Virgin Money Travel Credit Card - Overseas Usage Query

JamesPeter

Having shortly to have my Jaja Credit Card cancelled (see other threads about this mass closure by Jaja), which I only used for the free overseas travel transactions mainly in the USA, I decided to look at the MSE Credit Club to see what other cards I could be offered to use on holiday.

I liked the look of the Virgin Money Travel Credit card and seeing I was 'pre-approved', I  was contemplating applying for it:

 

 

However, before I applied, I took a look at the summary box:

https://uk.virginmoney.com/virgin/assets/pdf/VM36919.pdf

and saw the following:

It appears somewhat badly worded (?), but do I take it that there is no charge for using the card (for purchases, not cash advances)  if the transaction is in Euros, Swedish Krona or Romanian Lei but the transaction must take place within the European Economic Area?

Thus, are they implying there maybe a charge for using it outside the European Economic Area, for example US Dollar transactions in the USA?

Or are they saying the Non-sterling transaction fee is 0% - not matter where used (and the bit about Euro's,Krona Lei and the Economic Area is just surplus wording)?

Or am I totally misreading this?

Many thanks.

JamesPeter

Okay, although I don’t generally like trying to answer my above posed question, I telephoned and eventually got through to Virgin Money (and now wish I hadn’t)!

Firstly, I was told they no longer offer the Travel Credit Card!

Then told they still do offer it – but only to those pre-approved for it. Okay then I am ‘pre-approved’.

After highlighting the query over the paragraph in the Summary Box (in above post) The call centre operative stated only use in Europe is free of overseas transaction charges. Use anywhere else incurs a 3.00% fee.

That then changed to being only on cash withdrawals outwith the EU.

Then an admission that he didn’t know what the paragraph meant either (but no offer to find out).

In short, I am going to look elsewhere for a replacement for my Jaja card!

battyboimatt

Actually looking at the summary box on foreign usage I think it is telling you the fee is 0.00% of the transaction, so basically no foreign transaction fee. If you compare it to other Virgin cards it actually like the Virgin Alantic Card where in the sumarry box it states 

"Non-Sterling Transaction Fee (for foreign currency transactions): 2.99% of transaction" 

Therefore on the card you have chosen, the Travel Card, there is a 0.00% fee for foreign transactions. 

pridehappy

I’ve got a Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card and it offers free transactions within the European Economic Area, although if you spend outside euros etc you might be charged the 3.99% fee. I don’t believe there’s that many credit cards out there from major providers which offer free foreign transactions.

Marchitiello

pridehappy said:

I don’t believe there’s that many credit cards out there from major providers which offer free foreign transactions.

Halifax Clarity and Barclaycard Rewards are the standout options right now. There are some options from Santander and NatWest/RBS but for a fee (monthly/annual), as well as there has been a Santander Zero that has been launched and withdraw several times over the years (currently closed to new applicants but still held by legacy customers) and there should be people that hold another legacy card, MBNA Horizon.

username

The Nationwide also offers no charge on foreign spend, you will need to a Nationwide product to qualify.

It's also handy to have as it is a Visa credit card as it diversifies the options.

The statement re the Virgin card is very clumsily worded. I have a Virgin Atlantic one and looking in the back of my statement it says there is no charge for EUR, SEK or RON purchase transactions in the EU, but it begins saying there is a transaction fee.

Whoever wrote this has conflated the two and it would be much clearer if they just separated it to state no fees on purchases in EUR, SEK or RON within the EU, first, and then put 2.99% purchase fee on all other non-Sterling currencies, and fee for cash advances in all currencies etc afterwards.