visa credit

coletmarie

We use visa credit card for years for purchases abroad because they did not charge a fee for buying goods with their card in shops and restaurants etc. I have recently heard that have just started charging 2% on purchases abroad.Up until now Visa was about the only credit cards that did not charge for foreign transactions (in France/Spain).Does anyone have any information on this ,my bank (Nationwide )doesnt seem to know anything about it !

Marchitiello

It would not have been a "Visa" offer but rather the issuer of your credit Card (I guess it is Nationwide?)
There are plenty of products out there that do not charge foreign transaction fees, on all payment network. For example the Lloyds Avios duo cards on both Amex and MasterCard network do not charge such fees (albeit the exchange rate will be different between the payment made with each card).
Most other such cards are issued on MasterCard network, which usually have better exchange rates as well (E.g. Creation, Halifax Clarity, NatWest/RBS Black Rewards).
I believe the Nationwide Credit card may be one of the only few Cards issued on a Visa network that offer no Forex ...

System

The fees have always existed, it's just that until a few years ago they were charged alongside the currency conversion.

You can get a Travelex Supercard and it will bypass the 2% when shopping.

Marchitiello

Heng_Leng wrote: »

The fees have always existed, it's just that until a few years ago they were charged alongside the currency conversion..

I would not have thought that this was what the OP was referring to as I thought it changed a long time ago. I remember my Barclaycard Visa always reported one fee with the additional comment on the lines of "this include Forex etc..)

bigadaj

coletmarie wrote: »

We use visa credit card for years for purchases abroad because they did not charge a fee for buying goods with their card in shops and restaurants etc. I have recently heard that have just started charging 2% on purchases abroad.Up until now Visa was about the only credit cards that did not charge for foreign transactions (in France/Spain).Does anyone have any information on this ,my bank (Nationwide )doesnt seem to know anything about it !

If you hold a nationwide select card then there are no foreign currency fees on purchases.

flower77g

To expand on that ... one solution may be to contact Nationwide and ask if they can upgrade you to the Nationwide Select card from whichever of their other credit cards you are using.