Kalixa Pay - shocking customer reviews

LE100

Fantastic - some really useful feedback here.

Thanks everybody.

LE100

Please can I clarify something...

The Kalixa Pay card appears to have a balance that will be in my native currency (GBP).

The Ukash Travel Money Prepaid MasterCard card I have ordered, by contrast, has a euro balance.

So with the Ukash card, I will:
* Load the card - this is where the currency conversion occurs.
* (GBP taken from my debit card; EUR credited to my Ukash card.)
* Now I spend/withdraw EUR abroad using the card.

It would seem, however, that with the Kalixa Pay card, I would:
* Load the card (in GBP).
* Spend/withdraw abroad - this is where the conversion occurs.
* (GBP debited from the Kalixa account, based on how many EUR I need at that moment.)

Have I understood correctly?
Is this indeed a fundamental difference between the two cards?

paddyrg

LE100 wrote: »

Please can I clarify something...

The Kalixa Pay card appears to have a balance that will be in my native currency (GBP).

The Ukash Travel Money Prepaid MasterCard card I have ordered, by contrast, has a euro balance.

So with the Ukash card, I will:
* Load the card - this is where the currency conversion occurs.
* (GBP taken from my debit card; EUR credited to my Ukash card.)
* Now I spend/withdraw EUR abroad using the card.

It would seem, however, that with the Kalixa Pay card, I would:
* Load the card (in GBP).
* Spend/withdraw abroad - this is where the conversion occurs.
* (GBP debited from the Kalixa account, based on how many EUR I need at that moment.)

Have I understood correctly?
Is this indeed a fundamental difference between the two cards?

This is petty much it - the balance on ukash is held in EUR, on Kalixa in GBP. With the ukash one you get their conversion rate on the day you credit the account, so today for instance they offer 1.2473 Euros (when the market is 1.2610, that's their cut and is lower than many high street rates).

The Kalixa rates are set daily (and are actually very favourable, very thin commission) but the rate you get is determined on the day of the transaction. If you set up text alerts you will see how much that is in GBP the moment you spend the money.

Couple of things to note - ukash charge for closing the account or UK cashpoint withdrawals, so you might want to empty the account on your trip if you don't plan on using it regularly. They also say they don't offer statements, which Kalixa do - I think it's a nice touch.

NiftyDigits

LE100 wrote: »

Please can I clarify something...

The Kalixa Pay card appears to have a balance that will be in my native currency (GBP).

The Ukash Travel Money Prepaid MasterCard card I have ordered, by contrast, has a euro balance.

So with the Ukash card, I will:
* Load the card - this is where the currency conversion occurs.
* (GBP taken from my debit card; EUR credited to my Ukash card.)
* Now I spend/withdraw EUR abroad using the card.

It would seem, however, that with the Kalixa Pay card, I would:
* Load the card (in GBP).
* Spend/withdraw abroad - this is where the conversion occurs.
* (GBP debited from the Kalixa account, based on how many EUR I need at that moment.)

Have I understood correctly?
Is this indeed a fundamental difference between the two cards?

It's taken you this long to get it??

One thing that paddyrg may have mis-described is

The Kalixa rates are set daily (and are actually very favourable, very thin commission

Kalixa Pay rates are simply the full Mastercard rate. There is no commission taken, in contrast to his suggestion of a 'thin commission'..

Today's UKASH rate is 1.2459€
Kalixa Pay 1.26968€

In effect the only benefit of a foreign currency card is that you can 'lock a rate in'. So perhaps useful when a currency is at an unusual all time low.
I've not ever invested into one.

In addition to what paddyrg has written, UKASH will charge an extra 2.75% on any non Euro transactions. So indeed you will get the best value if you can withdraw Euros in the casino. If not, UKASH will charge 2.75% to convert from Euro to CZK or from Euro to GBP.

Have you had a definitive reply from the Casino?

paddyrg

NiftyDigits wrote: »

One thing that paddyrg may have mis-described is

Kalixa Pay rates are simply the full Mastercard rate. There is no commission taken, in contrast to his suggestion of a 'thin commission'..

Today's UKASH rate is 1.2459€
Kalixa Pay 1.26968€

Heh heh wanted to be sure I didn't overstate the case - I thought it was the MC rate, but didn't want to overpromise ;-)

PeteDoff

Always found my Kalixa card excellent, no problems ever.

PeteDoff

Kernow666 wrote: »

i would be very wary of forums members on here suggesting the KALIXA card to everything , could have a hidden agenda maybe they work for them or get a % to direct people to use the card

If only ................

NiftyDigits

LE100 wrote: »

Please can I clarify something...

The Kalixa Pay card appears to have a balance that will be in my native currency (GBP).

The Ukash Travel Money Prepaid MasterCard card I have ordered, by contrast, has a euro balance.

So with the Ukash card, I will:
* Load the card - this is where the currency conversion occurs.
* (GBP taken from my debit card; EUR credited to my Ukash card.)
* Now I spend/withdraw EUR abroad using the card.

It would seem, however, that with the Kalixa Pay card, I would:
* Load the card (in GBP).
* Spend/withdraw abroad - this is where the conversion occurs.
* (GBP debited from the Kalixa account, based on how many EUR I need at that moment.)

Have I understood correctly?
Is this indeed a fundamental difference between the two cards?

If you are in a country that utilises the Euro or has ATM that dispense Euros.....
Of course we are waiting to hear if the Casino will dispense Euros from your card.

superpixel

I sent two bank transfers (100 euro each) to load my Kalixa Pay card in 28 august and 2 september 2015. 100 euro were loaded instead of 200. Sending emails to customer care and having phone calls seem to be not sufficient. They keep asking for bank proof and I reply attaching it, each time, with identification number clearly visible.
They says that needs to investigate. Investigate what? Just check the bank statement and that's it. I committed No errors compiling the bank transfer, checked many times. Asked to my bank in Italy and they confirmed that the bank transfers were both successfully sent and no errors back.
I received an email from Kalixa support some minutes ago. They say that I'll get news "when" the "relevant department" will answer. What it mean "when"? one day, one month, one year?
I dunno what to do now. Can someone help me please? I'm not in UK, I'm in Italy.

superpixel

today i sent a request information to ERSTE Bank in Austria. They replied after 10 minutes saying that they are checking. My bank in italy confirmed today that the bank transfers were correctly executed.
New phone call to Kalixa support today. The gentle woman who answered promised to answer to my questions today.
I wait and I'll keep you informed.