​Thailand are pretty strict on CAPS LOCK crimes

I stopped using mine when they removed the cash back (get £5 when you spend over £300) end of last year. Although I've kept hold of it for foreign travel.

WRONG! Always, always, ALWAYS do the transaction in the local currency. Then the card gives you the exchange rate there and then. If you do the transaction in GPB then the shop/cash machine will do the conversion and give you an absolutely rubbish exchange rate.

I bet you did.

I believe you do get the spot rate (or very, very close to). Typically, I end up taking enough currency for a taxi ride to the hotel for each country I visit. Bear in mind that there is daily interest on cash withdrawals but if you have the Halifax app, you can see the pending transaction within a few hours so you can pay the amount off asap if you wish to.

Good comment. Do you happen to know if you get the spot rate when taking cash out? Doing a three week trip around various countries each with their own currency and would like a little cash to have in hand. If I buy currency online, I would have to buy more than I'd ideally like to buy as I'd use this card most of the time but good to have cash for small purchases for taxis, souvenirs, cup of coffee etc.

I remember using this card to buy my canon dslr from Dubai international airport a couple of years ago - a steal paying in dirhams with the MasterCard exch rate!

I've used this card in many countries over the past 5 years and have always withdrawn cash from atms abroad too. Interesting comment about cash advance marker on credit profile - I've never had a problem but I wonder if that is because I pay the card off fully, sometimes even before the statement is generated?

thanks for your help...any idea what kind of difference we looking at in the exchange rate?

The card is better for purchases or cash withdrawals if you pre load it beforehand or pay it off asp
In your situation I would preload it at the bank in the uk or pay off all transactions as you go soon as your sober enough to do so .

if any body could help so what kind of rate would I get on this compared to let's say a currency converter over here? Im in need of euros and hedding to Benidorm on a stag do... just thinking which is best to do cash or card

No.... and if you pay off cash withdrawals immediately interest is near nil.

Fees charged directly by the ATM provided are still charged but there is no Issuer fee (issuer markup can be up to 4% and I have seen 15% for DCC transactions at UK airports). As in the UK, ATM fees are only levied by certain devices.

thanks for the feedback, really informative. Thailand was the first country which came to mind, Vietnam was more annoying as they limit withdrawals with a few million for 30.000d / £3

Why not just name some countries where you used the card. That works and also allows you to show off a bit.

I have nothing to add to this thread but thought, probably like many others, I would just keep it going.

Yeah because this new generation are going to achieve so much, whilst being spied-upon 24/7 100% (or at least orders of magnitude more than they realise and usable against them orders of magnitude more than they realise, and sociopath-like behaviour, narcissistic behaviour... I could go on all day and I ain't lying or exaggerating - just because the majority do something does not make it healthy, learn that and you will grow old with more advantage... but yeah... the old men who don't want to have someone else control their brains via technology must be stupid. More fool them!

Now go google (or duckduckgo via proxy) what the Total Information Awareness program is/was and what its purpose is. Knowledge is power. When you're working for £1 per hour because they tell you to (or your kids are, if it even takes that long) then you'll realise technology-skeptics had a point... Tens of millions died for freedom... where is the freedom unless we use our brains to define ourselves, NOT to get one over on our fellow human whilst thinking we're clever (and being played from further up the food chain by someone who wouldn't even get to do that to us if we didn't ignorantly keep playing his stupid game and condoning it passively the Donald Trumps of this world don't suddenly spring into existence, they don't exist in a vaccuum we help create them with our refusal to criticise and resist in a united manner, before it's too late - and then it becomes too late and all the idiots poo their pants...)
Knowledge is power. Total knowledge is total power and control. That is slavery and will FEEL like it later on even it if doesn't now. Life won't be worth living. When are people going to learn how to play chess a mere five moves ahead rather than maybe one or two at best? Your future slave-masters can do it. Oh yeah check the first words of the intro to this article - "one of the only cards that STILL [allows you some reasonable freedom without ripping you off]". They start with the thin end of the wedge, because human psychology works that way (small hassles build up into a life of stress and hassle under the thumb of who controls the world but as long as you start small and harder-to-notice, people don't get angry enough to rebel strongly enough to change anything). Get it?

Can't be arsed to answer you. Instead I will ruminate on why men who like a bargain appear to visit Thailand a lot

haha your loss, old man

Havent read the thread, take it you still get charged the withdrawal fee when abroad? Now 200thb / £4

I applied for this card about a week ago (the day before this deal was posted). The card came today whilst the pin was here a couple of days ago. So its fairly swift..

Just be mindful of the following: you do pay interest on cash withdrawals from the day of the event. If you want to avoid paying interest, you will need to clear the full balance, and not just the withdrawal amount.

For instance, if you withdraw £100 and had a previous balance of £200, you would need to pay £300 immediately (by bank transfer) to stop accruing interest on the cash withdrawal.

Apart from that, a great card.

I have checked my report on Noddle and my Halifax Clarity card clearly shows the number and value of cash advances for each month, irrespective of whether I rolled the balance or not or whether I was in a credit balance at the time or not. This data is stored in account level counters and these will be updated irrespective of the account status at the time. My credit score has also dropped a bit since I had the card from Excellent to Very Good. Doesn't bother me but if you are scrubbing up your credit report to get the best possible credit deal, I would use Revolut or Monzo instead.

Remember Noddle's database is a snapshot at a point in time so I think you need to make sure it has time to work it's may through.

So with mine I use it to pay my Spotify monthly (keeps it active) and the occasional dollar/euro purchase. When i withdraw any cash, I instantly do a bank transfer to avoid collecting interest on the cash withdrawal. Don't preload it with cash, they don't like it.

