Halifax Clarity Credit Card - Cash Withdrawal limit??

Innys1

Firstly, pls accept my apologies for this thread hi-jack!

I understand this credit card is the best for cash withdrawals overseas as there is no charge (by Halifax at least). However, any cash withdrawn incurs interest immediately.

My question is, though, can't the interest be avoided by treating the card like a debit card? That is, why can't someone overpay on this card in the UK, up to say, £1,000 and then withdraw £950 overseas and know they won't be charged interest on the cash withdrawals?

PeacefulWaters

Innys1 wrote: »

Firstly, pls accept my apologies for this thread hi-jack!

I understand this credit card is the best for cash withdrawals overseas as there is no charge (by Halifax at least). However, any cash withdrawn incurs interest immediately.

My question is, though, can't the interest be avoided by treating the card like a debit card? That is, why can't someone overpay on this card in the UK, up to say, £1,000 and then withdraw £950 overseas and know they won't be charged interest on the cash withdrawals?

The interest charge is tiny. 3p per £100 cash withdrawn per day (other cards will immediately cost you £3 plus interest).

Pre-loading the card is possible but breaches the T&Cs. Not worth the risk of having them freeze the account when you're overseas.

Gloomendoom

Innys1 wrote: »

Firstly, pls accept my apologies for this thread hi-jack!

I understand this credit card is the best for cash withdrawals overseas as there is no charge (by Halifax at least). However, any cash withdrawn incurs interest immediately.

My question is, though, can't the interest be avoided by treating the card like a debit card? That is, why can't someone overpay on this card in the UK, up to say, £1,000 and then withdraw £950 overseas and know they won't be charged interest on the cash withdrawals?

You can do it, but as already said, it breaches the T&Cs so you risk the card being frozen. It's not really worth the risk to save the pennies you will pay in interest charges.

photome

I use a clarity and a PO CC abroad.

i always tell both before I go

Never had an issue with the Clarity, Nearly always get my PO CC blocked

go figure

lpgm

I'm a recent Metro Bank to Clarity convert. Clarity's great. I took 50 euros out, made a faster payment as soon as the withdrawal appeared in my account, got near enough the market rate, and paid just 1p in interest. I didn't tell them I was going abroad and it was the first time I'd used the card.

ferf1223

photome wrote: »

I use a clarity and a PO CC abroad.

i always tell both before I go

Never had an issue with the Clarity, Nearly always get my PO CC blocked

go figure

I find it so bizarre how different people have different experiences...we have never had our PO CC blocked in the US, ever. We have had calls from them when we have made a purchase from a US website (normally Groupon) but never when we are physically in the US.

Innys1

Thanks all for your responses to date to my post above.

I am planning to travel to Thailand in mid Feb and have heard that even cash withdrawals on the Halifax Clarity incur an immediate ATM charge of around £3. Does anyone know if this is true?

Thanks in advance.

PeacefulWaters

Innys1 wrote: »

Thanks all for your responses to date to my post above.

I am planning to travel to Thailand in mid Feb and have heard that even cash withdrawals on the Halifax Clarity incur an immediate ATM charge of around £3. Does anyone know if this is true?

Thanks in advance.

It's the ATM that's doing the charging, regardless of the type or brand of card inserted.

Halifax Clarity will still be by far superior value wise compared to most other UK cards.

Butterscotch-

Sorry for threadjack...

I have a $ Caxton card but would I be much better off getting a Clarity card? I expect to use it to pay for the hotels in advance as well as purchases and cash over there.

visidigi

Butterscotch- wrote: »

Sorry for threadjack...

I have a $ Caxton card but would I be much better off getting a Clarity card? I expect to use it to pay for the hotels in advance as well as purchases and cash over there.

You lock in the rate on your card, sometimes in your favour sometimes not, Clarity is a real time exchange, so that why its recommended for normal purchasing patterns (I use FairFx for my US transactions, but if I need cash I would take it out on the Clarity purely as FairFx fees + ATM fees stack up quite quickly).