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Visa or Master Card Which offer a better Exchnage Rate ?

adindas
adindas Posts: 6,856 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
in Flights, currency & car hire
Which one offers a better exchange rate, Visa Exchange Rate or Master Card Exchange Rate?
I have Cumberland BS Debit card which uses Visa Debit
And I have Halifax Clarify Card as well as Santander Zero Credit Card Which uses Master Card

On 17/04/2011. I did it in Poland

-I withdraw cash in Polish Zloty using my Cumberland Visa debit. Exchange Rate is £1/4.45
On the same day I did purchasing using Halifax Clarity Card £1/4.44
-Halifax Clarity card Zero Master Exchange rate:
-Santander Zero Master Card Exchange rate: £1/4.434

On 20/04/2011 VT
- I withdrew cash in Polish Zloty using my Cumberland Visa debit. Exchange Rate is £1/4.49
- Purchasing using Halifax Clarity Card £1/4.44
It seems to me that Visa Card offer a better exchange rate? Am I getting it right here?

ADINDAS
«1

Comments

  • Baldur
    Baldur Posts: 6,565 Forumite
    edited 13 May 2011 at 9:29AM
    adindas wrote: »
    Am I getting it right here?
    No.

    Sometimes the VISA rate will be better, sometimes the Mastercard rate.

    On the date you posted:

    17/4/2011

    VISA GBP>PLN rate = 4.45073481631818
    Mastercard GBP>PLN = 4.441414

    The following day, 18/4/2011, the rates were:

    VISA - 4.45073481631818
    Mastercard - 4.531538
  • dzug1
    dzug1 Posts: 13,535 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    adindas wrote: »
    Am I getting it right here?

    ADINDAS

    No - you are generalising from a trivial sample of two instances. It will vary from day to day and sometimes even during a day which rate is marginally better than the other and there is no way of predicting it.

    It is not something to fret about - there are far more important things than worrying about a few hundredths of a penny difference in rates.
  • dzug1
    dzug1 Posts: 13,535 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Baldur wrote: »
    The following day, 18/4/2011, the rates were:

    VISA -4.45073481631818
    Mastercard - 4.531538

    Typo there surely??
  • Baldur
    Baldur Posts: 6,565 Forumite
    dzug1 wrote: »
    Typo there surely??
    Missed spacebar ;)
  • Baldur
    Baldur Posts: 6,565 Forumite
    dzug1 wrote: »
    No - you are generalising from a trivial sample of two instances. It will vary from day to day and sometimes even during a day which rate is marginally better than the other and there is no way of predicting it.

    It is not something to fret about - there are far more important things than worrying about a few hundredths of a penny difference in rates.
    Also remember that transactions may not be passed on to VISA/Mastercard on the exact date that they are carried out, the rate applied is the one which prevails when the transaction reaches VISA/Mastercard which can be some time later.
  • gardner1
    gardner1 Posts: 3,154 Forumite
    cumberland debit card is the best option it gives the same rates etc that nationwide used to offer before they started charging fees
    only a shame that you have to live in cumbria to get one
  • stilltheone
    stilltheone Posts: 2,131 Forumite
    gardner1 wrote: »
    cumberland debit card is the best option it gives the same rates etc that nationwide used to offer before they started charging fees
    only a shame that you have to live in cumbria to get one

    Best option?? Strange post.

    Do you think adindas lives in Cumbria? :)
  • dzug1
    dzug1 Posts: 13,535 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    adindas has been posting on cards for use abroad for ages - checking and rechecking whether s/he has made the right choice and whether all the information is correct/still correct. S/he will be well aware of the Cumberland one and whether it's useful or not.
  • Biggles
    Biggles Posts: 8,209 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    gardner1 wrote: »
    cumberland debit card is the best option it gives the same rates etc that nationwide used to offer before they started charging fees
    only a shame that you have to live in cumbria to get one
    As does the N&P debit card. And you don't have to live in either Norwich or Peterborough to get that (or Yorkshire).
  • adindas
    adindas Posts: 6,856 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    It does not need to be in Cumbria. They have several branches in NW region.
    http://www.cumberland.co.uk/about/branch-finder
    Only that, one needs to live in the area where one of their branches is available. I am living in this area that is the reason why I could get Cumberland BS debit card.

    ADINDAS

    gardner1 wrote: »
    cumberland debit card is the best option it gives the same rates etc that nationwide used to offer before they started charging fees
    only a shame that you have to live in cumbria to get one
This discussion has been closed.
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