Best card to use in Iceland

rammbike

Hi,

i'm going to Iceland soon and I wonder which card would be the best for me? I don't want to withdraw cash, I'll pay by card only.

I read article about credit cardsbut not everything seemed clear to me.

The thing is I've never used credit card before. I don't want to borrow any money from bank, because of their rates.. So idea is, I'll transfer money from my current account, which then I'll spend by credit card. Can I just use my money? Will they charge me for owning a card? Are there any more fees I should be aware of?

Thank you for answers

PeacefulWaters

Have a read of this:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/travel-credit-cards

Specific focus on Halifax Clarity and Creation Everyday.

Get card. Go to Iceland. Spend on credit card (everywhere accepts credit cards, you can probably cope without cash very easily).

Enjoy the country. Have the beef tenderloin in the Lava Restaurant at the Blue Lagoon. Assume everything costs three times as much as you'd pay in the UK.

Get home. Settle the credit card bill in full. There's an interest free period.

eDicky

There are also suitable prepaid cards as a simpler alternative, look up Monzo, Revolut, Loot. Take at least two in case any are lost or fail etc.

Neil49

If you go down the credit card route just be aware that you shouldn't pre load the account with funds (which is what you are implying) as this can break credit card rules and they could block usage of the card. Just spend on the card and then pay off the balance in full before the date advised on the statement that you will receive.

Alternatively, you could use a prepaid card where you load it up with funds in advance. I have a Monzo card for use abroad and it works well. It is denominated in £ and uses a good exchange rate when used abroad. I recently used mine in Dubai, Oman and Bahrain without any problems. I also frequently use it in the UK as it is contactless and safeguards my main bank account against cloning etc. I just keep a small balance on the card and top up via my smartphone as required. Just be aware that a smartphone is necessary to operate the account.

BarryBlue

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

Have a read of this:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/travel-credit-cards

Specific focus on Halifax Clarity and Creation Everyday.

Get card. Go to Iceland. Spend on credit card (everywhere accepts credit cards, you can probably cope without cash very easily).

Enjoy the country. Have the beef tenderloin in the Lava Restaurant at the Blue Lagoon. Assume everything costs three times as much as you'd pay in the UK.

Get home. Settle the credit card bill in full. There's an interest free period.

All good advice, although we haven't tried the tenderloin at Blue Lagoon.:o

Halifax Clarity is fine in Iceland. We did use ours to get some cash for coffee & cake etc. We discovered that the ATMs tend to be inside the banks, and when you go into a bank you can help yourself to free coffee, sometimes with a biscuit.

Very civilised country, Iceland.:cool: