Best Card - Overseas/0% - not nationwide

Walrus

Morning,

Just looking into getting a joint 0% credit card between the Mrs and I for our trip to Vegas, where we will be buying her wedding ring.

Neither of us are Nationwide customers (which currently has best foreign spending). She is getting a ring from tiffany's and it is cheaper and better exchange rate by getting it in the US (we're there anyway for a wedding).

Any tips on the best card to get?

Walrus

We'll also be looking for a card to put some of the wedding stuff on too, so that might influence what card we go for. Not gettign married until Aug 2013 so still got a bit of time for this one.

We're happy to move around to get continued 0% if necessary.

missile

You might want to check, I would guess 0% applies to purchases in the UK?

chattychappy

missile wrote: »

You might want to check, I would guess 0% applies to purchases in the UK?

Yep, worth checking. But my experience has been that 0% on purchases has never been restricted to UK purchases.

0% loaded cards include Halifax Clarity, Santander Zero (think its no longer available), Post Office and Sainsbury's Gold (there's a fee).

Clarity/Zero/Sainsbury is good for cash too.

Some have 0% purchase deals, but only for a short term. So it might be better to get a longer term 0% deal and pay the standard loading (typically 2.75%).

zagfles

Note that you'll have to pay import VAT when you come back to the UK if the ring is more than £390. See http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/arriving/arrivingnoneu.htm

This may cancel out any savings you make, and the credit card transaction will be proof that you purchased it in the US.

You might be able to get a refund of the sales tax paid in the US, not sure about this - but it'll probably be far less than the 20% VAT you'll be charged by customs.

callum9999

zagfles wrote: »

Note that you'll have to pay import VAT when you come back to the UK if the ring is more than £390. See http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/arriving/arrivingnoneu.htm

This may cancel out any savings you make, and the credit card transaction will be proof that you purchased it in the US.

You might be able to get a refund of the sales tax paid in the US, not sure about this - but it'll probably be far less than the 20% VAT you'll be charged by customs.

Well technically yes, and I'm sure no-one on here would ever condone or recommend tax evasion, but I'm sure they wouldn't notice if you just wear the ring on the way back!

I think you're right about the US sales tax as well - you can often get that refunded at the airport on your way out (it appears to be 6.75% in Nevada).

zagfles

callum9999 wrote: »

Well technically yes, and I'm sure no-one on here would ever condone or recommend tax evasion, but I'm sure they wouldn't notice if you just wear the ring on the way back!

Customs do look out for expensive items of jewellery, watches etc. And the other thing to remember is that even if you manage to smuggle it through customs undetected, you may have problems with insurance. If it's ever stolen/damaged, the insurance company may want to see receipts, for foreign (non EU) receipts over the customs threshold, they may want to see the customs declaration "as proof of bringing the item into the country".

If you can't provide that proof, they won't pay out. It's an easy way for them to wriggle out of paying!