Travel credit card?

alpeake

Hi, I am about to travel Asia for 3 months and I'm looking for a credit card to take with me as a backup plan should I run out of money. The Halifax clarity looks like a good one? any one used it before? I have not had a credit card before and would like to find out if you can get a deal whereby you don't have to start paying monthly payments for a delayed period. ie.. I could use the cards and only worry about payments when I get back 3 months later?
Any advise would be useful.
Cheers

[Deleted User]

You need to make at least minimum monthly payments on every credit card, every month, right from the start.

whitleyforest

This is quite interesting. I have just binned my Flex account now that free ATM withdrawals have been withdrawn. I now have a Santander zero account and credit card which I thought would be the way foward. The Zero credit card offers freebies though.

However when checking through my Nationwide and Amex statements earlier this week I was astouded to see that using the Amex abroad was not such a foolish thing to do.

In Hong Kong Nationwide gave a rate off 11.94 HKD = £
Amex 11.74 HKD = £

If you have an Amex card you will get 5% cashback for 3 months then 1% or more for the rest of the year. The downside is that not everyone will take Amex.

I recently binned a citi shell card that would prove disasterous if used abroad in common with most big name cards. You can manage most accouts via your laptop when away so if they will give you a card go for the Amex and a Visa or mastercard for backup.

chattychappy

I have never seen a credit card where you don't have to make minimum payments each month.

I spend alot of time in Asia. Consider also Post Office credit card, Santander Zero, Nationwide Visa (1% loading in Asia).

There is a wide variation in the acceptability of cards. Eg Hong Kong is pretty much as it is here, Cambodia/Vietnam is more cash based. In these places even if credit card is accepted, they might add a percentage to cover the extra expense to them. Some places have chip'n'pin, some places have chip'n'pin machines but they only ask for a pin for cards from countries where chip'n'pin has been rolled out. This can surprise staff who may never have seen the "enter PIN" message on the display before and might even ask you for it so they can type it in!!

Try to check stuff online to watch out for fraud.

adindas

Set direct debit for minimum payment while still at home
But be careful you need to pay huge interest rate, especially if you are using it to withdrwaw cash.

ADINDAS

alpeake wrote: »

Hi, I am about to travel Asia for 3 months and I'm looking for a credit card to take with me as a backup plan should I run out of money. The Halifax clarity looks like a good one? any one used it before? I have not had a credit card before and would like to find out if you can get a deal whereby you don't have to start paying monthly payments for a delayed period. ie.. I could use the cards and only worry about payments when I get back 3 months later?
Any advise would be useful.
Cheers

lisyloo

I was astouded to see that using the Amex abroad was not such a foolish thing to do.

Why were you astounded.
Most credit cards have currency conversion fees.
I think it's 2.99% with AMEX.

If you have an Amex card you will get 5% cashback for 3 months then 1% or more for the rest of the year.

Not true.
The next band after 5% is 0.5% not 1%.
You also only get cashback only on £s and no ps so it's slightly less than stated.
You need to spend £3K on the card to qualify for the 5% also.