Going on a big holiday - which card?

pimento

I have a First Direct visa card with a £3k limit (I asked them not to increase the limit). The balance is £0. I only use it rarely.

My husband and I are travelling to NZ in November and as I will be buying the flights with a credit card, it makes sense to use one which will earn me some rewards or cash back.

Is there anything I should bear in mind before applying? I think my credit is OK, I earn almost £50k and my only debt is my mortgage (currently £65k). Should I close the FD card before applying for another card? I'll need more than a £3k limit initially because the flights will cost more than that but once I've paid for the flights, then £3k will probably be enough.

I did read somewhere that it's a good idea to take two different cards away in case there's a problem with one. Is this correct?

I know that card issuers are a bit more picky these days so want to maximise my chances of being accepted.

Thanks.

Tixy

I would keep the FD card. And yes I would always ensure you have 2 cards (or at least 2 cards between you when travelling abroad).

If your credit profile is good, no missed payments etc and given the other information you've posted you then I'd try applying for whichever has the best cashback or reward for what you intend to use it for. Some have a maximum cash back per month for example, which if you are doing 1 large purchase probably won't suit you best.

pimento

Thanks Tixy.

Never had a missed (or even late) payment. I was more worried I'd be refused because I didn't use my card enough.

Tixy

Hard to say - have you used it in the last year at some point?
Certainly you would seem to be in a pretty good position - but its hard to predict who will or won't be accepted, and at what limit.

jon1965

When you apply have a look for one that is good for spending abroad. Halifax did one with no fees, even for cash at the ATM's (just interest) but if you pay it off straight away it's cheaper than using a debit card

virgo17

jon1965 wrote: »

When you apply have a look for one that is good for spending abroad. Halifax did one with no fees, even for cash at the ATM's (just interest) but if you pay it off straight away it's cheaper than using a debit card

They still issue this card. It's a Halifax Clarity credit card.

pimento

I'll have a look at that. Thanks

pimento

I've just had another thought. I have the spending money already sorted so the use for a credit card would be purely convenience in not carrying cash. What if I apply for a card and they only give me a small limit?

I ask because one of the FAQs on the Halifax Clarity card was that you can't load the card with money.

How do I get around carrying several thousands of pounds of cash?

You can tell I don't go abroad much, can't you?

zen135

pimento wrote: »

I've just had another thought. I have the spending money already sorted so the use for a credit card would be purely convenience in not carrying cash. What if I apply for a card and they only give me a small limit?

I ask because one of the FAQs on the Halifax Clarity card was that you can't load the card with money.

How do I get around carrying several thousands of pounds of cash?

You can tell I don't go abroad much, can't you?

If you have the money with you, you can simply open up a Norwich & Peterborough current account and use their debit card to make purchases or withdraw cash as and when needed in NZ without incurring overseas transaction charges of upto 3% charged by most banks.

If you need a credit card, I would recommend you to have a look at the Nationwide credit card which offers commission free purchases as well. When you apply online, they only do a quotation search of your credit report initially and tell you the credit limit they are prepared to give you and the rate. If you don't like the limit, you can choose not to proceed with the application and they wouldn't do a full search of your credit report.

jon1965

Or have a look at the MSE website for best debit card abroad. I really wouldn't advise taking cash

pimento

I might give FD a call and see what they charge for withdrawing funds. I know that HSBC have branches in NZ. I do have a NZ$ account with FD (with HSBC). I wonder if they would give me a cash card for that account if I put money into it?

Hm.