Travel credit cards

DownTime

Orville wrote: »

Try the FairFx card. I have used many times without any problems.

Five Star reviews too on trust pilot.

What has that to do with Travel credit cards?

I'll tell you. Nothing.

Curlylocks27

zagfles wrote: »

No - only statemented purchases. Payments always go towards statemented purchases (ie those that were on your last monthly statement or previous ones) before unstatemented purchases (ie those since your last statement date). Credit cards have to work this way if you think about it.

But unstatemented cash advances are paid before unstatemented purchases. As long at it's hit the account, sometimes it takes a day or 2 to hit the account.

The easy way to use the Clarity is to go on holiday, and clear the whole balance when you get back.

The more complicated way is to just clear the previous statement balance plus any cash advances when you get back.

The extreme MSE way is to pay the cash advance while on holiday, having first checked that the withdrawal has hit the account, and at the same time paying off any balance on the previous statement.

For a short holiday, it really isn't worth messing about with the last method, I just clear the cash & previous statement balance when I get back, on my last holiday it cost me about 30p in interest.

Hello Zagfles, I'm picking up on this old thread as it sort of answers the question I was wanting to ask on this forum. I just wanted to ask you another question if that is ok please. We are going holiday and our destination doesn't widely accept credit cards, so we need to make sure we have sufficient cash. If we had a credit card with us on holiday that we use just for cash advances and paid the amount off as soon as it hit our statement would this mean we pay the minimum for our money? It seems logical that this would be the case, but I'm not use if I'm missing something. Also do you know if there is a maximum number of times you can do this over a 2 week period before credit card providers start slamming you with charges?

Many Thanks

richardc1983

It depends on the credit card:

Some charge interest from the day you spend/take the money out. Some charge only when your statement is produced.

The Barclaycard travel credit card doesn't charge interest if you pay the statement in full so its no fee etc.

The Halifax Clarity one however charges interest from the very day you withdraw or spend. However if you do a bank transfer over the same day you will avoid interest as interest is charged per day.

I will pay even the Barclaycard off the same day just so I know its done.

eDicky

richardc1983 wrote: »

The Halifax Clarity one however charges interest from the very day you withdraw or spend.

You're mistaken, there is always the normal interest-free period on non-sterling purchases, the same as for any card.

Curly, if your card has no fees for foreign cash withdrawal it will stay that way however much you withdraw, within their daily limits and of course your credit limit.

richardc1983

eDicky wrote: »

You're mistaken, there is always the normal interest-free period on non-sterling purchases, the same as for any card.

Can you explain what the normal interest free period is?

Does this cover Cash withdrawals? As I am sure it said for Cash Withdrawals your charged interest until its paid off.

WAYT

richardc1983 wrote: »

Can you explain what the normal interest free period is?

Does this cover Cash withdrawals? As I am sure it said for Cash Withdrawals your charged interest until its paid off.

https://www.halifax.co.uk/creditcards/clarity-card/Default.asp

Maximum 56 days for purchases if you pay your balance in full (including any balance transfers and money transfers) by the payment due date and you also paid your previous month's balance in full by the due date.
No interest-free period cash transactions.
There is no interest free period for balance transfers or money transfers (if available) where these are outside promotional offers.

eDicky

richardc1983 wrote: »

Does this cover Cash withdrawals? As I am sure it said for Cash Withdrawals your charged interest until its paid off.

You wrote 'withdraw or spend' - they are two different things, treated differently. Interest free period for spending, not for withdrawals.

richardc1983

eDicky wrote: »

You wrote 'withdraw or spend' - they are two different things, treated differently. Interest free period for spending, not for withdrawals.

So as long as make a payment for the cash withdrawn the same day this will avoid any interest. I do this on my creation card and never had any interest.

MiraculousM

How come the creation card has been taken off the MSE article?

WAYT

MiraculousM wrote: »

How come the creation card has been taken off the MSE article?

Still there: