Post Office Travel Card - Charges...!

RS62

Wanted to ask if others are getting charges to their accounts for topping up the Post Office Travel card.

I used my Lloyd's debit card to both buy currency and also load a new travel card, both transactions incurred £4.50 charges at Lloyd's. I questioned this at Lloyd's and they said it was classed as an oversea's transaction by the Post Office and not a charge added by them.

I spoke to the Post Office call centre and they said it wasn't a charge they added and that it was something probably added through Visa (who run the Lloyd's debit card).

I can add another card to the Post Office account to charge up currency on the travel card but if I use a Visa or MasterCard one etc will this be classed as as a cash advance....?

No other way to add money to the travel card other than a credit/debit card and if I get hit with other charges then the whole system seems pointless.

How have others topped up the Post Office travel chard and not been hit with additional fees....?

ferf1223

by using a card that doesn't charge.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money

scroll down to Getting the Cheapest Foreign Cash.

Beware when paying on credit OR debit cards!

dzug1

You can get cash over the counter in a Post Office with the Lloyds card and top up with that

RS62

ferf1223 wrote: »

by using a card that doesn't charge.

[Link deleted]

scroll down to Getting the Cheapest Foreign Cash.

Beware when paying on credit OR debit cards!

But that's my point I have been charged £4.50 for both topping up the card and currency exchange. Lloyds tell me it's not a charge they added and the Post Office the same.

I looked at the link you posted and nothing points to a flat £4.50 charge from Lloyds/Visa so it seems it's a Post Office charge but they claim it's not from them.

So just looking for feedback from others who have topped up a Post Office travel card to see what they have used and if they received a £4.50 charge to their account.

ferf1223

RS62 wrote: »

But that's my point I have been charged £4.50 for both topping up the card and currency exchange. Lloyds tell me it's not a charge they added and the Post Office the same.

I looked at the link you posted and nothing points to a flat £4.50 charge from Lloyds/Visa so it seems it's a Post Office charge but they claim it's not from them.

So just looking for feedback from others who have topped up a Post Office travel card to see what they have used and if they received a £4.50 charge to their account.

The list says that Lloyds do charge? Look in the cards from hell section...buying foreign currency regularly incurs the same charges as withdrawing cash from a foreign ATM..

Lloyds Debit Card
Spending penalty: £1. Load fee: 2.99%. Cash withdrawal: 1.5% min £2 max £4.50


it's Lloyds charge.

See your T&Cs.

http://www.lloydstsb.com/media/lloydstsb2004/pdfs/banking_charges_brochure.pdf

When you use your Lloyds TSB debit card in the UK to buy Charges
foreign currency or traveller’s cheques

From any other banks, travel agents, bureaux de change and other All foreign currency and all traveller’s cheques: 1.5% of the amount
outlets displaying the Visa sign with a minimum transaction charge of £2.00 and a maximum charge for each transaction of £4.50

RS62

Thanks for the replies ferf1223.

So in retrospect I should have taken the money out of my bank as cash and simply walked to the Post Office and added this to the card. Or taken the cash out on the Lloyds card at the Post Office (thanks dzug1).

I (wrongly) assumed that the transaction would be taken a a simple payment not as an oversea's transaction with the £4.50 charge.

Topping up the PO Travel card can only be done via a credit or debit card, my current MBNA one will charge 3% for the transaction and consider it a cash advance until I pay off the next bill. So a £200 top up will cost me £6 plus interest. Actually makes the Lloyds card a better bet in this instance......

One positive note though, thanks to reading other posts on this site I've found out that the Nationwide card I've had a few years now would still work with the zero charges. Apparently the changes are only for new card holders. I'll look into this and check directly with them.

ferf1223

RS62 wrote: »

One positive note though, thanks to reading other posts on this site I've found out that the Nationwide card I've had a few years now would still work with the zero charges. Apparently the changes are only for new card holders. I'll look into this and check directly with them.

If you mean the Nationwide credit card, that info is detailed in the link I posted above...for cards issued before Feb 22, 2011.