Are there any cards that don't charge interest on ATM withdrawals?

CreditCardChris

A friend of mine is going on a cycling tour around Europe in a few weeks visiting a lot of small villages and towns rather than staying in the big cities and chances are not everywhere will accept credit cards, or he might need cash for small purchases along the way. 

All the cards I've looked at charge an absurd amount of interest for withdrawing from an ATM. The alternative is to try and find a debit card but these also charge flat fees and other fees which will add up. 

Generally speaking what's the absolute cheapest and easiest way to get pounds from your UK bank account into a local currency?

MinuteNoodles

Revolut card. It's a pre-pay credit card with no currency conversion fees or withdrawal fees from ATMs, can be used worldwide and you can top up directly from a linked bank account using a mobile app in seconds. The currency conversion rate is fractions of a percent above the Mastercard exchange rates so you're effectively paying next to nothing for the currency conversion, certainly much less than any foreign exchange. You simply load money onto the card, change it to the currency you want and you're good to go. When you get back, convert any unused money back into the local currency, spend it or transfer back to your bank account.

Santander Zero used to be a good one as it too had no fees but at the moment I don't think I'd be putting in an application for a credit card given the tightening of lending and the timescales involved.

Gerry1

https://www.barclaycard.co.uk/personal/credit-cards/barclaycard-rewards

No foreign loading, no foreign transaction fee, no foreign cash advance interest if paid in full.

Just make sure your friend asks to be billed in the local currency if the ATM offers a choice.

CreditCardChris

MinuteNoodles said:

Revolut card. It's a pre-pay credit card with no currency conversion fees or withdrawal fees from ATMs, can be used worldwide and you can top up directly from a linked bank account using a mobile app in seconds. The currency conversion rate is fractions of a percent above the Mastercard exchange rates so you're effectively paying next to nothing for the currency conversion, certainly much less than any foreign exchange. You simply load money onto the card, change it to the currency you want and you're good to go. When you get back, convert any unused money back into the local currency, spend it or transfer back to your bank account.

Santander Zero used to be a good one as it too had no fees but at the moment I don't think I'd be putting in an application for a credit card given the tightening of lending and the timescales involved.

Thanks, I've heard a lot of good things about Revolut, I had a quick look on their website but it says they do charge for ATM withdrawals? https://www.revolut.com/business/help/transactions/atm-withdrawals/will-i-be-charged-for-cash-withdrawals

CreditCardChris

Gerry1 said:

https://www.barclaycard.co.uk/personal/credit-cards/barclaycard-rewards

No foreign loading, no foreign transaction fee, no foreign cash advance interest if paid in full.

Just make sure your friend asks to be billed in the local currency if the ATM offers a choice.

By billed do you mean when he uses his card to buy things or when the bill is paid at the end of the month?

bradders1983

Monzo card doesnt charge for, I think, £200 withdrawn outside the UK per 30 days.

Highland76

+1 Gerry1 said:

https://www.barclaycard.co.uk/personal/credit-cards/barclaycard-rewards

No foreign loading, no foreign transaction fee, no foreign cash advance interest if paid in full.

Just make sure your friend asks to be billed in the local currency if the ATM offers a choice.

^^^This. The BC Rewards card is easily the best credit card for overseas cash withdrawals. But a word of warning: it shouldn't be used for UK cash withdrawals (unless in an emergency), as you get hit with the usual cash advance fees, high interest charges etc

CreditCardChris

Thanks for the replies, I guess either Monzo or BC Rewards is the clear winner. Revolut is nice as you can top it up and it's not technically a credit card so I'll see which one he prefers. 

bradders1983

CreditCardChris said:

Thanks for the replies, I guess either Monzo or BC Rewards is the clear winner. Revolut is nice as you can top it up and it's not technically a credit card so I'll see which one he prefers. 

Just to clarify I checked and there is no limit with Monzo as to what you can withdraw within the European Economic Area, almost all of Western Europe falls into this.

Monzo can also be "topped up", I certainly cant use it and go into negative so I wouldnt call it a credit card as such, you need money on it to spend (and withdraw) it.

born_again

Just remember many overseas ATM's have a local charge. No way round that one.

Gerry1

born_again said:

Just remember many overseas ATM's have a local charge. No way round that one.

Cashback at the supermarket till?  Not sure if that's limited to debit cards, but worth a try.