Free Fairfx card

Bob_the_Saver

http://www.fairfx.com/travelmail

or

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/deal-finders/article.html?in_article_id=480792&in_page_id=53656

gnats_chuff

Bob - you do crop up quite a bit, promoting Fairfx. Do you work for them by any chance?

Bob_the_Saver

gnats_chuff wrote: »

Bob - you do crop up quite a bit, promoting Fairfx. Do you work for them by any chance?

NO, I don't work for anyone (I gave it up - didn't like it, now I travel a lot)

I crop up when Air asia are giving almost free flights around Asia because I use them a lot but I don't work for them.
I crop up when Tiger Airways are selling four hour international flights for 20p,
I bought some and thought others might like to, but I don't work for Tiger.
I crop up when Ryanair as selling £1 flights, I use them a lot without any problem and others might like to do the same, but I don't work for Ryanair.
I crop up with a very long and detailed post when a member asks about Indian Visas but I don't work for the Visa agency but go to India often.
I cropped up when someone asked about Ink jet cartridges and told them about 7dayshop.com (who they then bought from and were very chuffed) but I don't work for them.
I crop up when the Fairfx card that this site says is cheapest is being offered free, a saving of £9.95. I agree with MSE that it is cheapest of it's type but I don't work for them.
I also crop-up when people say they 'bank' with shAbbey - because I just feel so so sorry for them.

I thought that publicising 'good money saving deals' was a major part of what this site was all about and a saving of nearly £10 is of value to me.

Maybe you work for a competitor to one of these companies and don't like the best deals to be publicised?

Francophile

Bob_the_Saver wrote: »

http://www.fairfx.com/travelmail

I have the Nationwide card for withdrwing cash in Europe. Bob the Saver ( or anyone) know how these 2 cards compare?

Bob_the_Saver

Francophile wrote: »

I have the Nationwide card for withdrwing cash in Europe. Bob the Saver ( or anyone) know how these 2 cards compare?

Flexaccount card is about the best of the normal (rather than pre-paid) cards
unless you speculate and win. Today you'll get the rate without a loading and
no ATM fee in EU. But as the £ has gone down in the last few days anyone who bought on a pre-paid card in the past weeks when it was higher will get the rate they bought at then, although they might pay an ATM fee. The pre-paid cards don't all give the same rate, check mid-morning for an overview, the weekend/evening rates are often much inferior. The no ATM cards might not be best if they give a much lower rate.
Obviously those who loaded with Dollars or Euro a few days ago won as of today but rates go up and down, sometimes you win sometimes you don't.
A pre-paid card is also a good back-up if your 'normal' card gets blocked, it happened last winter to lots of people I know and the Flexaccount seemed
to crop-up often.

Dr.Who-Who

Hello Bob,

Was wondering whether u cud advise me. After reading your above post re: airasia.
May I ask what sort of currency did you use for prepaid card? Does all high street bank offer prepaid card? So instead of taking credit card & cash, you use prepaid card. We are travelling to Malaysia (majority), Hong Kong and maybe Thailand. Do I have to get 3 types of prepaid card? I am new to prepaid card. Thank you.

Doh! just clicked on fairfax (1st post), looks like they only do 2 type of currency, Euro & US dollars. I would have thought I can get £££ currency as well. As I'll loose out alot from Pound £ convert to US dollars & then convert to local currency.

ferf1223

just to note that if you're going to put £500 or more on a FairFX card they are automatically free. And also there's £7.50 Quidco for new registrations.

For less than £500 the various free links may be a good deal - but for £500 or more they are redundant.

dzug1

Francophile wrote: »

I have the Nationwide card for withdrwing cash in Europe. Bob the Saver ( or anyone) know how these 2 cards compare?

The Nationwide card will cost you nothing when you withdraw in Europe.

The best of the prepaid cards will cost you say 2%* on the exchange rate when you load it and nothing further when you withdraw in Europe

*I'm guessing, but it's of that sort of order.

The other factor as bobthesaver says is changes in exchange rates - the prepaid card will be fixed on the day you load it, the Nationwide on the day you spend it.

dzug1

There are cards in ££ currency BTW - one is called Global Traveller - caxton fx do it.

cannyscot_2

The points made by Bob are really good. We got the fairfx card for free topped up with £10 and then waited for a good rate day and quickly topped it up -it worked really well-great for budgeting and we got a brill rate at the time. We hve the nationwide card and got stuck! last time as it was frozen as as been our abbey card on 2 occasions. They are great to have as a back up as we ran short in the US and just drove round till we found a wireless we could use and topped up on our laptop -money comes quickly so all was well and again a good rate. I think Bob's point about having options make a prepaid card that you can top up online a very useful tool for a frequent taveller.

Bob_the_Saver

Dr.Who-Who wrote: »

Hello Bob,

Was wondering whether u cud advise me. After reading your above post re: airasia.
May I ask what sort of currency did you use for prepaid card? Does all high street bank offer prepaid card? So instead of taking credit card & cash, you use prepaid card. We are travelling to Malaysia (majority), Hong Kong and maybe Thailand. Do I have to get 3 types of prepaid card? I am new to prepaid card. Thank you.

Doh! just clicked on fairfax (1st post), looks like they only do 2 type of currency, Euro & US dollars. I would have thought I can get £££ currency as well. As I'll loose out alot from Pound £ convert to US dollars & then convert to local currency.

As the FairFx card gives you the wholesale rate when you use it outside the Eurozone, I it just load with Euro's (when it's a good rate) and use it wherever. I use it in the Eurozone in summer and worldwide in the winter.
With any FX transaction you get the fluctuation of the rates but compare it to buying travellers cheques. Once you have bought them you've got the exchange rate fixed at the time you bought them. With pre-paid cards you can watch the rates and pick your day/time (NOT weekends or evenings).
I load it from my Maestro card which costs no extra even for 10 euros.