Travel money help needed urgently!!

e_clark

Hi,

I need some travel spending advice!

We are going to Florida on Thursday and my way of spending plan has failed - I applied for a Halifax Clarity credit card as soon as we decided we were going (only decided a month ago!) but it hasn't arrived yet, and so I am starting to doubt if it will come in time and therefore need a plan B!

My options are:

1) Tesco credit card
2) Nationwide flex account debit card
3) NatWest debit card
4) Get cash out (obv risky though and would still want a card option)
5) Get one of the cash cards you top up before travelling

Which would be the best option out of these for me to use? With the cash card if I say put £500 on but didn't use all of it can I just take it off again? If I do does it need converting back to £s like cash would or does it stay in sterling?

Sorry for the questions but am just panicing a bit at the moment with what to do! We always used to just use our Flexaccount cards until they changed them!

Thanks

TakeThis

If it doesn't come in time....

Travelex Cash Passport Globe ordered via TopCashBack or Quidco (if you have an existing Quidco account).

Cashback website > Travelex > Globe card.

Do not load the Prepaid card with any of these bank cards, as they may charge a 'cash withdrawal fee': Barclays, Lloyds TSB, Natwest, Santander or RBS. Co-op may charge too, but may refund if pressed(Simply because there is nothing in their T&Cs about this charge).

So make the initial load with your Nationwide Debit card. Subsequent loads are done by card over the telephone or via your bank account. So keep the Nationwide card at hand or set up your details at My Account.

You can pick the card up at the airport, as long as you give them at least four hours notice. Call ahead and ask them to make up a free extra card for you too.

It's a better value option than your top four.

zagfles

Nationwide flex account is the best out of the ones you've got - think the charge is 2%. You could fanny about with prepaid cards to save about 0.5%, but you might have better things to do...and what if your Clarity arrives just after you've ordered it...

TakeThis

zagfles wrote: »

Nationwide flex account is the best out of the ones you've got - think the charge is 2%. You could fanny about with prepaid cards to save about 0.5%, but you might have better things to do...and what if your Clarity arrives just after you've ordered it...

Try to remember the name of this website.

Since you can order the card four hours before you leave for the airport, your 'scenario' is most improbable.

Nationwide Flex charges 2% for purchases and 2% plus £1 for cash withdrawals.

Travelex Cash Passport Globe charges 1.49% for both.
Purchased via the Cashback website, brings the Travelex Cash Passport Globe cost to 0.99% for the initial load for both purchases and cash withdrawals.

The overall saving depends on the amount to be spent.

cubegame

One other option that applies if you live near London or can get to London is go to a branch of Metro Bank. You should be able to apply for both a current account and credit card which are both foreign transaction fee free and be issued with the cards within an hour.

zagfles

TakeThis wrote: »

Try to remember the name of this website.

Since you can order the card four hours before you leave for the airport, your 'scenario' is most improbable.

Nationwide Flex charges 2% for purchases and 2% plus £1 for cash withdrawals.

Travelex Cash Passport Globe charges 1.49% for both.
Purchased via the Cashback website, brings the Travelex Cash Passport Globe cost to 0.99% for the initial load for both purchases and cash withdrawals.

The overall saving depends on the amount to be spent.

Are you an AE of "stillthewan..." who kept banging on about this pre-paid card and getting all aggressive and defensive when anyone mentioned other options? What's with the name change, did too many people put you on their ignore list?

Anyway - for the OP (not me as you're going back into my ignore list), what would happen if you put too much on the card, would you get charged to get your own money back? You obviously wouldn't if it was in your flex account.

dzug1

zagfles wrote: »

Anyway - for the OP (not me as you're going back into my ignore list), what would happen if you put too much on the card, would you get charged to get your own money back? You obviously wouldn't if it was in your flex account.

The Global card charges 99p per transaction in the UK

TakeThis

zagfles wrote: »

Are you an AE of "stillthewan..." who kept banging on about this pre-paid card and getting all aggressive and defensive when anyone mentioned other options? What's with the name change, did too many people put you on their ignore list?

Anyway - for the OP (not me as you're going back into my ignore list), what would happen if you put too much on the card, would you get charged to get your own money back? You obviously wouldn't if it was in your flex account.

?? It seems that you are the one getting aggressive. What is this about 'ignore lists'?
I have this picture of you sticking your finger in your ears and shouting "neer ner nuh neer nuh".

I've seen the previous posts and the card is the best value. So why are you arguing against it?

MoneySavingExpert.com
Cutting your costs, fighting your corner

I don't see;
MoneySavingExpert.com
Why bother saving money?

Put me on ignore if you wish. I hope that you do.

benjus

cubegame wrote: »

One other option that applies if you live near London or can get to London is go to a branch of Metro Bank. You should be able to apply for both a current account and credit card which are both foreign transaction fee free and be issued with the cards within an hour.

This is an excellent option - if you can get to a Metro Bank branch. It's just like the FlexAccount card used to be.