Bank Accounts for Travellers

agrinnall

SimIsOnTheUp wrote: »

More sarcasm.

You can't help yourself!

:rotfl:

Not sarcasm, statement of fact.

callum9999

Alexd wrote: »

Im sorry i cant offer an answer to this although i have a similar question as i would like to know whether it would be advisable to open a temporary account whilst im working in australia for 3 months.

Yes - very advisable. Depending on where you work, they may even insist upon it.

You can also get decent savings interest rates in Australia as well, so I left a chunk of money in an online savings account there.

Don't worry about it now (and DEFINITELY don't pay anyone for help). Just walk into a bank with your passport, address to get mail sent to (your hostel address should be fine if you haven't got anywhere else) and a print out of your working visa (you may not need that - I did because I seemed to be one of the first people to get the new e-visas which don't have any special passport stamps etc., but the banks may be wise to that now).

Many standard bank accounts in Australia charge a monthly fee - there are a few that don't but I'd personally recommend a NAB classic account. It has a great national bank network and lots of ATMs everywhere (in Australia you generally get charged if you use ATMs from other banks/independent machines).

Anything else you need to know about Australia I'd be happy to help.

susieh_2

I'd like to thank most of you for your responses and helpful replies and we will certainly look into all the advice given.

However I think I wish I'd never bothered and certainly don't think I will again as this isn't the first time I have read sarcastic and unnecessary comments.

Why do people take time and effort to go out of their way to be hurtful - just don't bother replying if it upsets you so much.

SimIsOnTheUp

Hiya Susieh,

Please don't let a rude minority on here put you off, what is on the whole, a friendly community and a helpful site.

All the best to you, and your son.

Sim

benjus

I would second the recommendation for Metro bank (if coming to London to open the account is an option). However, I'd mention a few caveats:

1. I've had the card randomly declined on a couple of occasions

2. A few weeks ago Metro bank "lost" £1000 that I transferred in from another account (they found it again, but only after I'd spent some time on the phone to them from abroad, going between them and the bank I transferred from).

3. When I was in South America recently, using my Metro Bank card to withdraw cash attracted an extra charge imposed by the local ATM, which was not charged when I used my Nationwide debit card. I think this is because Metro Bank uses the Mastercard network while the Nationwide card is Visa.

In summary, Metro Bank is a good option, but a backup card should be taken as well (the Nationwide debit card is a good option, as it is cheaper than most for overseas use.

I would also recommend getting a credit card with no overseas charges for purchases, and keep the debit card for cash withdrawals only.

CKhalvashi

Morning Susie,

We personally have an account with TBC bank for travelling (click English at the top), with HSBC in the UK.

I’m unaware of the costs for non-nationals (we both hold Georgian passports), however the interest rates for travelling also look good. There are no charges to use either credit or debit cards abroad.

We have wages from Spain (Government representative post, nothing too exciting) go into the account with no problem each month.

Hope this helps

Chris

callum9999

I think opening an account with Norwich and Peterborough, who also charge no foreign usage fees, would be far simpler than opening a Georgian bank account! Much easier than fussing about with Metro bank (unless you live in London) as you can open the account online.

silvercar

If your son is going to use a UK account abroad, it would be worthwhile making you a third party authority on the account. That way when the inevitable "card blocked" issues arise, you can easily confirm he is travelling and where. Saves him making expensive phone calls home from abroad.

jago25_98

silvercar wrote: »

If your son is going to use a UK account abroad, it would be worthwhile making you a third party authority on the account. That way when the inevitable "card blocked" issues arise, you can easily confirm he is travelling and where. Saves him making expensive phone calls home from abroad.

Sounds interesting. I'll call my bank and ask about this one.

Another thing to think about is how you're going to logon securely to the online banking. Some examples in order from least secure to better:

- Login from the open Wifi in the hostel to a major bank on a shared computer (it's open to all but the attacker needs to fake your bank website, that shared computer is probably riddled with virii)
- call up the bank via VoIP over open WiFi (it's recordable)...not sure if skype is any different
- Login via passworded wifi from your own netbook
- Login though open wifi from your own laptop or phone but via an encrypted VPN link that uses one time passwords
- Telephone: Call up the bank via a regular phone line and an access number

As you can see there are scales of security. In reality I find only Hostel WiFi or shared computers are a real risk. I don't go as far as worrying about hotel WiFi via a netbook. That's why having a smartphone or netbook with WiFi can be very handy. Otherwise it can be very tempting to take a risk.

UK banks aren't supplying much service on this front (unlike premium offshore banks). No Ubikey support, no one time paper based passwords, needing to supply all security info just to know your balance.

So the other thing is to simply budget well. This is what I do - remember my balance and write down what I'm spending. Then only login from a connection I can trust - I say this because you might get the shock of not being able to check your balance from ATMs. Using cash helps too. The charges for this can be worth it because it helps keep things simple.
Also, ask yourself what you would do if the card stopped working one day.

zzzLazyDaisy

I know Lloyds bank isn't one of the recommended banks, but it can be useful to use the debit card abroad because you can set it up to send a free text telling you that it has been used (in a shop or ATM) with a number to call if you have concerns. You can also get a free text every Monday with your balance. There is a cost of £1.50 to withdraw money from an ATM but if you withdraw the daily maximum allowed, as a proportion the charge isn't that great, and the exchange rate is usually as good as changing sterling locally. So for peace of mind it can be useful.

One other thing - take a back up card in case of problems, and keep it in a separate place from the main card. Also keep a note of the card numbers and emergency phone numbers separate from the cards.

It is a good tip to take a wifi tablet or netbook (or wifi phone) as free wifi is widely available abroad - most cafes will let you use the wifi for the price of a coffee.