The Cheapest Way to Spend Overseas Discussion Area

Magic_Mel

Off to Florida end of April, taking cash but also have choice of Post Office Master Card, HSBC Master Card or MBNA Europe Visa. I don't wish to bother with Travellers Cheques, will use ATM as and when requred to take out cash. Well aware that cards will charge interest from date of withdrawl, bearing that in mind, which two would be the best to use?. I intend to repay debt as soon as I return to UK. (I clear cards each month to ensure there are no interest charges.)

Thanks

MaryMay

Year in Australia.
Sorry if this is in wrong thread, this is my first post.

My daughter is going to Australia in July to university for 1 year. We are wondering how she is going to organise her finances and pay her bills for accomodation and living expenses. Her tuition fees are paid by her home university.She has a Natwest Student account which her loan goes into and a Halifax current account. She does not currently have a credit card but has the application form for a Natwest card. Natwest do not have branches in Australia, I am wondering if she should have had an HSBC student account last year instead then maybe there would not be a problem. The university in Australia will need access to her account to take out the accomodation fees.
There does not appear to be any help given by the home university on what to do. Any advice gratefully received.
Thanks

CelticStar

My husband and I are travelling to Corfu in a few months and were planning to use our Natwest or Halifax debit cards to withdraw cash. However, it seems like it would be much more economical to open a Nationwide Flexaccount and use the accompanying debit card. The trouble with this is that we don't really want to change our current account with the Halifax at it has always proved to be very convenient (and they were very good when our card was cloned). Is there any way of opening a Flexaccount without changing wages details, direct debits etc. I have my own current account and could theoretically change to the Natwest except that I am disabled at the moment and don't work so that the only income I receive results from state benefits.

Is there are way I could open a dummy current account with Natwest?

Thanks in advance.
CS

tiff

You only need to open the current account, you dont need to transfer any direct debits or wages etc. We have kept our existing current account and will just use the Nationwide one for holidays, I keep the debit cards with our passports. Will transfer the holiday money into the Nationwide account before we go.

jinkssick

tiff wrote: »

You only need to open the current account, you dont need to transfer any direct debits or wages etc. We have kept our existing current account and will just use the Nationwide one for holidays, I keep the debit cards with our passports. Will transfer the holiday money into the Nationwide account before we go.

ditto?!


I have the cashcard which is available only with the CIRRUS emblem on cash machines. Gonna ask the wifey to try and get the DC

falc_2

You could just take out a Nationwide credit card. Do check but as I understand it all their credit cards don't charge a fee abroad.

dzug

codger wrote: »

A leaflet we've received from our bank (Royal Bank of Scotland) re changes to terms of debit card usage when abroad. Quote:


(a) work out the exchange rate at a level biased towards its own profits and then:

(b) add 2.75% on top and

(c) add £1.25p on top of all that?????


This RBS leaflet makes much of the convenience of using Maestro / Cirrus on holiday. But the word 'cheapness' figures nowhere at all.

Should we now forget about using our debit card at all???

a - no, the exchange rate will be a good one
b, c - yes

No don't forget about using your debit card (although getting a better one would be a good idea). If you take cash even on a 'commission free' deal you will get an exchange rate at least 5% worse than the one your debit card starts off with.

dzug

jimhibee wrote: »

May I mention a variant of the Liverpool Victoria card - from the CSMA (Civil Service Motoring Association)? OK, you have to join CSMA and there's a subscription but eligibility is surprisingly wide and there are other benefits. The card as well as the usual LV buying abroad benefits, gives a 1% discount on petrol purchases in UK and pays interest of 1.24% if you are in credit.

So I load the card before travelling and pay no interest on currency withdrawals. I realise this is not for everyone but I hope this is useful as the first time I have contributed. No specific thanks but I find the whole site very useful.

Actually there's no subscription just to join the CSMA now (possibly a one-off joining fee). However if you want their magazine every month I think it's £10 a year. Free if you take out their car breakdown insurance.

pin

falc wrote: »

You could just take out a Nationwide credit card. Do check but as I understand it all their credit cards don't charge a fee abroad.

However you get charged quite a whack when taking money out from an ATM.

stanleym_3

I have just got the Post Office Mastercard, for taking abroad with me in September. With the current value of the dollar, rather than save and use cash, I'm tempted to use this card and order currency from Travelex or similar. Does that count as a cash advance, and so I'll be charged interest, or will it go down as a simple 0% purchase?

Thanks