Buying from German web site priced in Euros

littlemoney

Later this year I want to purchase from a german web site. The price is shown in euros. What is the best way to pay for this purchase. I currently have a debit card or visa credit card from my bank or a paypal account I could use

Which would be best to use or is there a credit card or alternative payment method I could get/use which would be more suitable.

I have seen references to travel credit cards such as the Halifax Clarity Credit Card to use abroad to withdraw from ATMs which give a good rate in those circumstances. Would this also be good for purchases from foreign web sites.

Any suggestions much appreciated. Thanks

bd10

Absolutely. Works like a charm. Did two transactions last week in EUR and USD. Got the cc statement back and was converted at the Mastercard rate for that day. That was with the Clarity card.

Nebulous2

A travel card would give you the best rate if you pay in euros.



Some German sites that sell a lot internationally will want to charge you in pounds once they work out where you are, so you may get a poorer exchange rate. That isn't the cards fault - so make sure you do actually pay in euros.

littlemoney

Thanks for the replies. I will use the MSE credit card eligibility calculator to see if I can get the Halifax Clarity Credit Card.

eDicky

littlemoney wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. I will use the MSE credit card eligibility calculator to see if I can get the Halifax Clarity Credit Card.

Chances of acceptance are probably better for the Aqua Reward card, which also gives 0.5% cashback on purchases. Likewise Tandem, but I think there's no eligibility check.

As said, reject any offer or attempt by the website to bill you in pounds, imposing their own exchange rate, which would negate your purpose in using a specialist card.

redux

It depends a bit on how much you expect to spend

If it's £50 equivalent on a single occasion then it would only save £1.50 or so, and might be barely worth the effort of a new card.

If it's more, or you're going to travel abroad as well, then go for it. What prodded me into getting a suitable card a few years ago were some French motorway tolls some only a couple of Euros, and my debit card charging £1.50 per transaction as well as currency margin.

I'd also suggest the Aqua Reward card, and/or the Revolut prepaid debit card, which is also useful for cash abroad.

littlemoney

Accepted for Halifax Clarity Credit Card. Just have to wait for the card to arrive and try to understand the german web site when I try to create an account as I don't know any german.

Have signed up to automatically repay total balance in full and being Mastercard it means that should there be any more problems with Visa I have a non Visa card.

bd10

Congrats on your new card! Most German web site accept both Visa and Mastercard. Don't think there is much of a preference either way. Registering as customer on the website should not be an issue although sometimes they are written solely for a German audience whereby postcodes from abroad are not accepted. Happened to me with a German newspaper to which I subscribe: I could not fiddle in my address details as the fields were a bit wrong. I just rang their customer support (or email) and they sorted it all out. No biggie. Naturally I paid with the Clarity. The newspaper in question (FAZ) accepts all major credit cards (Visa, Master, not sure on Amex), Paypal, bank transfer. Good luck.