Cards for Abroad

eDicky

63skippy wrote: »

7.7 You must not make payments (or transfer funds from another credit or store card) to your account that would leave a credit balance on your account.

Halifax are notorious for their ambiguous language, but I think the meaning is with the way I have inserted brackets above.

Your question has been asked and discussed countless times. Some people say that they 'preload' their Clarity regularly with impunity. Apart from the possibility of the card being blocked or withdrawn, if you are somehow defrauded of your preloaded funds then any request for them to be refunded would be refused by Halifax. Is it worth it just to save a few pence?

eskbanker

63skippy wrote: »

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Thanks for your reply esbanker, I too eventually found the condition below :-

7.7 You must not make payments or transfer funds from another credit or store card to your account that would leave a credit balance on your account. We may return any funds that exceed the balance owing on your account to the account from which the money was sent.

This doesn't seem 100% clear to me that pre-loading is against their condition above. The wording specifically states making a transfer from another credit card or store card. I was proposing making a transfer/payment from my current account. Surely the wording would be more encompassing if they were trying to ban all 'in-credit' payments. At worst its a loophole!!

The wording also refers to making payments as well as transfers, so, as it isn't practical to make a payment from another card, then it follows that the payment reference isn't tied to another card in the way you seem to be suggesting/interpreting. The additional text in that common enquiries section makes it clear that they won't allow a card to be put into credit (implicitly by any means) - maybe it would be better if the wording had a bit more punctuation to convey this: You must not make payments, or transfer funds from another credit or store card, to your account that would leave a credit balance on your account.

Snowbelle

Hello everybody, have been reading up on the spending abroad and now have a Clarity card. I would like to have some Euros available for small things but am unsure whether I would be better getting some before I travel or wait and use the Clarity card in the ATM abroad.

adindas

Snowbelle wrote: »

Hello everybody, have been reading up on the spending abroad and now have a Clarity card. I would like to have some Euros available for small things but am unsure whether I would be better getting some before I travel or wait and use the Clarity card in the ATM abroad.

It is always a good idea and you will be more flexible if you get it small amount of cash before traveling. For small amount £100 (say) It does not make a lot of difference in term of fee, difference in exchange rate. You will need a cash to pay for instance taxi, meals, public transport, etc.

Arriving at the other end you do not want to move around spending a lot of time with your baggage (hopefully not big) looking for cash machine at the airport on other end. Also say when you finally find one, what happen if it is not working ???

Snowbelle

adindas wrote: »

It is always a good idea and you will be more flexible if you get it small amount of cash before traveling. It does not make a lot of difference in term of fee, difference in exchange rate. You will need a cash to pay for instance taxi, meals, public transport, etc.

Arriving at the other end you do not want to move around spending a lot of time with your baggage (hopefully not big) looking for cash machine at the airport on other end. Also say when you finally find one, what happen if it is not working ???

Thanks for your reply. I'll get some Euros before I go for the reasons you have pointed out. I'm assuming if I need to use the Clarity in the ATM it's better to just get the minimum amount needed each time. I have no idea how acceptable using this card is for purchases like meals, public transport and low amounts or whether they will insist on cash.

chattychappy

Snowbelle wrote: »

Hello everybody, have been reading up on the spending abroad and now have a Clarity card. I would like to have some Euros available for small things but am unsure whether I would be better getting some before I travel or wait and use the Clarity card in the ATM abroad.

It will be much cheaper using Clarity when you arrive. No fee, no loading, just interest from the date of withdrawal which will be very small if paid promptly.

Buying Euros before you go (eg at the post office, airport or a Bureau de Change) will be more expensive. You will get loaded exchange rate and fees too. The exception is if you find a MoneyCorp machine (they have them at Gatwick, for example) where if if you use Clarity and opt out of "conversion" on the screen you can get Euros fee free and without loading.

When I travel, I always keep some currency ready for the next trip or for somebody I know who is travelling soon. That said, I have never been anywhere where it's been a problem finding an ATM immediately on arrival.

