Santander 123 Debit Card Abroad - Don't do it.

jd_a

I had a very quick trip to Sweden and didn't have time to sort a payment card so I took a chance with my Santander debit card to use while I was there. I found I was charged 15% more. The Santander mobile app and statement shows inaccurate information to mislead customers so customers do not see the full scale of the charge.


Example,
Stockholm City Bus Tour 320 Swedish Kroner.
Santander mobile app and statement show a rate of 0.08/GBP and deduct £27.77 from my bank.
A 'Foreign Currency Purchase Fee' of £1.25 is then deducted for creating a transaction using the card.

However, the amount deducted should have been £25.60. + £1.25

I found the statement figure of 0.08/GBP had been truncated rather than rounding the figure to 0.09. Consequently, customers assume the foreign currency purchase fee is included in the amount deducted. It isn't!

So in a few days away, I calculated it cost 15% more to use the Santander 123 debit card.

I've now been in contact with Santander who have agreed to refund the difference.

I will now change banks. I don't want to carry lots of plastic for different payment solutions for different countries. Swapping banks will hopefully save me a fortune as more retailers stop accepting cash. Imagine how many times we tap to pay for beer, a sandwich, the toilet in cashless Sweden!

I was in Paris yesterday at Charles De Gaul Airport yesterday and had to use a card to pay for food because they don't accept cash.


I think it is time I just Tap and Go!


:mad:

NoodleDoodleMan

So in a few days away, I calculated it cost 15% more to use the Santander 123 debit card.

Would another UK bank debit card have been any/much different ?

There are resident experts hereabouts who can clarify.

You'd be better with a more "user friendly" card - Starling for example.

EveryWhere

You could have walked into a Metro Bank and picked up a debit card on the spot; https://www.metrobankonline.co.uk/store-locator/

jd_a

A friend just told me about Starling Bank He uses that all the time in Sweden.

londoninvestor

jd_a wrote: »

Stockholm City Bus Tour 320 Swedish Kroner.
Santander mobile app and statement show a rate of 0.08/GBP and deduct £27.77 from my bank.
A 'Foreign Currency Purchase Fee' of £1.25 is then deducted for creating a transaction using the card.

However, the amount deducted should have been £25.60. + £1.25

How are you calculating the £25.60?

I don't know the exact date, but say the transaction was 2 weeks ago (9th Sep), then converting 320 SEK at the Visa rate plus Santander's 2.75% markup gives £27.82:

https://www.visa.co.uk/support/consumer/travel-support/exchange-rate-calculator.html?amount=320&fee=2.75&exchangedate=09%2F09%2F2019&fromCurr=GBP&toCurr=SEK&submitButton=Calculate+exchange+rate

Then, per Santander's T&Cs, you have the extra £1.25 charge.