Revolut v Chase for spending abroad

Mrs_Z

Very useful thread. I've been thinking whether to use Revolut or Chase when going to the US later this month. I think I'll take both, just in case but prioritise using Chase.

penners324

Starling is my go to card 

PloughmansLunch

Is Chase still tops for Spain, or would a credit card be a better option? Would mainly be card purchases and possibly €100 or so from an ATM.

Nebulous2

PloughmansLunch said:

Is Chase still tops for Spain, or would a credit card be a better option? Would mainly be card purchases and possibly €100 or so from an ATM.

Chase works fine in Spain, though I previously used My Halifax clarity for cash withdrawals. You can still get withdrawals free if you are careful which bank you use.  Banca March is one I've used in the Canaries with no problems. 

Marchitiello

PloughmansLunch said:

Is Chase still tops for Spain, or would a credit card be a better option? Would mainly be card purchases and possibly €100 or so from an ATM.

As the other poster said Chase is perfectly fine in Spain with regards to spending (and get the 1% cashback), however you need to be careful which ATM you use as the majority of banks/ATM operators charge a fee for usage. If you are a Santander customers with some accounts type, you can use Santander’s Spanish ATM for free and with free Forex.

PloughmansLunch

Marchitiello said:

PloughmansLunch said:

Is Chase still tops for Spain, or would a credit card be a better option? Would mainly be card purchases and possibly €100 or so from an ATM.

As the other poster said Chase is perfectly fine in Spain with regards to spending (and get the 1% cashback), however you need to be careful which ATM you use as the majority of banks/ATM operators charge a fee for usage. If you are a Santander customers with some accounts type, you can use Santander’s Spanish ATM for free and with free Forex.

Thanks both - I've also got a Santander Everyday card which, having checked, seems to be ok for your suggestion as long as I can find an appropriate ATM

Blackbriar_040

Before opening a Chase account, I normally used a combination of Revolut/Monzo debit cards for travelling abroad!
My last trip to Spain in September, I took both Revolut/Chase, but only used the Chase debit card!

As mentioned depending on the specific bank you use, you may occur ATM charges!
I traveled from Madrid to Oviedo to Santiago, and tried a few different ATMs. 
Santander wanted to charge me 7 euros to withdraw cash.  I think Abanca was one of the few that didn't add a charge! 

Revolut is great for multiple currency's, and being able to see the current exchange rate, but it definitely has its limitations!
Monzo, haven't used for ages, but I think the exchange rate was locked in, the day you funded it
Chase, Good app, customer service is decent, cashback is nice!
(I am sure there is a exchange feature within the Chase app, that lets you see the current £1 to euro rate!)

For the states, I would use Chase, but have Revolut as my backup!   

Marchitiello

For the avoidance of any doubt: the suggestion to use Santander’s Spanish ATM is only directed at Santander UK customers with specific current accounts that have the declared benefit of being able to use Santander’s Spanish ATM forex and other fees free.

as a Matter of Fact, Santander Select UK debit Card was my to go ATM card when visiting Spain as Well as some US east cost cities including NYC and Miami before Chase came along, and rarely, in Buenos Aires , Argentina. 

gary1312

Marchitiello said:

For the avoidance of any doubt: the suggestion to use Santander’s Spanish ATM is only directed at Santander UK customers with specific current accounts that have the declared benefit of being able to use Santander’s Spanish ATM forex and other fees free.

as a Matter of Fact, Santander Select UK debit Card was my to go ATM card when visiting Spain as Well as some US east cost cities including NYC and Miami before Chase came along, and rarely, in Buenos Aires , Argentina. 

Thanks for the heads-up Marchitiello, I didn't know about this perk. I closed my Everyday account a few weeks back, but still have a Basic account with them... from what I can gather, the benefit is for all Santander UK debit card holders, so I won't need to open a new account to benefit. Nice one.

Marchitiello

gary1312 said:

Marchitiello said:

For the avoidance of any doubt: the suggestion to use Santander’s Spanish ATM is only directed at Santander UK customers with specific current accounts that have the declared benefit of being able to use Santander’s Spanish ATM forex and other fees free.

as a Matter of Fact, Santander Select UK debit Card was my to go ATM card when visiting Spain as Well as some US east cost cities including NYC and Miami before Chase came along, and rarely, in Buenos Aires , Argentina. 

Thanks for the heads-up Marchitiello, I didn't know about this perk. I closed my Everyday account a few weeks back, but still have a Basic account with them... from what I can gather, the benefit is for all Santander UK debit card holders, so I won't need to open a new account to benefit. Nice one.

No problem, from memory ATM usage for free was for everyone but forex free was only for certain accounts (and only when using Santander’s ATM worldwide). They may have well changed the T&C to extend the same benefits to everyone. As Select Cardholder you can also use their counter in branch and ask for special assistance (needed to do that once in NYC).