Best VISA card for Zambia

Shrimpergarry

Hi

I will be travelling to Zambia in a few weeks time, and understand that VISA have the monopoly on credit cards in the country, which means that Mastercards (of which I have 3, including a Post Office one for foreign travel!) are useless.

I need to apply for a VISA card, which one is likely to be the best for foreign travel?

Some of the recommended cards do not specify if they are Visa or Mastercard.

dacouch

Is it a bird is it a plane....no it's Super Martin coming to the rescue again...

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money

jollyme

Zambia is pretty much a cash society. When we visited a couple of years ago USD were accepted for activities such as rafting etc in Livingstone, to use a VISA credit card we were charged a surcharge.

Shrimpergarry

dacouch wrote: »

Is it a bird is it a plane....no it's Super Martin coming to the rescue again...

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money

I've read that, but it doesn't tell me which credit cards are specifically VISA cards!

WishI'dReadSooner

Nationwide is VISA!
It's also the best card for the best exchange rates.
Debit card for hole in the wall & credit card for purchases - both with the best rates.

Shrimpergarry

WishI'dReadSooner wrote: »

Nationwide is VISA!
It's also the best card for the best exchange rates.
Debit card for hole in the wall & credit card for purchases - both with the best rates.

Registered online for a Nationwide card - now found out that it too is a Mastercard!

Any other suggestions please (factually correct ones would be helpful!)?

M4RKM

MBNA do Visa Cards
Barclaycard do Visa Cards

is it really that difficult to search banks websites and find out what they offer?

Shrimpergarry

markymoo wrote: »

MBNA do Visa Cards
Barclaycard do Visa Cards

is it really that difficult to search banks websites and find out what they offer?

Actually it is! Nationwide don't tell you that it is Mastercard not Visa on the website application or the paperwork, you have to ring them to find out.

I already have a Barclaycard and it too is a Mastercard not a Visa!

If you bother to read the whole thread you will see that I don't just want any Visa card, I want to find the best value Visa card for travelling abroad (that's the point of coming to Moneysavingexpert). All the recommended best value cards for foreign travel are Mastercards, and these won't be accepted in Zambia.

Next time, if you don't have anything positive (or accurate) to add, please don't bother replying!

WishI'dReadSooner

Shrimpergarry wrote: »

Registered online for a Nationwide card - now found out that it too is a Mastercard!

Any other suggestions please (factually correct ones would be helpful!)?

I'm sat here LOOKING at my Visa debit & credit cards from Nationwide - FACT! :mad:


Maybe you should ask Nationwide IF they can give you Visa - they obviously do Visa!

IF you want help on here - your obnoxious attitude to those who try & help you needs to change!

Inactive

Same here, both of my Nationwide Cards are Visa.

Perhaps they only give Visa Cards to nice people..

Shrimpergarry

Sorry - my obnoxious comment was only directed at the person who said "is it really that difficult to search for VISA cards?"

I was aware that certainly Nationwide credit card used to be Visa, but on calling there customer service department, their new default card is Mastercard - changed recently I think and certainly not made clear either on their website or on the paperwork that they send out.

Apparently they can't send out Visa cards by default, but if after you receive their standard mastercard you call them, they'll convert it to a Visa card. Sounds like a lot of hassle to me!

Their debit card is still Visa, as you rightly say, but you have to open a current account to get that and I don't really want another current account.

Thank you to those who are offering genuinely helpful suggestions.