It is just a convenience thing. An alternative to buying before you go would be to take, say, £100 in cash. Then if when you arrive you can't find a working ATM you could change your £100 into Euros. You'll get some local coins that way too!

Finally, don't just depend on Clarity. Take another CC (at least) as a backup. Whilst paying standard fees on a CC is a pain, it's not as bad as being stuck completely!

Snowbelle

chattychappy wrote: »

It will be much cheaper using Clarity when you arrive. No fee, no loading, just interest from the date of withdrawal which will be very small if paid promptly.

Buying Euros before you go (eg at the post office, airport or a Bureau de Change) will be more expensive. You will get loaded exchange rate and fees too. The exception is if you find a MoneyCorp machine (they have them at Gatwick, for example) where if if you use Clarity and opt out of "conversion" on the screen you can get Euros fee free and without loading.

When I travel, I always keep some currency ready for the next trip or for somebody I know who is travelling soon. That said, I have never been anywhere where it's been a problem finding an ATM immediately on arrival.

It is just a convenience thing. An alternative to buying before you go would be to take, say, £100 in cash. Then if when you arrive you can't find a working ATM you could change your £100 into Euros. You'll get some local coins that way too!

Finally, don't just depend on Clarity. Take another CC (at least) as a backup. Whilst paying standard fees on a CC is a pain, it's not as bad as being stuck completely!

Thanks good advice. That was my next concern having a problem using the Clarity.
Can you tell me whereabouts at Gatwick I can find these machines please?
Also the best place to change £'s to euros once abroad. I thought doing this is worse than buying euros before I go.

eDicky

Snowbelle wrote: »

Thanks good advice. That was my next concern having a problem using the Clarity.
Can you tell me whereabouts at Gatwick I can find these machines please?
Also the best place to change £'s to euros once abroad. I thought doing this is worse than buying euros before I go.

There's an abundance of Moneycorp ATMs at Gatwick both before and after you pass through security etc. Remember to select 'Without Conversion' when presented with the choice (using your Clarity card).

As said, the best place to get euros at your destination is from any ATM using your Clarity, also avoiding any choice offering 'Conversion' or mention of pounds, when the machine detects your UK issued card.

There will be plenty of exchange counters awaiting your custom, but buying cash there will cost you more.

Snowbelle

eDicky wrote: »

There's an abundance of Moneycorp ATMs at Gatwick both before and after you pass through security etc. Remember to select 'Without Conversion' when presented with the choice (using your Clarity card).

As said, the best place to get euros at your destination is from any ATM using your Clarity, also avoiding any choice offering 'Conversion' or mention of pounds, when the machine detects your UK issued card.

There will be plenty of exchange counters awaiting your custom, but buying cash there will cost you more.

Thanks - great advice.

chattychappy

Snowbelle wrote: »

Can you tell me whereabouts at Gatwick I can find these machines please?

There are quite a few - the last one I used was in South Terminal departures (landside). Choose a machine that says it issues Euros. Some do Sterling only.

eDicky wrote: »

Remember to select 'Without Conversion' when presented with the choice (using your Clarity card).

Repeating the above for emphasis!

Snowbelle wrote: »

Also the best place to change £'s to euros once abroad. I thought doing this is worse than buying euros before I go.

My idea about taking £100 abroad was a backup just in case you can't find/use an ATM for some reason. Yep I'm sure you'll get a rubbish rate, but we're talking emergency only. Hopefully you'll just bring them home again...

eDicky wrote: »

As said, the best place to get euros at your destination is from any ATM using your Clarity

Yes, though Moneycorp at Gatwick is just as good. Except they only dispense 20euro notes, which may be a problem if you want higher denominations. I can't remember how many you can withdraw in "one go", but you can re-insert your Clarity and keep going - up to the equivalent of £500 (well that's my cash limit). Unless you empty the machine, of course!