best card to use in Sweden

Afourteen

Off to northern Sweden at end of month, just found out that the area I'm travelling in doesn't like cash! Whilst I have various UK bank and credit cards I'm wondering what is the best option for a card to use for many and numerous purchases like just a coffee in a shop or a beer in a bar where I'd normally use cash.



Thoughts please.

Sharon87

If you can't get those cards because of your credit rating then get a prepaid currency card like Revolut, or as a more expensive option travelex/fairfx.etc

Doshwaster

My current cards for overseas usage are Starling for small purchases (I still think it's freaky when you get an alert on your phone within a second of making a transaction) and Halifax Clarity for larger non-sterling transactions such as hotels, cat hire and airfares.

EveryWhere

https://www.starlingbank.com/travel/

Doshwaster

Doshwaster wrote: »

My current cards for overseas usage are Starling for small purchases (I still think it's freaky when you get an alert on your phone within a second of making a transaction) and Halifax Clarity for larger non-sterling transactions such as hotels, cat hire and airfares.

Of course that should have been "car hire". I don't make a habit of renting felines.

martindow

Another option is to open an account with Metrobank who don't have extra charges for EU countries (at the moment ...). If you are near a branch you can go in to open an account and get given cards immediately as they print them while you wait.

Neil49

I used Monzo when in Sweden. Starling bank is another good option. It helps if you have a smartphone!

As mentioned above, if you plan to hire a car or pay for accommodation then use the Halifax Clarity credit card.

Sweden in general is virtually a cashless society.

savethepandas

We used Starling when we went twice in 2018. Only time we needed real money was to access a toilet, but the restaurant next to it, where we had spent money kindly gave us coins to use as we only had notes with us. In one tourist shop we spent notes, just to say we had, but majority of the £50 was exchanged back to sterling.

Friends I know who went last year, took a little cash and the restaurant they used on the last night, allowed them to use up that and put the rest on card.

Katiehound

Paid for a toilet trip in Iceland with Halifax Clarity a couple of years ago!
Probably my smallest purchase but dearest loo visit!!
Spend a penny?? No more like £1.40

es5595

I'm another vote for Starling, I've used it throughout Sri Lanka, Egypt and Europe with no trouble.

You get the interbank exchange rate and no commission, so it works great, its all handled through an app on your phone (even the initial application), and the notifications are really handy.

Also, if case you do need a tiny amount of cash, you can use it in the cash machines (again, interbank exchange rate and no commission) and get the smallest note that machine will issue so you're not left with wads of cash afterwards.

badger09

Katiehound wrote: »

Paid for a toilet trip in Iceland with Halifax Clarity a couple of years ago!
Probably my smallest purchase but dearest loo visit!!
Spend a penny?? No more like £1.40

Similar experience in Sweden, which is the most cashless society in the world.

It was a toilet in a small shopping mall and there was no facility for cash. I paid 5 SEK on my PO Money credit card - just over 40P:rotfl: