A credit card for travelling

chriswedge

Hi,

I finished university 6 months ago and have never had a credit card. I plan to go travelling around Australia for a year in the near future and would like a credit card for emergency purposes.

Could someone please advise as to what I should be looking for. Im guessing some sort of interest-free for a year credit card would be ideal, but I do not know where to start looking.

Thanks

Rafter

Because of your lack of credit history you may not have much choice.

Worth getting a Nationwide Current account and Credit card if you can - you will immediately save on any spend overseas because they do not 'load' the interest rate by 2.75% for every foreign currency transaction.

Who do you bank with?

Do you have any other credit agreements running. Eg a pay monthly mobile?

What is your current employment status?

R.

chriswedge

I am in full time employment, have a contract phone which I have kept up to date with on payments and had it for about 3 years. I bank with Halifax.

I also have a student loan which has started to be paid back.

King_Of_Fools

The Nationwide credit card is the best for travelling, as Rafter pointed out.

They are currently offering 0% on purchases for the first 9 months:
http://www.nationwide.co.uk/creditcard/ClassicCard/default.htm

The Halifax were offering 0% on purchases for 12 months but they have reduced that to 3 months now.

Either way you will still have to pay the minimum payment each month so it would be best to set up a direct debit from your current account before you go to Australia.

EdBrown

Adice so far is pretty sound, Nationwide card is certainly a good bet not only do they not charge commision or charge a fee for conversion but you get a conversion rate far better than the tourist exchange rate; hence I use it abroad whenever I can. Obviously not such a good idea if you're not going to clear the balance each month, but if you do clear the balance then apply for the 'Reward Card' so that you also get a small cash bonus in your account every so often.
When using a card abroad where you get better than the Tourist Exchange Rate watch out for outlets that convert your transaction to Sterling and bill your account in Sterling: They are supposed to ask your permission to do so first, but many do not and carry out the conversion automatically thus the exchange rate benefit you would have had is usually lost.

HGLTsuperstar

Just one point about Nationwide cashback, it isn't applicable to overseas transactions.