Best cards to use abroad?

Candyapple

eDicky wrote: »

This is dangerous advice without emphasising the necessity to select 'Without Conversion' when the ATM displays the option, in order to avoid the dreadful Moneycorp rates. Be very careful, and if the option is not given, cancel and retrieve your card.

Common sense would dictate that but yes sorry, you are right, should have added that in.

JustAnotherSaver

Which part of Greece: Crete
Where flying from: Manchester

As for common sense, she's never done anything like that before, both going abroad, handling travel credit cards, all of that. So what may be common sense to some I can almost certainly guarantee that if there's decision making to be made she'll be wondering if she's made the right choice (to pay in euros or GBP for example being one choice I've read about you having to make).

So will she just be better off (cheaper) to convert some cash here in the U.K. And then take the card for spends

Withdraw from some sort of machine you mentioned at the airport?

Withdraw from a machine when she lands?

JustAnotherSaver

So IF i understand this right (and i probably don't) then now i'm home i searched this: http://help.barclaycard.co.uk/brochure/spending_transactions/use-card-abroad

which i read as - she can pay on her Barclaycard AND withdraw cash from a foreign cash machine at NO CHARGE ..... so long as she pays off her balance in full (which she will).

However if she doesn't pay off in full (i know it doesn't say that but i take from the reference to paying off in full then this is what they're saying....) then she will be charged at a rate of 2.99%.


I don't know where she was planning on going to change her money in to Euros - Sainsbury's perhaps, Thomas Cook etc, how do you find out if they charge more or less than the 2.99% (if indeed that's the correct figure to compare to)?

All i see is things like EUR 1.1181.

YorkshireBoy

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

Withdraw from a machine when she lands?

Of the 3 options, that will always be the best...provided she opts for "without conversion" or similar.

However if she doesn't pay off in full (i know it doesn't say that but i take from the reference to paying off in full then this is what they're saying....) then she will be charged at a rate of 2.99%.

2.99% isn't the interest rate, it's the cash advance fee for "sterling transactions only" on Barclaycard. The interest rate for cash, should she not repay in full, will be shown in her T&Cs (around 2% per month at a representative 27.9% APR).

In my experience she won't have any issues using Piraeus, Alpha, or Euronet ATMs. Just be sure to read the message prompt re conversion carefully (they're so pushy they ask you again if you decline their offer to convert for you instead of your card provider).

Re how does she know if Barclaycard's conversion is good, she can google MasterCard and Visa rates on a given day. But typically she'll pay a 3-5% premium on the High Street, and as much as 6% or more in Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) if she presses the wrong button on the ATM.

destroycarthage

Biased Opinion: American Express Platinum or Gold Card. Saved my life overseas. From the purchase protection, to the rental car loss damage waiver. Accepted everywhere. The plat is made from a solid metal so you won't run into an over worn omg my card won't swipe situation (which may not matter in the EU anyway with the chip). No foreign transaction fees. Concierge service to help book hotels, etc. I have read some other good options here? But for me I'm going to go with what I know. Amex was always the standard. Plus I don't "technically" have a limit? It's a charge card so you'd have to pay it off each month. One could make an argument elsewhere for the miles/ points side of things other cards offer but.. Are you looking for perks or reliability?

zagfles

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

So IF i understand this right (and i probably don't) then now i'm home i searched this: http://help.barclaycard.co.uk/brochure/spending_transactions/use-card-abroad

which i read as - she can pay on her Barclaycard AND withdraw cash from a foreign cash machine at NO CHARGE ..... so long as she pays off her balance in full (which she will).

However if she doesn't pay off in full (i know it doesn't say that but i take from the reference to paying off in full then this is what they're saying....) then she will be charged at a rate of 2.99%.


I don't know where she was planning on going to change her money in to Euros - Sainsbury's perhaps, Thomas Cook etc, how do you find out if they charge more or less than the 2.99% (if indeed that's the correct figure to compare to)?

All i see is things like EUR 1.1181.

