NatWest Group Travel Account

jameseonline

So NatWest/RBS/Ulster have now updated their apps and now offer a Travel Account linked to your Current Account, just wondering if it's any good?, how it compares to other accounts/services elsewhere?

sausage_time

I could not see the point really.  My RBS Debit and Credit Cards already offer 0% FX for purchases.

Digital_Payback

You cannot apply for the NatWest travel account if the option to do so is not one of the tiles in the ‘Apply’ section of the app. 

The tile didn’t show in my NatWest app after the latest upgrade so I made enquiries from an CS agent. 

It seems that, if you have a Visa debit card linked to your account, you can’t get a Travel account. 

Hard to fathom why, but that’s the explanation I was given. 

danny13579

Digital_Payback said:

You cannot apply for the NatWest travel account if the option to do so is not one of the tiles in the ‘Apply’ section of the app. 

The tile didn’t show in my NatWest app after the latest upgrade so I made enquiries from an CS agent. 

It seems that, if you have a Visa debit card linked to your account, you can’t get a Travel account. 

Hard to fathom why, but that’s the explanation I was given. 

I have a Mastercard debit card linked to my NatWest account and have the option of applying for the travel account in their app.

I have a Visa debit card linked to my RBS account and don't have the option of applying for the travel account in their app.

I have a Euro account with Starling which suits me nicely so I have no need for this anyway.

MDMD

It’s on the website

https://www.natwest.com/life-moments/travel/spending-abroad/travel-account.html

Can’t really see what this offers over multi currency ones such as HSBC GMA, Chase etc

Middle_of_the_Road

Travel account showing available in app at RBS and Ulster for me, but not at NatWest.

jameseonline

Middle_of_the_Road said:

Travel account showing available in app at RBS and Ulster for me, but not at NatWest.

Yeah same, yet NatWest was the latest to update for me Android wise.

Maybe they forgot to turn it on?

ForumUser7

Hoping their travel rewards credit card will be a better offer than this. Seems semi-pointless compared to chase etc.

SirHugo

I've only recently been made aware of the Travel Account from an email from Ulster Bank.

It could be useful. I booked a hotel last November for a 16 night stay this Sept in Spain. I've only paid a small deposit - I pay the remainder in Euros when I check in. If I opened a travel account now and topped it up with the amount needed (or more) I would be locking in my payment at the best exchange rate in the last year - currently around 1.18%.

I suppose it's a slight gamble if the exchange rate continues to improve and also there's the loss of interest on the amount in the Travel account. Swings and Roundabouts. Obviously Chase has the 1% cashback too!

eDicky

When topping up your Travel account with euros, or exchanging euros back to pounds, you will be presented with the current rate we have available.

Lack of transparency typical of such banks, if the rate is anything like their usual offering this travel account is useless from a money saving point of view...

flaneurs_lobster

** BUMP **

eDicky said:

When topping up your Travel account with euros, or exchanging euros back to pounds, you will be presented with the current rate we have available.

Lack of transparency typical of such banks, if the rate is anything like their usual offering this travel account is useless from a money saving point of view...

Having just been offered this "extra" on my RBS Reward current account I can offer a small contrary opinion - how can it be a lack of transparency when the exchange rate offered is displayed before any conversion/debit is applied?

Just a bit peeved that this might have been a useful product to have available before I travelled to Euroland and had chosen not to carry this debit card....