Nationwide Select Card - can you have a positive balance on this card?

dharmakids

Hi,

I have a N.wide Select card that offers me a £2500 limit.

I'm traveling overseas in the next few months and will need to spend at least 5k whilst abroad.

I'm wondering if any one knows if you can have a 'positive balance' on this card? ie: If I pay in £5k into 0 balance card and then spend it overseas would this be okay?

Alternatively, are there any other good, overseas cards that you can do this with and/or are relatively easy to apply for and get? I've seen Martin's great post but wondering what folks actual experiences have been in this regard.

Many thanks in advance!

thenudeone

AFAIK no credit cards now allow a positive balance.

The only one which did was the egg blue card, which stopped allowing it several years ago.

bigadaj

No you can't, they don't generally mind if you are a few pounds in credit but larger numbers are seen as dodgy in terms of fraud, and they obviously want you to borrow at a high rate.

What seems to be best is to regularly pay by internet banking, particularly for cash withdrawals, if you did this with Halifax clarity card then you wold be paying pennies for each withdrawal.

Alternatively I think Norwich and Peterborough current account gives free withdrawals, I think you have to credit the account each month (£500?) but you presumably set up a standing order for this and, for example, deposit two grand to start off with and then five hundred per month.

dharmakids

Thanks bigadaj and thenudeone

Does anyone out there now how easy it is to successfully apply for the Halifax clarity card? I have some cards with Bank of Scotland (who are now Halifax) already so not sure if I could get the Clarity card and don't want my credit rating affected - any thoughts?

Gromitt

I took my phone with me and used the card during the day and paid off the balance at the end of each week. Credit limit was £2500, and we spent about £4000 in total. Just told the card issuer that foreign transactions would be appearing on the account before we went.

rb10

You could always pay off the balance of your Nationwide card once you've spent (almost) £2500. Bring the balance back to £0 and you can use your credit limit again.

dharmakids

Thanks Gromitt & rb10

:0)