VISA rates are here https://www.visaeurope.com/making-payments/exchange-rates

PeacefulWaters

destroycarthage wrote: »

Biased Opinion: American Express Platinum or Gold Card. Saved my life overseas. From the purchase protection, to the rental car loss damage waiver. Accepted everywhere. The plat is made from a solid metal so you won't run into an over worn omg my card won't swipe situation (which may not matter in the EU anyway with the chip). No foreign transaction fees. Concierge service to help book hotels, etc. I have read some other good options here? But for me I'm going to go with what I know. Amex was always the standard. Plus I don't "technically" have a limit? It's a charge card so you'd have to pay it off each month. One could make an argument elsewhere for the miles/ points side of things other cards offer but.. Are you looking for perks or reliability?

That doesn't sound like the UK version of Platinum or Gold charge card.

JustAnotherSaver

YorkshireBoy wrote: »

Re how does she know if Barclaycard's conversion is good, she can google MasterCard and Visa rates on a given day. But typically she'll pay a 3-5% premium on the High Street, and as much as 6% or more in Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) if she presses the wrong button on the ATM.

Thanks for your post. Very helpful. Just a couple things...

1) I wasn't really asking the percentage charge on the cash machine with a "without conversion" selection in comparison to a "with" conversion. I was asking more in comparison to going to Thomas Cook (for example) and taking the same amount out.

So let's say she goes in to Thomas Cook tomorrow, says i want 100 Euro's, charge my card the appropriate amount.

So now she walks out of Thomas Cook, 100 Euro's in hand & it cost her £xyz.pp.

Alternatively she doesn't do that, she jumps on the plane, Barclaycard in hand, hops off at the other end, goes to a cash machine, withdraws 100 Euro's "without conversion". It will cost her an amount £xyz.pp.

Now in the interest of fairness let's say the exchange rate is the exact same on both days (even though we know that's unlikely).

How much better off would one be over the other?


2) I've never done it myself so i don't know - but do the cash machines abroad 100% always ask whether you want with or without conversion?

The reason i ask this is i don't want to tell her to opt for without conversion & then the first cash machine she gets to it doesn't even ask her & she's left stood there wondering what she's supposed to do.

I've only been abroad the once, over 10 years ago to Aus & just took straight cash with me so am not in the best of positions to advise.

YorkshireBoy

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

Thanks for your post. Very helpful. Just a couple things...

1) I wasn't really asking the percentage charge on the cash machine with a "without conversion" selection in comparison to a "with" conversion. I was asking more in comparison to going to Thomas Cook (for example) and taking the same amount out.

So let's say she goes in to Thomas Cook tomorrow, says i want 100 Euro's, charge my card the appropriate amount.

So now she walks out of Thomas Cook, 100 Euro's in hand & it cost her £xyz.pp.

Alternatively she doesn't do that, she jumps on the plane, Barclaycard in hand, hops off at the other end, goes to a cash machine, withdraws 100 Euro's "without conversion". It will cost her an amount £xyz.pp.

Now in the interest of fairness let's say the exchange rate is the exact same on both days (even though we know that's unlikely).

How much better off would one be over the other?

3-5% as I said above.

2) I've never done it myself so i don't know - but do the cash machines abroad 100% always ask whether you want with or without conversion?

In Spain it's usually "without conversion". Despite going once or twice a year to Greece (but 3 or 4 times a year to Spain) I can't remember if it's exactly the same there.

However, and this is the main thing, if she can see a GBP equivalent figure on the screen then DO NOT select that option, but select the other. In other words, one side of the screen will say "without conversion" (or similar), and the other side of the screen will say "with conversion" (or similar) and quote a GBP figure. She needs to select the former.

chattychappy

destroycarthage wrote: »

Biased Opinion: American Express Platinum or Gold Card. Saved my life overseas. From the purchase protection, to the rental car loss damage waiver. Accepted everywhere. The plat is made from a solid metal so you won't run into an over worn omg my card won't swipe situation (which may not matter in the EU anyway with the chip). No foreign transaction fees. Concierge service to help book hotels, etc. I have read some other good options here? But for me I'm going to go with what I know. Amex was always the standard. Plus I don't "technically" have a limit? It's a charge card so you'd have to pay it off each month. One could make an argument elsewhere for the miles/ points side of things other cards offer but.. Are you looking for perks or reliability?

At least in the UK:

1) The card is made of plastic.
2) They charge around 3% for foreign transactions.
3) It's not as widely accepted as visa/mastercard.
4) Effectively there is a limit - they just don't tell you what it is.