now need a pre-payment card as ran out of time!! and no trolling on this post please!

TakeThis

Louisdf wrote: »

Sorry that's what I meant, I got mixed up with Caxton and Travelex.

I see...so shall we leave the posts up or delete from post #10 downwards?

Bogtrotter

Louisdf wrote: »

Travelex globe is still better, a 1.5% fee and no cashpoint withdrawal fees.

I was just answering the OP's questions with regard to the cards that I use. As for which card is "best"... the differences are minimal for the average person with an average holiday budget. It's pretty much "swings and roundabouts". The best card will depend on your usage patterns. For me the FairFX Eurocard is my card of choice at the moment... Although it costs €1.50 for an ATM transaction I usually make a few larger withdrawals.

If the difference in exchange rates today are typical, as long as I make an ATM withdrawal in excess of €170 the FairFX costs less than Travelex.
At the end of the day, for POS transactions I'm only going to be better off by €9 if I transfer £1000 to my FairFX currency card compared to Travelex eurocard so choice of card isn't going to make any real difference.

One other thing which may be an issue for some is a monthly charge on the balance of the Travelex if not used for 12 months and a negative balance charge can occur as well. I don't believe FairFX (or Caxton) have any similar charges

Bob_the_Saver

Doshwaster wrote: »

Yes, discussions about currency cards has a habit of getting a little tetchy.

Do you think so?

joerugby

I might be getting old but I'm not sure why you need one of these.

I've just come back from hols in Spain where I spent EUR500 in cash (bought at a UK high street travel agent at a rate of 1.20 with no commission) and around EUR1500 on my Visa credit card at net rates varying from 1.204 to 1.215.

Can you make a real saving compared to this with one of these cards?

TakeThis

Bogtrotter wrote: »

I was just answering the OP's questions with regard to the cards that I use. As for which card is "best"... the differences are minimal for the average person with an average holiday budget. It's pretty much "swings and roundabouts". The best card will depend on your usage patterns. For me the FairFX Eurocard is my card of choice at the moment... Although it costs €1.50 for an ATM transaction I usually make a few larger withdrawals.

If the difference in exchange rates today are typical, as long as I make an ATM withdrawal in excess of €170 the FairFX costs less than Travelex.
At the end of the day, for POS transactions I'm only going to be better off by €9 if I transfer £1000 to my FairFX currency card compared to Travelex eurocard so choice of card isn't going to make any real difference.

One other thing which may be an issue for some is a monthly charge on the balance of the Travelex if not used for 12 months and a negative balance charge can occur as well. I don't believe FairFX (or Caxton) have any similar charges

What on earth....??

Who mentioned using Eurocards? No one but you.

There are no 'swings and roundabouts'.

There is no way that the Fairfx Anywhere ever costs less than the Cash Passport Globe card when making an ATM withdrawal.

Withdrawing the equivalent of £200 abroad with FairFx Anywhere will cost you £204.30. £300; £305.70.
With the Cash Passport Globe; £202.98 & £304.47 respectively.

Using your Euro card, the differences would be even more pronounced.

In addition, the OP has limited time to get a card. Four hours is much less time than a week.

Perhaps you can point us towards a document confirming your fantasy about a Dormancy charge.

Utter nonsense.

TakeThis

joerugby wrote: »

I might be getting old but I'm not sure why you need one of these.

I've just come back from hols in Spain where I spent EUR500 in cash (bought at a UK high street travel agent at a rate of 1.20 with no commission) and around EUR1500 on my Visa credit card at net rates varying from 1.204 to 1.215.

Can you make a real saving compared to this with one of these cards?

What has age to do with it?

Current Mastercard rate: 1.245493 to the £.

Using the Cash Passport Globe would get you a rate of 1.227 for both purchases and ATM withdrawals.

Of course you can just get better mainstream products in the first place.

joerugby

TakeThis wrote: »

What has age to do with it?

Current Mastercard rate: 1.245493 to the £.

Using the Cash Passport Globe would get you a rate of 1.227 for both purchases and ATM withdrawals.

Of course you can just get better mainstream products in the first place.

OK please will you do the sums for me - how much would I have saved net of all charges? The credit card purchases were approx 10 transactions

F_Bear

Originally Posted by joerugby
I might be getting old but I'm not sure why you need one of these.

I've just come back from hols in Spain where I spent EUR500 in cash (bought at a UK high street travel agent at a rate of 1.20 with no commission) and around EUR1500 on my Visa credit card at net rates varying from 1.204 to 1.215.

Can you make a real saving compared to this with one of these cards?

ive no credit cards at all and dont want to take all my spends as reddies, to many people using the five finger discount approach!

thanks for all the replies.

ive ordered a Caxton card tonight as its free to use at atm's and i can load it up via text when im away.

wish id have ordered the Clarity card earlier!

TakeThis

joerugby wrote: »

OK please will you do the sums for me - how much would I have saved net of all charges? The credit card purchases were approx 10 transactions

??

You said you bought at 1.20.

TCPG would have got you 1.227 or thereabouts.

You said CC purchases came in at 1.204 to 1.215. (Of course if these were cash withdrawals, the exchange rate will be a lot less when you take into account ATM fees and interest)

TCPG would have got you 1.227 or thereabouts.

You just get a better rate with the Globe card than you do with your current methods.

You lost 13.50 euros on the cash. The CC depends on whether it was 1500 euros of purchases only. If purchases 25.75 euros. If some cash withdrawals, then the saving potentially much more.

So around 39 euros according to your figures.

TakeThis

F_Bear wrote: »

[/I]

ive no credit cards at all and dont want to take all my spends as reddies, to many people using the five finger discount approach!

thanks for all the replies.

ive ordered a Caxton card tonight as its free to use at atm's and i can load it up via text when im away.

wish id have ordered the Clarity card earlier!

I knew that you wouldn't listen.

You chose a card that charges 2.5% over one that charges 1.49% because you can top it up via text?

I honestly don't know why we bother....