Las Vegas guide and MSE thread 2015

vegasvisitor

bubble113 wrote: »

I got a Halifax cc last year and used it to withdraw cash and intended to pay it off straight away to avoid interest charges but it would only let me do this if I banked with Halifax (which I don't) so I did a direct debit to pay full amount when due. It wasn't a lot of interest ( can't remember exactly but pennies rather than pounds) but I would have preferred to pay it off immediately...

Bubbles, is this the same card mentioned above 'Clarity'?

If so, how did they stop you paying right away? Is it simply because if you log in to their online banking you can't make a payment? I'm with RBS, so wouldn't have a connecting account either, but I'm wondering if I could just send a payment from RBS using their online banking, or is that outwith T&C of the card?

I need to have a better look into this, I definitely want to improve on the transactions fees I saw last time I withdrew using Nationwide! Shame they've sucked in lots of customers then put their fees up!

pebblesmax

I have the Nationwide Flexplus. It costs me £10/month but that includes phone insurance, worldwide travel insurance and some other bits and pieces. The Flexplus account gives fee free withdrawals worldwide.

ferf1223

lesley74 wrote: »

I need to have a better look into this, I definitely want to improve on the transactions fees I saw last time I withdrew using Nationwide! Shame they've sucked in lots of customers then put their fees up!

I still have my Nationwide account...it has about £0.54 in it and has since they put the fees up. Sadly, MetroBank did the same thing...sucked us in with the no foreign currency fees and then did away with that at least outside of Europe which is pretty much all we do for holidays (though still better than many cards). I still rate Metro very highly as a bank overall - there are many things going for it...but we aren't comfortable swapping our main account over to them so we have a sad, rarely used, emergency holiday money current account with them (and some ISAs).

bubble113

lesley74 wrote: »

Bubbles, is this the same card mentioned above 'Clarity'?

If so, how did they stop you paying right away? Is it simply because if you log in to their online banking you can't make a payment? I'm with RBS, so wouldn't have a connecting account either, but I'm wondering if I could just send a payment from RBS using their online banking, or is that outwith T&C of the card?

I need to have a better look into this, I definitely want to improve on the transactions fees I saw last time I withdrew using Nationwide! Shame they've sucked in lots of customers then put their fees up!

Yes it is the clarity card and yes when you log on and go to payment options it won't let you make a one off payment unless you bank with them, gives the option of setting DD to pay off in full when due so that's what I did. I've had a look back on statements from last August and I had quite a few shopping transactions and only one cash withdrawal for $200, the interest was 53p

Edit: The best rate for a shopping purchase was $1.67...

nvh

You can pay clarity off with a standing order... I can dig out details when I get home if you can't find them on the Halifax website

Lesley - have you looked at the new avios lloyds card. Can / could get £20 topcashback so you can offset some of the £24 per year charge. Double points for six months and good return on the American express version of the card

nvh

Here you go. http://www.halifax.co.uk/creditcards/help-guidance/existing-customers/

Select "making payments" and scroll down to the standing order part.

Standing Order - To set up a standing order please contact the bank where your current account is held. You need to provide your bank with the following information:
Bank Sort Code 77-29-00
Bank Account no. 00000000
Your payment reference is your 16 digit card number.

I do this immediately each time I use the card to shift the cash over. I don't have any other Halifax accounts either

You can pay the standing order in the same way you pay anyone else you normally pay through online banking (ie. In Barclays it's just classed as "pay someone" and you do a "one off payment" with those details)

Hope that helps

vegasvisitor

nvh wrote: »

You can pay clarity off with a standing order... I can dig out details when I get home if you can't find them on the Halifax website

Lesley - have you looked at the new avios lloyds card. Can / could get £20 topcashback so you can offset some of the £24 per year charge. Double points for six months and good return on the American express version of the card

Thanks will look at that too. Is Amex widely accepted? I believe it's disliked because they take so long to pay the retailers. I'll certainly have a look at this too.

nvh

lesley74 wrote: »

Thanks will look at that too. Is Amex widely accepted? I believe it's disliked because they take so long to pay the retailers. I'll certainly have a look at this too.

