Do I still need my Halifax Clarity card for foreign transactions?

retiredbanker1

ChristopherM87 said:

retiredbanker1 said:

It is always sensible to have multiple methods of payment whether at home or abroad so I would keep the Clarity card.

So currently I have:

• Natwest debit card (Visa)
• Natwest credit card (Mastercard)
• Amex card
• Halifax Clarity (Mastercard) - 0% FX fees, charged when withdraw cash
• Revolut Standard physical card (Visa) - 0% FX fees (fee on weekend), no charged when withdraw cash (limit £200/month) 
• Revolut virtual card (Mastercard)

When i go to Japan, I need to withdraw all my Yen from a 7-11 ATM, instead of buying at a currency store. So I'll need to pay up for the Revolut Ultra to get the £2000 withdrawn limit. Or get the Barclaycard Rewards Card which has no limit to cash withdrawns as long as I pay my statement at the end of the month?

6 cards is not excessive - I have that number when I go abroad.

grumbler

ChristopherM87 said:

retiredbanker1 said:

It is always sensible to have multiple methods of payment whether at home or abroad so I would keep the Clarity card.

So currently I have:

• Natwest debit card (Visa)
• Natwest credit card (Mastercard)
• Amex card
• Halifax Clarity (Mastercard) - 0% FX fees, charged when withdraw cash
• ....

There are no charges for Clarity, only the interest (and, possibly, the ATM owner charge - the same for all cards)

When i go to Japan, I need to withdraw all my Yen from a 7-11 ATM, instead of buying at a currency store. So I'll need to pay up for the Revolut Ultra to get the £2000 withdrawn limit. Or get the Barclaycard Rewards Card which has no limit to cash withdrawns as long as I pay my statement at the end of the month?

Why 7-11 ATMs? There are daily limits for all cards that you cannot avoid by using different ATMs.

ChristopherM87

Those ATMs have no charge for withdrawing cash using foreign cards as far as I know.

I didn't mean I use different ATMs. I was saying my Revolut Standard card has a £200 monthly limit which isn't great for 3 weeks in Japan. Not sure what the Barclaycard Rewards Card limit is.

MDMD

ChristopherM87 said:

Those ATMs have no charge for withdrawing cash using foreign cards as far as I know.

I didn't mean I use different ATMs. I was saying my Revolut Standard card has a £200 monthly limit which isn't great for 3 weeks in Japan. Not sure what the Barclaycard Rewards Card limit is.

I think there is now a very small 110 yen (50-60p) ATM fee per transacation.

Gerry1

It was pre-pandemic but last time I was in Japan most ATMs didn't accept foreign cards apart from the main post office in Tokyo and the airport.  Hotels, shops, restaurants and trains were OK.

I'd aim for Barclaycard Rewards because one card does everything (purchases and cash advances), there are no fees, charges or interest (just let the whole bill DD take care of it).

However, keep the Halifax Clarity as a backup and use it at least once a year to keep it active.

Don't assume that any given card will always offer all its goodies, they could be downgraded/withdrawn, the card brand could be withdrawn or they might even close your account if they consider it unprofitable.

jbrassy

ChristopherM87 said:

retiredbanker1 said:

It is always sensible to have multiple methods of payment whether at home or abroad so I would keep the Clarity card.

So currently I have:

• Natwest debit card (Visa)
• Natwest credit card (Mastercard)
• Amex card
• Halifax Clarity (Mastercard) - 0% FX fees, charged when withdraw cash
• Revolut Standard physical card (Visa) - 0% FX fees (fee on weekend), no charged when withdraw cash (limit £200/month) 
• Revolut virtual card (Mastercard)

When i go to Japan, I need to withdraw all my Yen from a 7-11 ATM, instead of buying at a currency store. So I'll need to pay up for the Revolut Ultra to get the £2000 withdrawn limit. Or get the Barclaycard Rewards Card which has no limit to cash withdrawns as long as I pay my statement at the end of the month?

If you want a card for ATM withdrawals, you do not need to pay for Revolut metal or ultra.

You could get a First Direct account or Starling Bank account. These allow unlimited fee free ATM withdrawals abroad (max £500 a day for First Direct and £300 a day for Starling). Further, these bank accounts are free to use.

You could use Barclaycard, but withdrawing cash on a credit card will show on your credit history which may have an impact when applying for a mortgage or other credit. 

If it was me, I would use either Halifax Clarity or Barclaycard Rewards for spending, then have First Direct or Starling for ATM withdrawals and as a back up.

vacheron

I held on to my clarity card for about the last 15 years, It lives in my overseas / holiday wallet. I like it becasue it is a known quantity, in that I've never had any trouble using it overseas and they don't mess about with the T's & C's every couple of years like some overseas cards I have had. 

For cash withdrawls I withdraw from free ATM's using the Clarirty credit card, but then pay that down a day or two later once the FX rate has been confirmed using the Halifax APP which minimises any money purchase interest to only a few pence.

There really isn't much to "manage" when it isn't in use as there is no annual charge. Just pay the last bill and shove it in a drawer until you need it again.

That said though it has also proved to be a very useful mule card for fast stoozing as it has an almost perpetual money transfer offer at 6.9% calculated daily, so whenever I aquire more 0% BT cards I load these with credit using the Clarity for only a few pence in interest.