Getting USD/Euro fee free without a loaded exchange rate

glider3560

HarryHotspur wrote: »

Where are the landside Moneycorp Euro ATM's at Gatwick?

They are spread over the place, but there are a bank of them next to the Moneycorp bureau de change.

eDicky

Passing through Stansted airport yesterday I noticed that the MoneyCorp ATMs, that previously only dispensed pounds or euros, now provide a choice of four currencies:

US dollars
Euros
Czech koruna
Polish zloty

I tried my Clarity card in one, selecting dollars, and the usual screen with the choice of with or without conversion came up, so I assume that the method of getting the MasterCard rate by selecting 'Without Conversion' still works (I didn't proceed). The rate offered by MoneyCorp 'With Conversion' was 1.0943 !!! (MC rate probably 1.27+)

This was airside at Stansted, I didn't notice the ATMs landside but probably at least some are the same. Perhaps the machines at Gatwick have also been updated.

chattychappy

Yes, and at Gatwick they are doing Swiss francs. (Not sure about currencies, certainly still Euros and USD.)

ds1980

Am travelling from t3 on Monday and would normally get cash with clarity card but it appears this option isn't available anymore as there are only travelex machines. Can anyone confirm ? If not what would be best case to get dollars at present.

glider3560

ds1980 wrote: »

Am travelling from t3 on Monday and would normally get cash with clarity card but it appears this option isn't available anymore as there are only travelex machines. Can anyone confirm ? If not what would be best case to get dollars at present.

It was only Travelex machines last time I was there.

adindas

ds1980 wrote: »

Am travelling from t3 on Monday and would normally get cash with clarity card but it appears this option isn't available anymore as there are only travelex machines. Can anyone confirm ? If not what would be best case to get dollars at present.

People are talking about Moneycorp cash machines here, not Travelex.

Travelex cash machines has never been reported fee free in UK airports here e.g to get a Mastercard global exchange rate. If you were withdrawing cash from Travelex cash machines, check it again the chance is that it is not fee free and the exchange rate was not be as good as you would have expected.

eDicky

ds1980 wrote: »

If not what would be best case to get dollars at present.

There will be ATMs at your arrival airport, presumably USA, but it's hard to escape a few dollars fee for withdrawal imposed by the ATM operator. If it's JFK and you find a TD Bank machine, that should be free.

Moneycorp ATMs that dispense dollars and various European currencies can be found at Gatwick, Stansted and Southend airports. Moneycorp are also present at Bristol and Southampton airports but ATMs may not be featured there. There are no other airport possibilities, but if anyone spots a multicurrency ATM installed at one of their central London locations it would be well worth hearing about...

https://www.moneycorp.com/uk/travel-money/find-a-branch/central-london/

chattychappy

Yep, I notice that you can now get USD, Euros, Swiss Francs and Turkish Lira from Moneycorp ATMs at Gatwick (not all issue all combinations). Also, there is a machine in arrivals that issues USD/Euro.

4th May got CHF600.

DCC (with conversion) rate offered was 1.0487.
Without conversion on Clarity, got 1.2767.

So a wapping 22% extra for DCC!!

(The transaction when through on the same day, so there was no fluctuation because of a posting delay that accounted for the difference.)

This is the biggest DCC markup I've ever seen, not that I pay much attention to these things (beyond avoiding it).

zagfles

chattychappy wrote: »

Yep, I notice that you can now get USD, Euros, Swiss Francs and Turkish Lira from Moneycorp ATMs at Gatwick (not all issue all combinations). Also, there is a machine in arrivals that issues USD/Euro.

4th May got CHF600.

DCC (with conversion) rate offered was 1.0487.
Without conversion on Clarity, got 1.2767.

So a wapping 22% extra for DCC!!

(The transaction when through on the same day, so there was no fluctuation because of a posting delay that accounted for the difference.)

This is the biggest DCC markup I've ever seen, not that I pay much attention to these things (beyond avoiding it).

DCC at UK airport machines is usually a similar ridiculous markup.

eDicky

Moneycorp ATMs also give the 'Without Conversion' option when using Monzo or Loot prepaid cards, both of which give the straight MasterCard rate and have no fees whatsoever. No issue of avoiding daily interest of course, but they both have daily/weekly withdrawal limits, Loot being the more generous.