india

Minnies_mum

my daughter is going to India for 3 weeks. She cant change money before she goes so it all needs to be put on a card. Is she better off with something like the Halifax Clarity or with one of the travel agent cards? Her plan is to just take money out once a week so that she isnt getting stung by charges on lots of small withdrawls.

eDicky

Forget any 'travel agent cards', terrible value. Clarity is perfect if she can get it. I don't think Indian ATMs charge for withdrawals.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money

bengalknights

They will get a better rate if they go to a atm machine at the airport in the UK, withdraw sterling than when in india exchange it at a exchange house.

dj1471

bengalknights wrote: »

They will get a better rate if they go to a atm machine at the airport in the UK, withdraw sterling than when in india exchange it at a exchange house.

Seems unlikely this will beat the Mastercard rate...

sausage_time

I have had no problems in finding ATMs in India, and no local charges were applied. Most seem to offer DCC, so something to be aware of - always choose the local currency with no conversion.

Biggles

Clarity, no question. Forget travel agents' cards, forget bureaux de change (in this country or India).

And take a second card with her in case the first one gets blocked for some reason, it'll cost more than Clarity but still be cheaper than a bureau.

eDicky

Biggles wrote: »

And take a second card with her in case the first one gets blocked for some reason, it'll cost more than Clarity but still be cheaper than a bureau.

Having now used my Loot prepaid account card in four different countries without problems, I can recommend it as suitable backup. It has zero fees and the same MasterCard rate as Clarity, and relatively generous ATM withdrawal limits for a fee-free prepaid card - £250/day, £3000/month.

https://loot.io/

Monzo is similarly fee-free but with more restrictive ATM limits, and of course a few well-hidden crisp English £50 notes would be extra security in case of total card loss etc.

Biggles

eDicky wrote: »

Having now used my Loot prepaid account card in four different countries without problems, I can recommend it as suitable backup. It has zero fees and the same MasterCard rate as Clarity, and relatively generous ATM withdrawal limits for a fee-free prepaid card - £250/day, £3000/month.

It makes it less attractive to draw out small amounts if, like me, you prefer not to carry large amounts of cash around, as you're only allowed two free withdrawals a month - they charge £1 for each one after that, so would cost you far more than the Clarity card's interest on most trips.

A better bet than Loot would be to open a Metro account if you're in the South-East.

eDicky

Biggles wrote: »

It makes it less attractive to draw out small amounts if, like me, you prefer not to carry large amounts of cash around, as you're only allowed two free withdrawals a month - they charge £1 for each one after that, so would cost you far more than the Clarity card's interest on most trips.

Thanks for the reminder, I'd forgotten about the limit of two free withdrawals per month. It's still a good backup card, and unlike other prepaid cards Loot can be topped-up by faster payment from a third party, so it's a quick and efficient way for friends or family to send funds to the holder, wherever they are, if the need arose.

Outside Europe the Metro Bank card has fees approaching those of the 'cards from hell'.

Biggles

eDicky wrote: »

Outside Europe the Metro Bank card has fees approaching those of the 'cards from hell'.

Oops, good point, this is India we're talking of.