Santander zero Abroad - preloading with funds?

Legacy_user

Hiya,

We've got a Santander zero credit card which doesn't charge for withdrawals abroad,
If I preload it with funds, so it's showing a credit balance, wI'll this get me out of paying any interest....or do I not need to bother if I pay it off with the month?
Is there any danger to preloading with my own cash?
Thanks ramble

Sncjw

There!!!8217;s a danger you won!!!8217;t have the card anymore

System

What do you mean? If we lost it?

[Deleted User]

No. When they block it for putting it into credit.

Sncjw

They will remove access to it

chattychappy

I use Zero regularly. I'm on the maxium APR - 35%, so tend to use Clarity more (plus Clarity lets me have £500/day).

But despite that, I would never pre-load. It's against the T+Cs and could trigger a block.

Even on my interest rate, if I take out £100 and pay back a week later, the interest will only be 60p. In practice I pay back in a day or so, so interest is tiny.

I did once accidentally pre-load Zero by a few hundred quid. I simply doubled up on paying the statement balance. The card wasn't blocked and eventually the positive balance was used up with further ATM withdrawals.

So, the advice on here will always be above - don't preload, it's against T+Cs and your card might be blocked. But there are few stories (if any) of this happening. Still - not worth the risk in my view.

r2015

I have a Santander Zero credit card and I withdrew cash from ATMs in Poland and was not charged any interest.


I did of course pay it off in full by DD.


The exchange rate I got was 500 PLN cost £106.62


400 PLN cost £85.05 and 100 PLN was £21.26.


This was August 2017

System

Thanks all. Really helpful.

chattychappy

r2015 wrote: »

I have a Santander Zero credit card and I withdrew cash from ATMs in Poland and was not charged any interest.


I did of course pay it off in full by DD.

That doesn't sound right at all. Did you have a positive balance at the time of withdrawal?

Not sure about "of course"... Paying off cash withdrawals by DD is normally the WORST thing you can do, because you could be paying up to 56 days' interest.

It is best to pay off ATM withdrawals as soon as is convenient after making them.

r2015 wrote: »

This was August 2017

I've had my Zero since it was an Abbey National Zero. I have never not been charged interest on a cash withdrawal, except the short time I was running a positive balance.

chistery

Have you considered a Starling or Monzo type account as well? No need to pre-load a credit card and you can move your money about as required?

r2015

That doesn't sound right at all.

Why?

Not sure about "of course"... Paying off cash withdrawals by DD is normally the WORST thing you can do, because you could be paying up to 56 days' interest.

Not if you don't pay interest on them.

It is best to pay off ATM withdrawals as soon as is convenient after making them.

See above.