Debit Card/Credit Card for Foreign Websites

Neill_B

Ok I cant see were else to put this so go easy on me!! Can anyone recommend a debit card for using foreign websites were no charges are incurred. I have one of Martins "Cards From Hell" on the spending money abroad section of the site (Halifax Visa Debit Card ...£1.50 charge plus 2.75% of the amount spent plus Paypal want another 4% conversion fee!!) I am wanting to buy off a Japanese electronics site. I was going to transfer the amount that I need to pay over to the other debit card account (if I can open an account). On second thoughts are there any credit cards available? I only opened another credit card account in the summer of 2013 so this might go against me.Any advice is much appreciated.:D

jonesMUFCforever

How good is your credit rating?

Have a look at the Halifax clarity card.

grumbler

• Cheap Travel Cards

Neill_B

Hi folks

Just got accepted for the Clarity Card. Please excuse the following question for its stupidity but your help is much appreciated.

I am spending a low amount (its actually for a memory card for a PS Vita).. 10410 Yen (£61 or thereabouts) to be precise. I take it that there will be no charge to me when I get my credit card bill ,if I use this card (12.9% I think on spending) if I pay the bill straight away in full? In other words will I just be paying the £61 when the Yen is converted to Sterling? I have never used a credit card for a foreign purchase over the internet hence the question and uncertainty on my part. Many thanks for all the help everyone has provided.

rb10

That is correct.

The money will be converted to Sterling at Mastercard's current exchange rate. Provided you pay your statement balance in full (and paid the previous statement's balance in full, if there was one), then you'll pay no interest on this purchase.

You can also use the card to withdraw cash from ATMs when you are overseas. There is no cash advance fee, but interest will accrue on cash withdrawals.

chattychappy

And you do need to make sure that the card is charged in Yen. In some "physical" shops you get offered the "chance" to be charged in GBP rather than the local currency (Dynamic Currency Conversion). Always go for the local currency - then the conversion is done at the Visa/Mastercard rate (and then loaded by around 3% if you had a normal card rather than Clarity). If you agree to be charged in GBP, the shop does the conversion at an inferior rate - a loading of up to 7% is typical.

A friend of mine said he has now seen DCC online - after you put your card details in, you are "invited" to be charged in your local currency.

[A bit off-topic, but I encountered DCC in Taiwan this afternoon - first time in a "normal" shop. Foxed the staff - they'd never seen it before. The machine showed the usual display and I put my card in. Then it gave a display showing 6 currencies (US dollar, Canadian dollar, Thai baht, Singapore dollar, Chinese RMB, Hong Kong dollar) and asked me to choose which to be charged in (in English). Then in Chinese underneath, it said hit 9 to be charged in "local currency". So I hit 9 and no problem. With DCC you are supposed always to have the choice to be charged in local currency. But it's clear to me that this is being bent as much as possible.]

zerog

chattychappy wrote: »

A friend of mine said he has now seen DCC online - after you put your card details in, you are "invited" to be charged in your local currency.

Paypal has done "online DCC" for years

In mainland China many places force DCC and there is no option to charge in RMB. Complaints to Visa/MC tend not to work.

reclusive46

zerog wrote: »

Paypal has done "online DCC" for years

In mainland China many places force DCC and there is no option to charge in RMB. Complaints to Visa/MC tend not to work.

Thats because Visa and MasterCard have no control over Chinese acquirers usually. Bank of China usually just covers up the button to cancel it. The best bet is to use an American Express (The new Lloyds Avios amex cards are also fee free abroad) or Diners Club in China as neither of these allow DCC.