Halifax Clarity Card

NoodleDoodleMan

I think they are getting mixed up with the APRs if you fail to pay back in full !

Correct, that is the key point.

CliveOfIndia

kevmull said:

NOTE, the information on the MSE site (travel card section) about the Halifax Clarity Card is woefully incorrect....
"If you want a credit card, the Halifax Clarity Mastercard is a decent alternative to the Barclaycard above. The main difference with this card is that you're charged 23.94% to 29.94% interest on ATM withdrawals"

I think they are getting mixed up with the APRs if you fail to pay back in full !

I think you're mis-reading the information.  With BarclayCard you get the benefit of fee-free withdrawals AND no interest (even on cash withdrawals) if you pay the full balance each month.

Halifax gives you fee-free withdrawals, but you DO get charged interest on the withdrawal, even if you pay in full.

It used to be the case that Halifax was one of the few cards that offered no FX fees for spending and no fees for cash withdrawals.  And at the time, most debit cards charged a fee for foreign withdrawals, so it still worked out cheaper overall to withdraw on the Clarity card - even allowing for the relatively small amount of interest you'd be charged (assuming you only withdrew a few hundred quid).

These days it's less clear-cut - the Barclaycard gives you the best of both worlds, and there are several debit cards now that won't charge for foreign withdrawals.

But if you've already got the Clarity card and don't want to open up a new current account (to take advantage of "better" debit card rates) and don't want another credit card, then Clarity is still a decent alternative.  Yes, you could save a small amount by getting new account - but for most people on a typical holiday, withdrawing only a small amount of local currency and repaying when you get home, the sums involved are insignificant.