using credit cards abroad

emma1874

Hello, I hope I am posting in the right area as I am new to forums. I am planning on going abroad later this year and have previously purchased euros and travel cards but am fed up with losing out when I cash them in again. If I were to use my mastercard for making payments in supermarkets etc ( not cash machines) would this be a more sensible option and a way of only spending what I need rather than losing out each time I go away? Any advice would be appreciated.

Superscrooge

One of the advantages of so many countries using the Euro is that I never bother cashing Euros in again.

I either keep them until the next time I am travelling to a Euro country, or else one of my family or friends will be travelling to a Euro country and will be happy to buy them from me.

Doctor_Duke

A few choices have a look at Revolut, top up with your debit card then use their card abroad. Mainstream lenders like Nationwide have a Select Credit Card (if you have a current account with them) with no fee on foreign purchases. I have a Norwich and Peterborough current account, fee free cash withdrawals and purchases abroad. Just have to circulate £500 into the account per month to avoid a fee! Plenty of info on this site too.

dzug1

Using a CC abroad is not necessarily a free ride but yes it does solve the problem of changing back surplus funds

grumbler

MSE:

• Top Travel Spending Cards
• Your Card: Overseas Charges

chattychappy

If you have a reasonable credit history, apply for a Halifax Clarity card.

Apart from not loading foreign transactions, there is no fee for ATM withdrawals. (But they do charge interest from the date of withdrawal. This is a reasonable rate and peanuts if you pay off promptly.)

If you use a standard card you'll pay around 3% per transaction and probably alot more for getting cash. But still unlikely to be as bad as buying cash at the airport or local bureau de change.

Whatever card you use overseas, be sure to pay in local currency. Many merchants will attempt to charge you in GBP - and you will get their inferior exchange rate in place of the mastercard/visa rate.

chuckley

get a prepaid traveller card and/or a CC with zero spending abroad.

I have both but prefer the prepaid method.