How best to take currency to the US

azzap

Looking for a card to take to the U.S. however will have to be able to lift $'s on it from ATM's (as part of a group). Is there a preloaded card vs a credit card that doesn't charge for ATM withdrawals over there. I thought the FX card though see they now do have a withdrawal fee.

Thanks

Kernow666

you will probably encounter ATMs fees on the majority of cashpoints some are $1 some are $3 & in between
most of the prepaid cards will say no ATMs fees but in the smallprint will say that its the provider that will charge

personally i use my halifax clairty card as its simple to set up & use and pay off , i have the travelex supercard as well although yet to use it yet

Neil49

You should be aware that many prepaid cards have restrictions on the number of atm withdrawals you can make per day/week etc and also on the amount you can withdraw, so if you are using the card for a group then this may be an issue. You should read the Terms and Conditions carefully. Caxton definitely does have a limit on how many atm withdrawals you can make per day/week and limits on value.

Many US banks charge for atm withdrawals and these will be deducted from your balance. These are over and above any charge imposed by the card issuer. If have found that TD Bank in New York did not impose a charge (but that was last year). I can't help with other locations.

KCS1503

In my experience (from December 14) the ATM machines in Walmart say that there's a transaction fee (I think it was $1.50) but when the transaction appears on my card statement it was purely for the amount of dollars which I withdrew. This was against the Norwich and Peterborough Gold card.

azzap

Thanks for the advice. I think the FX card only charges a $ for ATM withdrawals and the daily / weekly limits won't be much of an issue.

azzap

Tried to apply for the Supercard though they aren't taking new applications. I guess the FX (out with a credit card such as Halifax clarity) is my best bet.

NiftyDigits

Take a look at Kalixa Pay. Use for purchases when possible, as there is no charge. Take out the max(approx. US$450 per day/withdrawal) when using an ATM if possible. Taking out the max can bring the total charge for withdrawals to as little as 0.75%....netting you a cash withdrawal rate of US$1.53 today as compared to US$1.542 for purchases. Clearly outstripping most alternatives.
Any cash leftover can be spent Pound for Pound in the UK.
Someone may be happy to refer you, gaining you a £5 rebate.

NiftyDigits

azzap wrote: »

Thanks for the advice. I think the FX card only charges a $ for ATM withdrawals and the daily / weekly limits won't be much of an issue.

You lose out on the exchange rate or pay a percentage....

azzap

What about the new Travelex Supercard, do you pay a percentage or have atm withdrawal fees with that?

NiftyDigits

azzap wrote: »

What about the new Travelex Supercard, do you pay a percentage or have atm withdrawal fees with that?

Have you got one?

The Supercard pilot is now full. However, you can still download the app and be the first to hear the latest updates by leaving us your email address.

azzap

NiftyDigits wrote: »

Have you got one?

Yes someone else in our group got one luckily. Seems the best bet for card purchasing over there but wondering about ATM (cash) withdrawals?