amounts eg £5/£10 etc). May seem odd asking for £9.05 cash back!

NiftyDigits

mrsimes wrote: »

I can swap the residual Euros back to sterling, but still don't see how I can withdraw it, fee free.

Perhaps I can do cash back for the odd amount in one of the supermarkets (not sure if that's restricted to rounded amounts eg £5/£10 etc). May seem odd asking for £9.05 cash back!

Spend it in the supermarket. They take part payment you know.

mrsimes

NiftyDigits wrote: »

Spend it in the supermarket. They take part payment you know.

That's a great shout. Didn't think of that. Thank you very much.