Taking Euros UK or abroad?

flatulantyounggoat

Just opened the Starling personal bank account that lets me make cash withdrawals from ATM's on the continent. Would this be better than say, going to the post office and buying a bunch of Euro's to take with me?

Going to Portugal just in case.

Thanks

phatbear

Yup just use your starling at the atm in portugal be aware of atm charges which are imposed by the atm companies

maman

I tend to have a small amount of cash for coffee and markets but use my card in restaurants just as I would at home. Remember if using a card to pay in local currency (euros in this case) as they often give a choice.

EveryWhere

flatulantyounggoat wrote: »

Just opened the Starling personal bank account that lets me make cash withdrawals from ATM's on the continent. Would this be better than say, going to the post office and buying a bunch of Euro's to take with me?

Going to Portugal just in case.

Thanks

Absolutely.

ATM(Multibanco) do not charge for cash withdrawals, so no need to take any Euros with you. Just withdraw cash on arrival. Always choose to withdraw and pay in Euros.

Avoid EuroNet ATMs;

Doshwaster

maman wrote: »

I tend to have a small amount of cash for coffee and markets but use my card in restaurants just as I would at home. Remember if using a card to pay in local currency (euros in this case) as they often give a choice.

I don't know about Portugal but in Spain one way I found to avoid the rampant use of dynamic currency exchange (Spain must be the worst country in the world for it), is to use contactless as it seems to automatically go through in Euros without giving the retailer a chance to fiddle with the transaction.

maman

Doshwaster wrote: »

I don't know about Portugal but in Spain one way I found to avoid the rampant use of dynamic currency exchange (Spain must be the worst country in the world for it), is to use contactless as it seems to automatically go through in Euros without giving the retailer a chance to fiddle with the transaction.

So, you're saying that you just tap your card when youve checked that the screen shows the amount in euros. Good advice either way as many meals/purchases could be more than £30.

leylandsunaddict

We withdraw cash for incidentals and smaller purchases, but use a card for larger ones. Unfortunately £30 doesn't buy much of a meal, or anything else, so using contactless isn't really an option.

We've never had our cards fiddled in Spain. The procedure with contactless is no different to chip and pin. You say you want to be charged in euros, retailer selects that option, hands you the card reader, you check the screen and you pay. Either way the transaction can't be fiddled with after you've paid.

Voyager2002

leylandsunaddict wrote: »

We withdraw cash for incidentals and smaller purchases, but use a card for larger ones. Unfortunately £30 doesn't buy much of a meal, or anything else, so using contactless isn't really an option.

We've never had our cards fiddled in Spain. The procedure with contactless is no different to chip and pin. You say you want to be charged in euros, retailer selects that option, hands you the card reader, you check the screen and you pay. Either way the transaction can't be fiddled with after you've paid.

I think you have been fortunate. There are many reports of people who entered their PIN after seeing the correct amount in Euro on the screen; the waiter then took the terminal and did something; and the charge on their statement was in sterling.

Doshwaster

maman wrote: »

So, you're saying that you just tap your card when youve checked that the screen shows the amount in euros. Good advice either way as many meals/purchases could be more than £30.

Just be aware that contactless limits vary by the country of transaction not the country where the card was issued.

I was in Singapore recently and their limit was S$100 which is almost £60.

According to this list the limit in Portugal is €20:

https://merchantmachine.co.uk/contactless-limits/

Voyager2002 wrote: »

I think you have been fortunate. There are many reports of people who entered their PIN after seeing the correct amount in Euro on the screen; the waiter then took the terminal and did something; and the charge on their statement was in sterling.

Yes, I've experienced that a few times. You enter your PIN after seeing the value in Euro, hand the terminal back to the server who then presses a few magic buttons and produces a receipt (if you bother to look at it) which has the transaction in pounds. If you try to complain you get get a shrug, the waiter suddenly loses the ability to speak English or you get an explanation that "the machine does it automatically for your convenience!"

It may only be a small difference per transaction but it is an underhand was of overcharging. I suppose they think they can get away with it as you are unlikely ever to go there again.

maman

Just thought I'd post to stress how necessary it is to have a card that doesn't charge you.

We're just back from a short break in Amsterdam and Leiden. We came across a number of places that were cashless so the only option was to use a card.

Just as well to be aware.:)

jaybeetoo

Voyager2002 wrote: »

I think you have been fortunate. There are many reports of people who entered their PIN after seeing the correct amount in Euro on the screen; the waiter then took the terminal and did something; and the charge on their statement was in sterling.

I don’t hand the terminal back until I get to the end of the payment process so I know it is in Euros. I sometimes have to arm wrestle the waiter for control of the machine! :rotfl: