Travelling abroad to make a big purchase - would like to put it on a new 0% Credit Card

Gaberdeen

As per the description

I intend to fly to Tokyo in the next few months to make a large single purchase and want to put this on a credit card, mostly for the section 75 protection, but also as a form of convenience so I don't have to sell down investments to cover the initial outlay. To clarify I have enough assets to comfortably purchase what I want, I'm just looking at making it easier.

Can anyone recommend a credit card that provides 0% interest for at least 12 months on purchases and crucially also provides 0% (or very low) charges on foreign transactions? I will not be using the card to withdraw cash.

Thanks in advance for any advice offered.

born_again

Going to be more depending if you can get a limit on the card big enough for what you want.

Also be careful as you may get caught for import duties or might not have any sort of warranty.

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

MattMattMattUK

Section 75 will also be complicated and may not apply in the way you think it does, e.g. it will not apply UK consumer rights to a Japanese purchase, it would make the card provider equally liable under Japanese consumer law. 

born_again said:

Also be careful as you may get caught for import duties or might not have any sort of warranty.

If it is a physical product and they bring it back to the UK then import duty and VAT would apply, with failing to declare the import being quite serious.

Ayr_Rage

Hopefully you have done the required research regarding claiming back Japanese VAT and all applicable taxes when you bring the item into the UK.

If flying to Japan seems cost effective then getting a sufficiently large credit limit on a new card might well be an issue even if you have a decent income.

Nebulous2

You're trying to get several benefits at once, which credit cards don't tend to do. They will have one specialism and charge you for others. 

Do you bank with Nationwide? Their credit card is often overlooked as a travel card, but they don't charge foreign fees. I got mine at the same time as my current account, with only one hard search. That was years ago, and might not happen now. 

Purchase and balance transfer credit card | Nationwide

15 months 0% on purchases. 

You might still have complications however, the retailer in Japan may either not accept a credit card, or have a surcharge for one. Nationwide may not give you a big enough limit. 

Voyager2002

Nebulous2 said:

You're trying to get several benefits at once, which credit cards don't tend to do. They will have one specialism and charge you for others. 

Do you bank with Nationwide? Their credit card is often overlooked as a travel card, but they don't charge foreign fees. I got mine at the same time as my current account, with only one hard search. That was years ago, and might not happen now. 

Purchase and balance transfer credit card | Nationwide

15 months 0% on purchases. 

You might still have complications however, the retailer in Japan may either not accept a credit card, or have a surcharge for one. Nationwide may not give you a big enough limit. 

Nationwide offer several credit cards, only one of which is currently free from foreign exchange "loading".

Nebulous2

Voyager2002 said:

Nebulous2 said:

You're trying to get several benefits at once, which credit cards don't tend to do. They will have one specialism and charge you for others. 

Do you bank with Nationwide? Their credit card is often overlooked as a travel card, but they don't charge foreign fees. I got mine at the same time as my current account, with only one hard search. That was years ago, and might not happen now. 

Purchase and balance transfer credit card | Nationwide

15 months 0% on purchases. 

You might still have complications however, the retailer in Japan may either not accept a credit card, or have a surcharge for one. Nationwide may not give you a big enough limit. 

Nationwide offer several credit cards, only one of which is currently free from foreign exchange "loading".

The one I linked to - with 15 months 0% on purchases. The OP said he needed 12. Two slightly different offers on the same page, both with no foreign fees. 

Which other ones are they currently offering that don't have fee-free foreign exchange? 

Gaberdeen

Nebulous2 said:

Voyager2002 said:

Nebulous2 said:

You're trying to get several benefits at once, which credit cards don't tend to do. They will have one specialism and charge you for others. 

Do you bank with Nationwide? Their credit card is often overlooked as a travel card, but they don't charge foreign fees. I got mine at the same time as my current account, with only one hard search. That was years ago, and might not happen now. 

Purchase and balance transfer credit card | Nationwide

15 months 0% on purchases. 

You might still have complications however, the retailer in Japan may either not accept a credit card, or have a surcharge for one. Nationwide may not give you a big enough limit. 

Nationwide offer several credit cards, only one of which is currently free from foreign exchange "loading".

The one I linked to - with 15 months 0% on purchases. The OP said he needed 12. Two slightly different offers on the same page, both with no foreign fees. 

Which other ones are they currently offering that don't have fee-free foreign exchange? 

That's pretty much exactly what I was after, thank you!

I've just opened a new nationwide current account, I'll drop a couple of k's in the account and apply for the credit card in a weeks time

Thanks again!

Gaberdeen

Ayr_Rage said:

Hopefully you have done the required research regarding claiming back Japanese VAT and all applicable taxes when you bring the item into the UK.

If flying to Japan seems cost effective then getting a sufficiently large credit limit on a new card might well be an issue even if you have a decent income.

I used to live in Japan so very au fait with how claiming tax back works - cheers.

Gaberdeen

MattMattMattUK said:

Section 75 will also be complicated and may not apply in the way you think it does, e.g. it will not apply UK consumer rights to a Japanese purchase, it would make the card provider equally liable under Japanese consumer law. 

born_again said:

Also be careful as you may get caught for import duties or might not have any sort of warranty.

If it is a physical product and they bring it back to the UK then import duty and VAT would apply, with failing to declare the import being quite serious.

Thank you for your advice

S75 page in mse - here https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/section75-protect-your-purchases/

Specifically says:

"You're COVERED by Section 75 if you.

Used your credit card to buy something from another country online, by mail order, over the phone, or while on holiday."

So I think I'll be fine, however I will read the small print for the card once I get it.

Thanks again

Grumpy_chap

Gaberdeen said:

MattMattMattUK said:

Section 75 will also be complicated and may not apply in the way you think it does, e.g. it will not apply UK consumer rights to a Japanese purchase, it would make the card provider equally liable under Japanese consumer law. 

born_again said:

Also be careful as you may get caught for import duties or might not have any sort of warranty.

If it is a physical product and they bring it back to the UK then import duty and VAT would apply, with failing to declare the import being quite serious.

Thank you for your advice

S75 page in mse - here https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/section75-protect-your-purchases/

Specifically says:

"You're COVERED by Section 75 if you.

Used your credit card to buy something from another country online, by mail order, over the phone, or while on holiday."

So I think I'll be fine, however I will read the small print for the card once I get it.

Thanks again

That cover merely makes the lender equally liable as the retailer.
For a retail purchase in Japan, that means Japanese consumer rights which may be better or worse than UK consumer rights.  
As you previously lived in Japan, you will be better informed on Japanese consumer rights than most people here.

Don't forget to factor in costs of shipping the purchase back to UK plus the taxes / duty that may fall due on import