Halifax Clarity Card - help please :)

n00bie

Hi, hope you guys can help.

I'm signing up for a Halifax Clarity Card and am unsure about what charges apply/when as off to the US in the summer and want the best for my money - only intend to use this card for going abroad.

Can someone confirm what charges apply/when? as I have the cash in my current account to pay anything off in full straight away, just want to avoid load charges/poor exchange rates/fees whilst there.

I was reading that withdrawing cash comes with a charge even if paid off in full, so trying to understand what I should/shouldn't do with the card e.g. just pay off restaurant bills and avoid ATMs etc.

Thanks in advance

dzug1

There aren't any load charges, there aren't any poor exchange rates there aren't any fees.


The costs are:


interest charged by Halifax at a very low rate on cash


possible fee charged by the US ATM - not many are free. Applies to any card


My advice would be to use it as if there were no charges (other than reducing ATM usage so there are not too many fees - get a larger amount out at once)


If you can't afford the minimal charges that result then you can't afford to visit the USA. If you can be bothered to spend time checking out your account online and paying off cash withdrawals as they appear then so be it. I have better things to do on holiday.


And have a backup card or source of money - relying on one can lead to disaster

n00bie

dzug1 wrote: »

There aren't any load charges, there aren't any poor exchange rates there aren't any fees.


The costs are:


interest charged by Halifax at a very low rate on cash


possible fee charged by the US ATM - not many are free. Applies to any card


My advice would be to use it as if there were no charges (other than reducing ATM usage so there are not too many fees - get a larger amount out at once)


If you can't afford the minimal charges that result then you can't afford to visit the USA. If you can be bothered to spend time checking out your account online and paying off cash withdrawals as they appear then so be it. I have better things to do on holiday.


And have a backup card or source of money - relying on one can lead to disaster

Thanks for prompt reply - so in a nutshell its better for POS use, but also probably better than other credit/debit cards too if making cash withdrawals.

Was trying to work out whether better to take dollars with us at the best exchange rate we can get here, or to just withdraw cash over there on the Halifax card+interest charge; but sounds like there's not a lot in it so the Halifax card has less stress than walking around with a pocket full of cash

Attackthebanks

n00bie wrote: »

Thanks for prompt reply - so in a nutshell its better for POS use, but also probably better than other credit/debit cards too if making cash withdrawals.

Was trying to work out whether better to take dollars with us at the best exchange rate we can get here, or to just withdraw cash over there on the Halifax card+interest charge; but sounds like there's not a lot in it so the Halifax card has less stress than walking around with a pocket full of cash

Having been to both Florida & New York with my trusty Halifax Clarity card, I can say from first hand experience, swipe it for EVERYTHING, in Florida we used it in bars, shops, restaurants, gift shops even for the parking at the theme parks.
Dont take any cash with you, use the ATM at the airport when you land and lift about £200-£300 (use for tips etc) card everything else, the interest is miniscule.

Enjoy your holiday, with this card it's peace of mind, i rank it up there with my passport before leaving for the airport!!

n00bie

Attackthebanks wrote: »

Having been to both Florida & New York with my trusty Halifax Clarity card, I can say from first hand experience, swipe it for EVERYTHING, in Florida we used it in bars, shops, restaurants, gift shops even for the parking at the theme parks.
Dont take any cash with you, use the ATM at the airport when you land and lift about £200-£300 (use for tips etc) card everything else, the interest is miniscule.

Enjoy your holiday, with this card it's peace of mind, i rank it up there with my passport before leaving for the airport!!

Cheers - just what I wanted

dzug1

n00bie wrote: »

Thanks for prompt reply - so in a nutshell its better for POS use, but also probably better than other credit/debit cards too if making cash withdrawals.

Was trying to work out whether better to take dollars with us at the best exchange rate we can get here, or to just withdraw cash over there on the Halifax card+interest charge; but sounds like there's not a lot in it so the Halifax card has less stress than walking around with a pocket full of cash

The Halifax card in an ATM is likely to be better than even the best sources of cash here. It can still be comforting to take some with you though.

n00bie

dzug1 wrote: »

The Halifax card in an ATM is likely to be better than even the best sources of cash here. It can still be comforting to take some with you though.

I'll take a few hundred, just not what I was initially thinking. Thanks.

giblet10

Attackthebanks wrote: »

Having been to both Florida & New York with my trusty Halifax Clarity card, I can say from first hand experience, swipe it for EVERYTHING, in Florida we used it in bars, shops, restaurants, gift shops even for the parking at the theme parks.
Dont take any cash with you, use the ATM at the airport when you land and lift about £200-£300 (use for tips etc) card everything else, the interest is miniscule.

Enjoy your holiday, with this card it's peace of mind, i rank it up there with my passport before leaving for the airport!!

Wow that's an endorsement and a half! Mine just arrived last week for a few trips in Europe I have planned - pleased to see I appear to have chosen well..

broadmarsh

For years we have been using ours for transactions all over the world. For 2 months in 2013, we used it for every transaction in supermarkets in Hua Hin in Thailand, and also for medical bills for treatment at the Bangkok Hospital in Hua Hin. Just make sure that you are always billed in the local currency because some vendors try convert to sterling at a rate that suits them and you can take a hit.

In March 2014 we again used it for supermarket purchases and ATM cash withdrawals in the Dominican Republic and we got the excellent Mastercard currency rate.

In one weeks time we are going to Colorado for 3 weeks. Armed with the exchange rate knowledge of the US$ to the GP£ given by exchange rate houses in the UK, we are going to withdraw enough US$ whilst in the US to pay the Condo owner (needs US $) in the Dominican Republic. The difference is around 4 to 5%, and this adds up over £115 in total for the money required for the condo rental.

lisyloo

Just to clarify what dzug said in post #2.
You can pay off your halifax clarity card on the internet by faster payment IF you have both cheap and safe internet access and of course it doesn't interfere with the enjoyment of your holiday.
You can void the interest on this altogether.

The alternative is to wait until you get back and if you've only be away for 2 weeks then the interet is likely to be in the range of £1-£3 so about the price of a coffee.

Personally I wouldn't use a shared computer for banking details and often (like dzug) I do have better things to do on holiday.