Halifax Clarity Credit Card for Travelling

shennan

[Deleted User] wrote:

This is the best card for travelling, 0% foreign transaction fees on purchases. I use it to buy stuff in other currencies all the time online and also when I go to Russia every now and then. Do not use this card for cash withdrawals!

Do you pay any interest on the purchases (not cash withdrawals) if you've paid it back within a month? People here are saying you don't, but I'd be interested in hearing it from someone who has had first-hand experience with the card. I.E given that you've made no cash withdrawals and (for arguments sake) you've managed to pay the balance on the card before the month is over, have you EVER had to pay any interest to Halifax?

Thanks

System

What do you suggest for cash withdrawals then?
A more expensive debit / credit card?

[Deleted User] wrote:

This is the best card for travelling, 0% foreign transaction fees on purchases. I use it to buy stuff in other currencies all the time online and also when I go to Russia every now and then. Do not use this card for cash withdrawals!

andrewmp

shennan wrote: »

Do you pay any interest on the purchases (not cash withdrawals) if you've paid it back within a month? People here are saying you don't, but I'd be interested in hearing it from someone who has had first-hand experience with the card. I.E given that you've made no cash withdrawals and (for arguments sake) you've managed to pay the balance on the card before the month is over, have you EVER had to pay any interest to Halifax?

Thanks

You 100% do not ever pay interest on purchases anywhere if you pay the full statement balance.

[Deleted User]

shennan wrote: »

Do you pay any interest on the purchases (not cash withdrawals) if you've paid it back within a month? People here are saying you don't, but I'd be interested in hearing it from someone who has had first-hand experience with the card. I.E given that you've made no cash withdrawals and (for arguments sake) you've managed to pay the balance on the card before the month is over, have you EVER had to pay any interest to Halifax?

Thanks

If you pay off your statement balance each month, you do not get charged interest. I never pay any interest on any of my cards as I pay them off in full via direct debit each month as you should do. That should answer your last question too

[Deleted User]

Heng_Leng wrote: »

What do you suggest for cash withdrawals then?
A more expensive debit / credit card?

Cash withdrawals abroad? Generally you don't do this as you should be purchasing your currency beforehand at a good exchange rate. If you run out of cash though, using your debit card is the only other option as credit cards should never be used for cash withdrawals.

nb0825

[Deleted User] wrote:

Cash withdrawals abroad? Generally you don't do this as you should be purchasing your currency beforehand at a good exchange rate. If you run out of cash though, using your debit card is the only other option as credit cards should never be used for cash withdrawals.

WRONG, delete your post, because you're talking out your a**

jde-tv

Please ignore trikzor, he has no idea what he is talking about. I have had this card for three years and use it abroad often. I have never paid any interest on purchases. And the interest on the cash is tiny... plus its off set by the good exchange rate (compared to buying cash before you go)

shennan

jde-tv wrote: »

Please ignore trikzor, he has no idea what he is talking about. I have had this card for three years and use it abroad often. I have never paid any interest on purchases. And the interest on the cash is tiny... plus its off set by the good exchange rate (compared to buying cash before you go)

To be fair to trikzor, I don't think he was suggesting that you pay interest on purchases. In fact, that was what he wasn't suggesting.

The only contentious point he may have made was about not using credit cards for cash withdrawals. I can see that this credit card may be better than most for cash withdrawals, but I'm not sure that the Mastercard exchange rates would beat a competitive bricks-and-mortar currency exchange service?

meer53

Trikzor, you obviously don't understand how the Clarity Card works. I use mine to withdraw cash abroad, as do millions of others, plus buying currency before you travel often means you get a worse exchange rate.

bigadaj

shennan wrote: »

To be fair to trikzor, I don't think he was suggesting that you pay interest on purchases. In fact, that was what he wasn't suggesting.

The only contentious point he may have made was about not using credit cards for cash withdrawals. I can see that this credit card may be better than most for cash withdrawals, but I'm not sure that the Mastercard exchange rates would beat a competitive bricks-and-mortar currency exchange service?

MasterCard exchange rates are close to interbank rates, bricks and mortar services have far higher overheads and thei charges will be several per cent worse.