Euro (€) Currency Thread

Cash-Is-King

DYNAMIC CONVERSION RATE - IS this an example (I am sure it is)... After recently purchasing Aer Lingus flights I was offered on their website if I wanted to be billed inEuro (standard - Irish company) or GBP... I was perplexed as to what the best option was and thought (wrongly!) GBP as it was MY principal currency - Should I select Euros?

Heres the situation - I have to book flights from San Francisco to Dublin via Aer Lingus. The total is $1000 (giving me a dollar price rather than Euro). Do I pay in dollars to Aer Lingus do you think?

doreenp

raaaaa wrote: »

A very basic question, so apologies in advance!

Am off to Spain for a short holiday next week and just wondered if anyone had any advice on whether it's cheaper to get my Euro's before I go, or it would it be cheaper to exchange when I get there? (or is there not much difference?)

Thanks

If you have a 'Holiday Hypermarket' they will match the latest Travelex exchange rate. Look it up on the web before you go. I got 4 Euros more per pound today.

Biggles

doreenp wrote: »

If you have a 'Holiday Hypermarket' they will match the latest Travelex exchange rate. Look it up on the web before you go. I got 4 Euros more per pound today.

That's a very good rate, Doreen, how do I found this place? I'd be happy with 3 Euros per pound.

shell2001

I am confussed now. Looking on-line the exchange rate is 1.22 euros to the £1 - so how are you getting 4 euros per £??

Crabman

Cash-Is-King wrote: »

DYNAMIC CONVERSION RATE - IS this an example (I am sure it is)... After recently purchasing Aer Lingus flights I was offered on their website if I wanted to be billed inEuro (standard - Irish company) or GBP... I was perplexed as to what the best option was and thought (wrongly!) GBP as it was MY principal currency - Should I select Euros?

Heres the situation - I have to book flights from San Francisco to Dublin via Aer Lingus. The total is $1000 (giving me a dollar price rather than Euro). Do I pay in dollars to Aer Lingus do you think?

Yes, always select the local currency - Dynamic Currency Conversion usually means you get a poorer exchange rate as they provide the conversion, not your card provider (see first post for link to VISA exchange rate).

pandora205

I'm going to Amdsterdam in two weeks and usually get my currency from the Post Office which has reasonable rates and no fee. I've even discovered that I would get 1.5% cashback with Quidco if I order online.

However on reading Martin's advice I see that using my debit card does incur a fee from Lloyds TSB which I've never noticed before. So now I'm trying to decide what to do. Should I just take cash in to the Post Office?

electrodent

Hello all,

Does anyone know the cheapest way of converting Euros to sterling on a regular basis? My mother gets her pension in Euros on a monthly basis and takes a failry hefty whack for the conversion.

Thanks in advance

IvanOpinion

shell2001 wrote: »

I am confussed now. Looking on-line the exchange rate is 1.22 euros to the £1 - so how are you getting 4 euros per £??

I am reading the posting as meaning 4cents extra to the pound. This would be inline with what I found on my credit card. We bought some euros before holiday earlier this year and got 1.226 (ish) whereas on the holiday itself my credit card got 1.265

Ivan

dzug1

pandora205 wrote: »

I'm going to Amdsterdam in two weeks and usually get my currency from the Post Office which has reasonable rates and no fee. I've even discovered that I would get 1.5% cashback with Quidco if I order online.

However on reading Martin's advice I see that using my debit card does incur a fee from Lloyds TSB which I've never noticed before. So now I'm trying to decide what to do. Should I just take cash in to the Post Office?

The debit card will attract a much better exchange rate than you would get from the Post Office - about 5% better. The fees (and absence of quidco cashback - but won't you effectively lose that in the fee for paying with your debit card ?) will cancel out some or all of that saving. You need to do the maths. I don't know without looking it up what Lloyds TSB fees are.

pandora205

I'd never noticed but on Martin's advice section on this site it mentions 2% charge by LloydsTSB for using a debit card to purchase currency or is this just with them (ie via Lloyds bank).... ah yes it would be?!

Sorry, I'm being very dense. If I use my debit card at the Post Office which is one of the better rates I think I wouldn't be charged for the card would I?

So have I got it right? If I order from the Post Office via quidco I would get a goodish rate and no charge for use of a debit card? If not, can someone explain please????????