Help needed with pre-loaded debit cards

batista230_2

Hi there I'm looking at going from the UK to Kenya for 2-4 weeks holiday
And dont want to take lots of cash
Mt Lloys cards only works in certain cash machines so would be no good over there
I was looking at getting a pre-loaded debit card that you top up and can use it in any cash machine
The post office do one but when I went into the branch today I was told that they charge £1.50 + 2.5% for a withdrawal from an ATM
It sounds very expensive to me that 2.5%

I noticed this card company do one
dubble U dubble U dubble U dot fairfx dot com

They quote they charge only £1 + 1.4%
still a lot of money they are taking from me for a commision but its a lot less then the post office
I have never heard of this company before and with all theses scams going around I am unsure it is safe

Has anyone dealt with them before or know where I can find a better deal

Thanks

Tixy

fairfx are one of the recommended prepaid cards for using abroad.

Mentioned in this article here - http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money

dependsing on how much you may be spending that article also mentions ukash. With caxton not far behind

NiftyDigits

Tixy wrote: »

fairfx are one of the recommended prepaid cards for using abroad.

Mentioned in this article here - http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money

dependsing on how much you may be spending that article also mentions ukash. With caxton not far behind

UKASH in Kenya?? Which currency would that be then?

Caxton would likely be best for smaller ATM withdrawals or Kalixa Pay for larger withdrawals(£100 upwards) and purchases.

Cost examples:

Withdraw £100 from an ATM:

Caxton Global: £2.75
FairFx Anywhere: £2.40
Kalixa Pay: £2.25

Withdraw £50

Caxton Global: £1.375
FairFx Anywhere: £1.70
Kalixa Pay: £2.25


Purchases:

Caxton Global 2.75%
FairFx Anywhere 1.4%
Kalixa Pay 0.0%

Tixy

NiftyDigits wrote: »

UKASH in Kenya?? Which currency would that be then?

Either US$ or UK£ I would imagine.

NiftyDigits

Tixy wrote: »

Either US$ or UK£ I would imagine.

Why would you buy a US$ currency card to obtain Kenyan Shillings??
So first you pay for US$ and then pay another 2.75% to obtain Kenyan Shillings.

Have you ever seen a UKASH Sterling Travel Money card?

Seriously, post from a point of knowledge. Otherwise it's not helpful at all.

Tixy

NiftyDigits wrote: »

Seriously, post from a point of knowledge. Otherwise it's not helpful at all.

The intention in my post was to reassure the OP that fairfax is a trustworthy company, and as additional reassurance linked to the MSE article.
Given that nobody else had responded in over half an hour I would say that was helpful and answered the main part of their post.

Having pointed them in the direction of the article I then said that the article mentioned other cards. I didn't suggest they use them, more that the read the article.

Why would you buy a US$ currency card to obtain Kenyan Shillings??

On this point I am led to believe that there are some ATMs in Kenya that allow you to withdraw US$, and I understand that some people prefer to use US$ cash for the majority of purchases in Kenya.
This may only apply to the major cities, I don't know I haven't personally been to Kenya.

NiftyDigits

Tixy wrote: »

The intention in my post was to reassure the OP that fairfax is a trustworthy company, and as additional reassurance linked to the MSE article.
Given that nobody else had responded in over half an hour I would say that was helpful and answered the main part of their post.

Having pointed them in the direction of the article I then said that the article mentioned other cards. I didn't suggest they use them, more that the read the article.



On this point I am led to believe that there are some ATMs in Kenya that allow you to withdraw US$, and I understand that some people prefer to use US$ cash for the majority of purchases in Kenya.
This may only apply to the major cities, I don't know I haven't personally been to Kenya.

Thanks for your reply

jonesMUFCforever

Which Lloyds card do you have which restricts you?
If you have a cash account and have received or ordered a new card in the last month then they can be used anywhere in a Visa ATM.

batista230_2

thanks for the reassurance, been told about this card on another forum so wanted to check hear to see if there where any objections

Could not get all the info I needed from there site
But if I buy the card for £500
Will they post it out to me and do they post a pin number separate as well
Can you topup online with it as well
And apart from the 1.4% + £1 charge; will there be any other cost I will incurre while I'm in Kenya

Noticed it said this
The FairFX Euro* and FairFX Dollar* cards are the best deal if you're loading £500 or more of currency. Although its exchange rate tends to be very slightly lower than the Ukash card, if you apply via these links, FairFX will knock £8 off the bill when you load £500 or more.

I have allready registered with them but can I still claim my discount through the link
_________
The FairFX cards are free to spend, hold & top up, but they do charge a fee on all cash withdrawals, so try to limit the number that you make to minimise charges.

So dose that mean they wont charge me a penny for making a payment on my card say in a hotel but they will charge the usual fee
on cash withdrawals
But I can get £8 of it back right?
_______________________
Another perk if you use the links above is that you get the card free too. They usually cost £9.95 on application, but this is waived if you top up more than £50 worth of euros or dollars.

So am I right in saying
instead of spending £10 on the card for a £50 upload of cash; I save £10 when ordering through money saving expert
But If I upload £500 I still get the card for free ever way but get £8 back if done through our site
_______________________
There's a 1.4% transaction fee if you spend in a different currency to the one you loaded up - this is one of the lowest conversion fees on the market.

Can I load up with kenya shillings and not pay the 1.4%


Thanks

NiftyDigits

You've already been told what is best.
You are getting yourself mixed up. If you buy a Euro or US$ card, you are already losing on the exchange rate.
Then when you withdraw cash, the fee is either €1.50 for the Euro card or US$2 for the US$ card on top of the 1.4%, on top of what you have already lost converting your Pounds to Euros/US$.

So if anything, you need the FairFx Anywhere.

You get an extra £5 for topping up £500, via MoneySuperMarket.

Had an Anywhere card myself at one point. No complaints.

Lloyds_Bank

batista230 wrote: »

Hi there I'm looking at going from the UK to Kenya for 2-4 weeks holiday
And dont want to take lots of cash
Mt Lloys cards only works in certain cash machines so would be no good over there

Hi batista230,

As jonesMUFCforever has mentioned, if you have a Cash Account with us, we're currently issuing customers with new cards. These new cards can be used at non-Lloyds Bank ATMs in the UK and at Visa ATMs abroad. All of our Cash Account customers will be sent a card with this enhanced functionality by the end of next month. If you'd like one before then, just give us a call on 01733 347 007 or 0845 3000 000 and one of my colleagues will arrange for one to be sent to you (lines are open 24 hours a day).

Hope this helps,

Craig