Credit Card to use in Florida

Commscheif1

Hi All, 

I'm after a bit of advice on credit cards.
 
As a Family we are soon due to fly to Florida to have our dream Disney holiday we have been slowly paying off for the last 2+ years. 

Although we have a bit of spending money saved I don't want it to feel like we're scrimping on bits throughout the holiday. 

What are the best Credit cards that we can use in Florida? Also are there any that have 12+ month 0% so we have a bit of time to pay off what gets spent on it out there?  

Thanks in advance for any advice given.

eskbanker

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/credit-cards/travel-credit-cards/
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/credit-cards/best-0-credit-cards/

Unless you find a card that's on both lists, you'd probably need to prioritise between 0% interest and no fees for non-sterling transactions....

Olinda99

the santander edge cc gives 2% back in first year (1% back in subsequent) max £15 and also has no fees etc for foreign spending.

There is a £3 per month fee 

CliveOfIndia

As noted above, it's basically a toss-up between a 0% card or one that doesn't charge FX fees - I'm not aware of any cards on the market that offer both perks.

I suspect the best option will depend to a large extent on how much you're planning to spend, and how quickly you'll be able to repay it.  On the one hand, a 0% card will save you a fair amount of interest if you'll need several months to repay it.  But if you're spending a substantial amount then the FX fees imposed by a "standard" card can soon mount up.

I guess you could potentially go for an FX-free card, then transfer the balance to a different 0% card when you get back.  But of course, there's absolutely no guarantee that you'd be accepted for one, or with a high enough limit, so it's a bit of a gamble.

NoodleDoodleMan

Olinda99 said:

the santander edge cc gives 2% back in first year (1% back in subsequent) max £15 and also has no fees etc for foreign spending.

There is a £3 per month fee 

Remember, you need to have a Santander current account in order to apply for the Edge credit card.

Their Everyday Current Account would suit - no strings attached - and the debit card has no fees when used at a Santander brander ATM in several countries, including the USA, although I have no idea how widespread these may be in America.

Nebulous2

Nationwide might be worth a look. Their credit card doesn't have FX fees for purchases, but will have for cash withdrawals. Looks like you can combine that with 15 months 0% interest on purchases, but you need to check for yourself that the conditions match what you need. 

Olinda99

good idea, as 15 months at 0% might be better than cashback

retiredbanker1

What I do is use my fee free Clarity card and if needs be I balance transfer when I get home.

sausage_time

Don't forget to pay in US Dollars!  I'm not often asked while there, but I have been from time to time.  I cannot recall the last time I used an ATM for cash in the US.

TwiceNightly

As Nebulous2 said, the Nationwide credit card seems to be exactly what you're after. 

0% on purchases for 15 months, with no foreign transaction fees.

https://www.nationwide.co.uk/credit-cards/purchase-credit-card/

CliveOfIndia

sausage_time said:

Don't forget to pay in US Dollars!

That's a very good point.  OP, the reason for this is that the exchange rate used by Visa or Mastercard is pretty much as good as the average consumer can get.  So pay in USD and let your card do the conversion for you.  If you let the retailer charge your card in GBP, they'll almost always use an exchange rate that favours them.

retiredbanker1 said:

What I do is use my fee free Clarity card and if needs be I balance transfer when I get home.

I did allude to this option in an earlier comment, and it's certainly a good idea on the face of it.  The only fly in the ointment being, what if you discover you can't get a BT offer?  Perhaps an unlikely scenario at the moment, with credit generally being available to most folk who are in a half-decent financial situation, but worth bearing in mind.  And of course, you'd need to factor in the BT fee (in all likelihood the BT fee (if any) would be less than what you've saved in FX charges, so it's probably still a decent option to consider).