Travel credit cards

eDicky

NewPieman said:

I have a JaJa card (was Post Office) which used to be one of the Best Buys - when I review the Travel Card article there is no mention although when I put it into the "How much does your card charge?" box iy comes up with : 

Jaja - Credit Card

This is a top overseas spending card

One of the best cards for spending overseas - well done! You get perfect exchange rates. It's far cheaper to spend on the card than withdraw cash.

I'm guessing it's just an editorial decision.........we will be using it in the summer - may need to talk to them to up the limit a little as we're paying for the hotel when we arrive..........

It's possible that the JaJa card is not mentioned on the recommended list because of the myriad problems experienced by PO card holders during and after the changeover, or perhaps it's not even available to new customers(?).

Kris_too

As you have listed debit cards too what about pre paid like Revolut. As you can transfer money straight from your bank account on the day you want to use it or any time when the exchange rate is good and then use the card Iike any other card. 

stevenpc

That's what I use Kris I watch the xchange rate for where I'm going the days/weeks b4 I go when it's a good rate I add £ to .you revolut and exchange it to local currency

eDicky

Revolut is a very versatile and sophisticated app that I was using since their beginning and used to highly recommend, but now I recommend any new users to familiarise themselves fully with how it works and study the FAQs to avoid any mistakes, because you're unlikely to get any timely help from their customer services unless you have an upgraded account with monthly fees.

ossian

I see the Nationwide Flex Plus debit card is no longer a top pick.  Any idea why?  Using the tool it still appears to be a good option although it lacks the cashback of Chase.

NoodleDoodleMan

Possibly because the others have moved up the league table ?

The Metro Bank debit card is not quoted - it's also a good choice if you are visiting countries in the SEPA block which is most of the popular EU travel destinations.

Miles86

Also doesn't mention HSBC Global Money Account which also has the benefit of FSCS protection compared to others being mentioned.

zagfles

Miles86 said:

Also doesn't mention HSBC Global Money Account which also has the benefit of FSCS protection compared to others being mentioned.

Probably because they include an exchange rate markup, as they say in the FAQ "The Global Money Exchange Rate is made up of the cost to us plus a foreign currency conversion margin that we include.". What rates do you get and how do they compare with the VISA/MasterCard rates?

And what others don't you think have FSCS protection? Some pre-paid cards might not have, but normal bank accounts with fee free debit cards eg MetroBank, Chase, Starling etc will almost certainly have, check their sites. Credit cards don't need it as you don't deposit money with them.

stevenpc

Glad you mentioned chase I joined few months ago I used recently abroad on purchases and cash withdrawals I got the mastercard rate it was when used I also compared with revolut and chase came on top every time and no fees

Miles86

zagfles said:

Miles86 said:

Also doesn't mention HSBC Global Money Account which also has the benefit of FSCS protection compared to others being mentioned.

Probably because they include an exchange rate markup, as they say in the FAQ "The Global Money Exchange Rate is made up of the cost to us plus a foreign currency conversion margin that we include.". What rates do you get and how do they compare with the VISA/MasterCard rates?

And what others don't you think have FSCS protection? Some pre-paid cards might not have, but normal bank accounts with fee free debit cards eg MetroBank, Chase, Starling etc will almost certainly have, check their sites. Credit cards don't need it as you don't deposit money with them.

Going by the examples in the thread in Budgeting and Bank Accounts https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6395813/hsbc-global-money-account-launched/p1 the rates are generally as good as VISA/Mastercard and in some cases better.

Of the typical competitors in this spare Wise, Revolut and Fineco don't have FSCS protection - in the past this was a type of product I ruled out on this basis, so there will no doubt be others thinking the same.

Yes its not necessarily going to be right for everyone, but for me the big benefit is being able to pay for an evening in the bar without being presented with Dynamic Currency Conversion...