The Cheapest Way to Spend Overseas Discussion Area

pin

Some debit card providers actually do charge, they class it as a foreign transaction.

Re Post Office, their rates are OK, but nowhere near as good as the others I've suggested.

crossleydd42

pin wrote:

Some debit card providers actually do charge, they class it as a foreign transaction.

Re Post Office, their rates are OK, but nowhere near as good as the others I've suggested.

If your debit card provider does charge, as mine does, then (6) Thompson Travel Cook and the (7) Post Office are the best sources. However, I shall change to Thompson Travel in future - I assume they do not charge commission, the PO don't.

BTW Liverpool Victoria's credit card does not charge for currency conversion, but this only applies within the EU.

hammy_the_hammer

please i'm putting this thread back to the top ....pin has gone to the trouble of putting down what i also believe to be the current best ways to obtain currency. to be pedantic if you believe the post office or lloyds tsb offer a better rate than say mark and spencers post up the rates that both are offering.
this question comes up on here nearly every single day and i think pin along with many others are only carrying on contributing because they don't want to see people lose money.

tonyfaestoney

hammy_the_hammer wrote:

please i'm putting this thread back to the top ....pin has gone to the trouble of putting down what i also believe to be the current best ways to obtain currency. to be pedantic if you believe the post office or lloyds tsb offer a better rate than say mark and spencers post up the rates that both are offering.
this question comes up on here nearly every single day and i think pin along with many others are only carrying on contributing because they don't want to see people lose money.

Totally agree, can't argue with Pin's list and if people disagree then post the figures to show us all.

nuttyrockeress

Also, if you pay by Credit card, it will be treated as a cash advance - Cash interest rate

hammy_the_hammer

from statement that has just arrived.
rates i got with nationwide card in spain
9/5/06 ...1.46 euros to the £
11/5/06 ..1.456 to £
15/5/06 ..1.466 to £

paragp

does anyone know if travellex are open at Gatwick South Terminal at around 3AM. Our flight is at 5:50AM so I would need to collect the FX at around 3AM if I buy my FX from travellex and collect at the airport.

pin

paragp wrote:

does anyone know if travellex are open at Gatwick South Terminal at around 3AM. Our flight is at 5:50AM so I would need to collect the FX at around 3AM if I buy my FX from travellex and collect at the airport.

According to the Travelex website it is open 23 hours 55 minutes every day (i.e. it shuts for five minutes from 23.55 to midnight and then opens again).

dzug

Irons wrote:

& use travelx to get euros in advance seems the best rate -

The problem with Travelex IIUIC is that although ordering in advance from them gives the best exchange rate, you also have to pay in advance using a credit or debit card and hence get clobbered for cash advance charges that way.

Has anyone done the sums to see if it still makes them best buy?

dzug

abesrve wrote:

I think in the interests of those travelling to the US it would certainly be useful to draw up a list of those banks that do not charge. Maybe this could actually be added to the article in time?

The situation in the US is a little complicated. Visa/MCs standard bank contract forbids the bank owning the cash machine from making additional charges on foreign transactions.
However, SOME US states have laws that say this is anticompetitive. So in these states SOME banks will make a charge.
In the states where the standard contract has been upheld, NO bank may charge.
I did once see a list of the states (about a quarter of them) that allowed charges but can't find it again quickly