Best way to pay/maintain my foreign currency

fluffy123

Hi all, hope you are well.

I'm about to go on a 5-day hen-do to Benidorm in 3 weeks and just about to plan my currency whilst there. I own a Santander Visa Debit Card and a Santander Zero Credit Card .

I'm planning to spend £250 whilst there and am reluctant to get full-on foreign money....therefore, I was looking into a Travelex cash passport currency card to load the money onto as it'd be safer, seems like it's free ATM withdrawls too! Has anyone used this before and can recommend this method to me? I'm hoping to take a further European trip in the summer, so I could just reload them? If not, I take it I could just withdraw all the money or Travelex would buy the money back off me?

The other question, how best to pay for this....with my debit card or zero credit card? I'm a little confused by the way it classes free cash withdrawls etc etc but then says I'm charged interest even if paid in full...does this basically mean it costs me nothing to withdraw the cash but I'll have to pay "27%APR regardless on top of what I withdraw?? Would this still be the same if paying for the travelex passport?

Thanks in advance for your help!

missile

In my humble opinion for £250 it really is not worth the hassle, just use your santander cards.

stilltheone

fluffy123 wrote: »

Hi all, hope you are well.

I'm about to go on a 5-day hen-do to Benidorm in 3 weeks and just about to plan my currency whilst there. I own a Santander Visa Debit Card and a Santander Zero Credit Card .

I'm planning to spend £250 whilst there and am reluctant to get full-on foreign money....therefore, I was looking into a Travelex cash passport currency card to load the money onto as it'd be safer, seems like it's free ATM withdrawls too! Has anyone used this before and can recommend this method to me? I'm hoping to take a further European trip in the summer, so I could just reload them? If not, I take it I could just withdraw all the money or Travelex would buy the money back off me?

The other question, how best to pay for this....with my debit card or zero credit card? I'm a little confused by the way it classes free cash withdrawls etc etc but then says I'm charged interest even if paid in full...does this basically mean it costs me nothing to withdraw the cash but I'll have to pay "27%APR regardless on top of what I withdraw?? Would this still be the same if paying for the travelex passport?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Actually, you already have the best possible combination. Look here.
Just make sure (even when you are drunk) that you don't accept DCC when withdrawing cash. Look here for the relevant info.

Just use the Zero CC for spending, not cash withdrawals.

fluffy123

Hi, thanks for the advice....so you're saying use the debit card for cash withdrawls and the credit card for direct spending, am I right? And at every point, to always say no to DCC?

Just to be sure

stilltheone

fluffy123 wrote: »

Hi, thanks for the advice....so you're saying use the debit card for cash withdrawals from Santander ATMs and the credit card for [STRIKE]direct spending[/STRIKE]purchases, am I right? And at every point, to always say no to DCC?

Just to be sure

In addition, if you've no outstanding balance on the ZERO card, you can use it for both if you can afford to pay the full balance immediately or at statement production.

amojo1985

As long as your Santander Debit Card is your main account (ie. You pay in over £1000 per month), then it is free to withdraw from Santander Cash points throughout Spain.

See extract from Santander FAQ's...
What charges apply if I use a Santander Cash Machine in Spain?
All main adult current accounts (those which are credited with at least £1,000 per month) could benefit from free cash machine withdrawals in Spain. Simply use your Santander Debit Card in a Santander branded cash machine in Spain to receive the withdrawal fee free. This means: No Cash Handling Fee AND No Foreign Exchange Fee will be charged.
We will not charge you for using a cash machine abroad but the cash machine operator may make a charge. If you’re given the option of paying in local currency or sterling, please make sure you choose the local option. If you choose sterling, it means that the retailer or bank will handle the conversion and may charge you a conversion fee or a foreign usage fee (or both).

Biggles

amojo1985 wrote: »

See extract from Santander FAQ's...

... as explained by stilltheone in Post 3.

Toe-Jam

you can use your credit card for everything, and as soon as you get back pay it back with the £250 you have in the bank. 5 days interest on the credit card is cheaper than using your santander debit card at all. there is very high fees for using it.

ferf1223

Toe-Jam wrote: »

5 days interest on the credit card is cheaper than using your santander debit card at all. there is very high fees for using it.

what fees are those?