Cash withdrawal abroad on Barclaycard affects your credit score. 19 January 2022 at 11:00AM in Stoozing: free cash from credit cards 9 replies 286 views

scr00ge_2

If you use Martin's advise to withdraw cash abroad using your Barclaycard Rewards card you will, as he says, pay no interest if it is repaid in full. However, be aware that it does affect your credit score, as withdrawing cash on a credit card is deemed to show a lack of organisation and poor forward financial planning. A case of financial prudence being viewed as financial imprudence! 

emmajones1976

are you actually sure its even reported? Last time I looked the credit cards report your balance, and thats it. Not how the balance is comprised.

The_Fat_Controller

Do you mean it affects the made up number the CRAs show you on their opening pages ?

Your actual credit history will not be changed at all if do not go over  your card limit and pay it off in full.

Ebe_Scrooge

Your credit score is meaningless twaddle, so don't let that worry you.

Whilst it's true that withdrawing cash on a credit card on a regular basis doesn't look too good on your credit history, using it to withdraw cash abroad occasionally in order to take advantage of favourable fees and exchange rates will do no harm.  When a lender looks at your credit history (not your score), things like this are factored in to their complicated algorithms and won't count against you.  It's more of an issue if you're regularly withdrawing cash at home - that might well be interpreted as a sign of financial distress.

penners324

Or use Starling....

Tharweb

I always use a Barclaycard on holiday and it's not had any detrimental effect for me. 

jbrassy

penners324 said:

Or use Starling....

I would second this. I have a Barclaycard Rewards and don't risk using it in ATMs as I don't want it to affect my credit history. I just use Starling instead.

scr00ge_2

I do use my Barclaycard Rewards card to withdraw cash abroad and recently checked my credit score with the various agencies. So I was unpleasantly surprised to discover that I didn't have a "perfect" record because of this. I've no idea what, if any, the consequences of this would be if I were to apply for a loan or mortgage as I am extremely unlikely to do so. However, I just thought that anyone who was likely to be doing this ought to be aware, and do their own research to see if it's important or not.
As other people on this thread, I also have a dislike of the credit rating agencies and their lack of accountability.

emmajones1976

scr00ge_2 said:

I do use my Barclaycard Rewards card to withdraw cash abroad and recently checked my credit score with the various agencies. So I was unpleasantly surprised to discover that I didn't have a "perfect" record because of this. I've no idea what, if any, the consequences of this would be if I were to apply for a loan or mortgage as I am extremely unlikely to do so. However, I just thought that anyone who was likely to be doing this ought to be aware, and do their own research to see if it's important or not.
As other people on this thread, I also have a dislike of the credit rating agencies and their lack of accountability.

Its a good job none of the lenders use the imaginary made-up three digit score then.

The_Fat_Controller

2/3 of the main CRAs regularly change my score even if I do nothing out of the ordinary with my monthly spending and over the course of the Covid pandemic that spending has remained very consistent.