Sorry - was a bit brief earlier as I was on my phone I should have clarified

I mentioned the Lloyds Avios as you mentioned you like earning points, and were re-evaluating your credit card for foreign spend. So, with the Lloyds Avios account, you earn avios (if they are still of worth to you following the recent changes!), and when used as a credit card (ie. not to withdraw cash) when abroad it means that you only get charged interbank rate. IIRC it is the only point earning, zero commission for overseas spending card

This means that because the Amex audience in the United States is so large, you can get some serious points depending on your spending habits - especially in the first six months (double points)... throw in the £20 topcashback if still available and even if you only use the card for the first year (£24 a year fee), you only need to earn £4 worth of Avios to make the card pay for itself... in which case it's then a no brainer for foreign spending on credit cards - quick sidenote that if you spend £7k in the year on this card, you get a free upgrade voucher too ---> this recent article may well be useful in helping you view the full benefits and whether its of worth to you -> http://www.headforpoints.com/2015/02/09/lloyds-avios-rewards-credit-card-now-more-valuable/

For cash withdrawals, I use the Clarity card like most of the others on here, and have done since release

vegasvisitor

nvh wrote: »

Here you go. http://www.halifax.co.uk/creditcards/help-guidance/existing-customers/

Select "making payments" and scroll down to the standing order part.

I do this immediately each time I use the card to shift the cash over. I don't have any other Halifax accounts either

You can pay the standing order in the same way you pay anyone else you normally pay through online banking (ie. In Barclays it's just classed as "pay someone" and you do a "one off payment" with those details)

Hope that helps

That's what I had hoped. I wondered how they could stop me paying them via RBS, and wondered if it was only when you logged into the c/card on Halifax that you couldn't pay early.

vegasvisitor

nvh wrote: »

Sorry - was a bit brief earlier as I was on my phone I should have clarified

I mentioned the Lloyds Avios as you mentioned you like earning points, and were re-evaluating your credit card for foreign spend. So, with the Lloyds Avios account, you earn avios (if they are still of worth to you following the recent changes!), and when used as a credit card (ie. not to withdraw cash) when abroad it means that you only get charged interbank rate. IIRC it is the only point earning, zero commission for overseas spending card

This means that because the Amex audience in the United States is so large, you can get some serious points depending on your spending habits - especially in the first six months (double points)... throw in the £20 topcashback if still available and even if you only use the card for the first year (£24 a year fee), you only need to earn £4 worth of Avios to make the card pay for itself... in which case it's then a no brainer for foreign spending on credit cards - quick sidenote that if you spend £7k in the year on this card, you get a free upgrade voucher too ---> this recent article may well be useful in helping you view the full benefits and whether its of worth to you -> http://www.headforpoints.com/2015/02/09/lloyds-avios-rewards-credit-card-now-more-valuable/

For cash withdrawals, I use the Clarity card like most of the others on here, and have done since release

We've flown with BA a couple of times but I seem to remember we only have about 12,000 points (Avios??) and I have no idea what that's worth (not a lot likely as I think only 2 return flights, and I'm not sure if one qualified as it was codeshare with AA!). They do fly out of Glasgow though and I would consider flying with them. I could also potentially change my saved up clubcard vouchers for Avios. If I was trying to rack up £7k in spends though I'd need to use the card for groceries, and would lose my Tesco Clubcard points and might not even manage the £7k anyway (since our trips for this year are booked other than some hotels).

I think I might be best to stick with Tesco Clubcard c/card for home, and get something for abroad. The Avios one is a good shout with the points which seems unique, however I think I'd struggle with the spend as I'm not expecting any big purchases this year.

Thanks for all the info though! My c/card knowledge is really out of date. I think the main one I need to sort is withdrawals abroad as well and I'm struggling to imagine withdrawing cash on a c/card. I know I could transfer money while away but I'm always wary of internet banking on hotel wifi. Maybe that's paranoid.