Using Nationwide Debit/Credit Card Abroad (Spain)

ICHAPMAN

Hi All,

First post - please be kind!.

Going to Spain in a few weeks time, and planning to make use of my Nationwide Flex-account Debit and Credit Card(s).

In order to get the best return of my money, my understanding (from reading from various locations) is:

For Withdrawals - best to ONLY use the Debit Card.

For Payments (ie for Good etc), then either the Credit or Debit card could be used with 'equal' benefit

Could someone please confirm that my understanding of 'best' use is correct please?

Thanks

Iain

Yogibear

Hi Iain we have used our nationwide debit cards in the atms for years now nationwide dont charge you a fee its just like using it at home in the UK,obviously if you use your credit card to get money out you will be charged,so the answer to your questions are Yes and Yes:D

kbeattie

Just remember when paying by NW credit card at a retailler that you clearly express that you want to pay in EURO, not Pounds.

ICHAPMAN

kbeattie wrote: »

Just remember when paying by NW credit card at a retailler that you clearly express that you want to pay in EURO, not Pounds.

Hi - thanks for that.

Whilst I understand the reasoning behind the request - would be interested to know how well people have got on when making it.

I'd have thought that most Store Assistants (or similar) would like a tad confused at you when asking for this - as, as far as they are concerned they just swipe the card!.

Is this really something that store assistants / resturants etc really have much control over?

Thanks again

Iain

rustyjames

I had this problem in Spain on a number of occasions. I'd receive a credit card slip with a figure in pounds based on a poor exchange rate, and a statement printed on it that I'd been offered a choice of currencies.

Where this type of conversion is taking place, Visa insist that the customer should have this choice, but in my experience for the most part the restaurant owners genuinely didn't seem to know how to offer it.

On the first occasion, after a long discussion with the owner, we ended up cancelling the credit card transaction and paying cash instead. As we left my wife asked how much we were arguing over and after a quick calculation had to sheepishly admit it was probably a lot less than a pound . Still the statement on the receipt made it a matter of principle

moonrakerz

Recently come back from Spain (25 Apr)with my NW cards. Didn't use my Credit Card, just Debit card to get cash from ATMs.

Got 1.471 to 1.475, with no loading or commission.

brodev

Remember when using your card from in ATMs to use the option to pay in euros. I use my card regularly to withdraw money and I am always asked by the m/c whether or not i wish to pay in pounds or euros.. It is a bit confusing as to which button to select so read the screen carefully

ICHAPMAN

Thanks All for your replies. They have been very useful.

One further question - Martin's article says that the exchange rate that you get will be based on the "Visa/Mastercard wholesale rate". How does this differ to the Bank Rate?.

For example, Yahoo Finance today report that £1 = £1.4618 Euro, just trying to understand what in this example the "Visa/Mastercard wholesale rate" would be roughly.

Thanks

Iain

GlennTheBaker

The VISA wholesale rate, as used by Nationwide, is always VERY close to the interbank exchange rate.

peterbaker

ICHAPMAN wrote: »

Whilst I understand the reasoning behind the request - would be interested to know how well people have got on when making it.

(i.e. request for the retailer/merchant to desist from using Dynamic Currency Conversion)

It's not worth making a fuss at the point of sale Iain ... as you rightly imply, the sales assistants in supermarkets, restaurants, car hire firms are rarely up to speed with DCC and the smaller the establishment and more ignorant the staff/owner, the more likely they are to get snotty about it.

If you notice any small print about being offered a choice any slip you sign just cross it out before you sign, but if you don't notice then don't worry. When using CHIP & PIN, the PIN machine brought to your table at a restaurant for example should be programmed with a question about DCC, but is sometimes worded in such a way as to catch you out and induce you to press Yes when you mean No or vice versa, or the waiter might do it for you!

Just keep your slips, and check your NW CC statement when you get back (the rogue DCC transactions are easy to spot because no exchange rate is shown next to them on the statement). Request a dispute form and whack all the DCC transactions on the one form. NW don't mind you doing that and will immediately credit your account with a reasonable difference on the basis that you were not offered a choice of pounds or Euros at point of sale which is a breach of the merchant agreement rules.

NW will make a formal complaint to VISA in their own time. They are not great fans of DCC.

DO watch out for DCC messages in some ATM machines too. The question about whether you want to be billed for pounds or Euros when you draw out cash is sometimes worded in such a way as to catch you out and induce you to press Yes when you mean No or vice versa!

brodev

I started the following thread about DCC http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=36555
I eventually got compensation but it did take a long time. Visa did inform me that banks would be fined by Visa if they did not give the retailers the option of not using DCC. As a semi resident in Spain I do use my card a lot and I have not had any problems this year.