Halifax Clarity Card

Lee_T.

Hi Folks, We go to Orlando on Saturday, I was going to get £100 worth of Dollars to get me by and then get the rest when I need it via my Halifax Clarity card. Do they charge to use the cash machines in Orlando? We're stopping in Indian Wells in Kissimmee.

PeacefulWaters

Most USA cash machines charge a flat fee.

But you could, potentially, purchase everything you need on the card and never need cash.

brenda10

Lee_T. wrote: »

Hi Folks, We go to Orlando on Saturday, I was going to get £100 worth of Dollars to get me by and then get the rest when I need it via my Halifax Clarity card. Do they charge to use the cash machines in Orlando? We're stopping in Indian Wells in Kissimmee.

My daughter uses the card at the bank hole in the wall in all the countries that she works in, no charge, Halifax Clarity Credit card has the best rate you can get.
Brenda
PS have a wonderful holiday.

brenda10

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

Most USA cash machines charge a flat fee.

But you could, potentially, purchase everything you need on the card and never need cash.

Withdraw at the hole in the wall and pay for items in cash. Do NOT spend in a shop on your Halifax Clarity Credit card as they charge you a % of the spend.
I have learned the right way to do things as I have been charged for spends on card in shops!
Good luck.
Brenda

Murphy_The_Cat

brenda10 wrote: »

Withdraw at the hole in the wall and pay for items in cash. Do NOT spend in a shop on your Halifax Clarity Credit card as they charge you a % of the spend.
I have learned the right way to do things as I have been charged for spends on card in shops!
Good luck.
Brenda

Did this happen to you in America ?
If so, can you give a few more details - the only time that I've ever paid more for using a CC in America has been at a petrol station where there has been a 'cash' price and a 'credit' price per gallon.

Neil49

brenda10 wrote: »

Withdraw at the hole in the wall and pay for items in cash. Do NOT spend in a shop on your Halifax Clarity Credit card as they charge you a % of the spend.
I have learned the right way to do things as I have been charged for spends on card in shops!
Good luck.
Brenda

I have never come across this before in the USA.

Could you provide us with more information on the types of transactions where this has happened.

Westin

brenda10 wrote: »

Withdraw at the hole in the wall and pay for items in cash. Do NOT spend in a shop on your Halifax Clarity Credit card as they charge you a % of the spend.
I have learned the right way to do things as I have been charged for spends on card in shops!
Good luck.
Brenda

Sorry, I don't buy this.

I'm a frequent traveller to Orlando for work, in fact off there again tomorrow (VS027). I find the Halifax Clarity card to be the best and most cost effective credit card when in the USA. I have never been charged extra in stores when using this credit card.

Not limited to the Halifax Clarity card, do watch out for certain retailers trying to offer you the option to pay in GBP£ when you present your UK credit card. The worse US retailers for this I have found are TKMaxx and Ross who will swipe your card, not ask about payment currency and try to get you to sign the electronic terminal signature machine or a print out with a GBP£ price.

When using ATM's I find the typical charge in the Orlando area to be USD$3 per transaction. Some however may charge more. Check at the ATM for the charges before proceeding with a withdrawal.

PeacefulWaters

brenda10 wrote: »

Withdraw at the hole in the wall and pay for items in cash. Do NOT spend in a shop on your Halifax Clarity Credit card as they charge you a % of the spend.
I have learned the right way to do things as I have been charged for spends on card in shops!
Good luck.
Brenda

Brenda, you're talking gibberish.

Did you elect to pay an overseas transaction in sterling?

fifeken

Got to agree with the last couple of posts - brenda10's advice should be ignored.

Most ATMs in the USA will charge you a fixed fee so withdraw the most you can at any time.

Shops, restaurants etc will all take it with no extra costs.

Doshwaster

Some facts:

1) Clarity don't charge any foreign exchange loading for using the card. That's the whole point of it. You will get a crappy rate if you allow the retailer to charge you in Sterling but I've never know that in the US (unlike Spain where the practice is rampant)

2) Fees for cash machines in the US vary a lot. Some are free (more likely to be the bigger national chains) while the smaller local ones are typically only free for their own customers. $3 is fairly common but I've seen it as high as $5 in convenience stores and hotels.

3) The only thing you really need cash for are tips (and taxi drivers in some cities are very reluctant to take plastic). Just about everything else you can stick on the card. In most cases you will be asked to sign the receipt but they almost never check the signature unless it is for a high value.

chiny

Doshwaster wrote: »

Clarity don't charge any foreign exchange loading for using the card. That's the whole point of it. You will get a crappy rate if you allow the retailer to charge you in Sterling but I've never know that in the US (unlike Spain where the practice is rampant)

Agree re Spain... I've just returned after a 2 month trip and I had several hiccups with several retailers. With one retailer, I was offered the £££ or € option, only to have it ignored by the terminal. The most blatant problems were where retailers used "Comercia Global Payments" terminals. Whether this technique is operated by the Spanish bank (Comercia) or the US Global Payments, I don't know.

Apart from the occasional hiccup, the Halifax Clarity worked well, including for ATM withdrawals (paying the ATM £££ back soon afterwards online).