I have found they have been pretty good when i'm abroad and I don't need to tell them when i'm arriving in a new country

Got one of these cards a couple years ago. Have since used it in Japan and France with no issues. It just lives in my drawer and only comes out to play for trips abroad. Very handy card.

Could I ask that having done so you check your credit report (i.e. free with noddle) to see if you have cash advances listed?

the best Mastercard pre-paid mobile app with connected physical and virtual cards is the Revolut. Impressive features (push notification for every transaction, price in pounds and foreign currency), no ATM fees, no commissions, security locks in the app, fast replacement if lost or stolen everywhere in the world. Stop getting ripped off from high street banks.

very useful card

My rate is still 12.9%

Dave

Like others I love my Clarity card. Next week I am traveling through Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana and I know my trusty financial services product will never let me down. I did wonder though whether I would be better preloading my Revolut card with Euros before I arrive in French Guiana. I will report back.

Maplematt has a point though the card providers do say or advertise no charges overseas then say things like "fees" on cash withdrawals in the birdseed smallprint .
Fees and charges are all the same money out of the account holders pocket .
Best to pay cash advanves off as you go online or load the card or do a bit of both as I do .

Thats the same for any credit card, always been like that.

Not sure how you can get caught out, unless you have never had a credit card before?

Same as any cash advance on a credit card the interest clock starts ticking on withdrawal .
At one time this cards rate was as low as 11.9% where santanders is over double that Halifax had three rates.
Now Halifax has put the rate up not certain but I think 18.9%

Just a heads up, they advertise this pretty misleadingly. You won't be charged for withdrawing cash, but you ill accure interest on the cash you withdraw unless you pay it off immediately. Just an FYI, It caught me out.

I love my clarity card. I've used in the USA, the Netherlands, Tenerife and all over the Alps and never had an issue. The exchange rate is top notch and is the sole reason I applied for it the first place.

I plan to use it as my main spending card on a multi-year globetrotting adventure starting this year, I'm sure it'll be just fine. Of course I'll have suitable backup payment options as well if anything went wrong.

That's really bad, problem is that the fraud system is designed to pick up out of pattern spending but most smallish transactions would cause an alert to be raised not a decline. I can only assume these were magnetic stripe transactions maybe at risky MCC codes.

Used it last week without any problem in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Only small issue I had was with the Tajik Somoni where the rate was not as good as on Monzo so be careful.

Revolut? https://revolut.com/fairusage
Using over last couple of years.Free withdrawal limit its quite low now (only £200 and 2% after), but free currency exchange transactions up to £5,000 per month, with amazing rates, all statements visible on phone app in one sec after transaction

Little did I think this throwaway comment would send my HUKD app into meltdown....

Well 70+ likes is meltdown in my book ... :stuck_out_tongue:

Good deal, great card... WHEN IT WORKS!

Twice I took it on holiday with me, both occasions, I informed Halifax prior to my journey that I would be using it abroad, I even gave the country details.

Twice, it was barred from use at the cash point which meant I was unable to use it and had to use alternative cards and pay the hefty conversion fees and then chase Halifax up after to get it unlocked. When I raised this with Halifax, they told me it was blocked as I was using it in a country other than the UK. The purchases were relatively in-expensive, all under £50.

I have never heard of such a stupid response. A card clearly aimed at use outside of the UK being blocked for being used outside of the UK. Fingers crossed they have improved this as on two occasions (Spain, New York) it was a complete waste of time. It has worked since, and has been very handy.

Customer service is good, with a dedicated UK call centre, and they were very quick to follow up and ring me when I complained about the above in writing to them.

This card is always available, not a deal!

How is this suddenly a deal when it's the exact same card I got last year?

Great card, I used it recently on my tour of Chad, the Central African Republic, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Great card used in America, Russia & Transylvania good rates, just pay it off

Worst advice ever. Never select to pay in GBP if you have a card like Clarity. Even for the normal cards it is often more expensive.

Just saying that this might not be the right product for everyone. It's not doom mongering if it's true. Monzo does the same thing without any borrowing or credit bureau reporting plus the App is much better and you can top up in realtime using Apple Pay.

I was in the USA for 4 months and used this CCard for almost everything. It was cheaper than taking cash abroad and the rates are great! Fantastic card. However, the fraud team kept blocking the CCard but swiping still worked.

Who cares what the banks like or dislike they get fined for mis practise all the time its hardly even news they are faceless multinational crooks !

I like the ability to withdraw cash at the mastercard rate of exchange for travel purposes as I travel more often than I apply for mortgages in a lifetime.

If banks want to penalise those pre mortgage that's fine.
I would take cash during those periods as its temporary most are not taking out a mortgage every year yet they may travel multiple times I a year every year for decades.

The banks are constantly fined for mis practise anyone who thinks they play fair is deluded .

So I do what I can get away with as far as I am concerned the terms and conds exist to be manipulated for joe averages benefit not the banks .
When the banks and school master posters on here make statements what one must do towards corparations/banks benefit its like no way I have options .

They hate the sharing of work arounds and that's what this thread is saying with the usual spattering of doom mongers waffle .

Short term debt is a negative factor, a history of paying off short term debt is positive, no history is not good, ATM withdrawals on a credit card are not good, revolving ATM cash balances very bad.

Also the banks hate credit balances as they don't want to be accused of deposit taking by the FCA. That is why they warn you not to do it.

I also just got off the phone to Halifax.. they said it is fine to pre-load the card with money, and then use it at a cashpoint (in the UK or abroad) to withdraw cash. There would be no interest charged if the card is in credit.

Even if the clarity is in credit you can withdraw with no charge in the uk so I was told by Halifax over the phone ?

I have just made a uk cash withdrawal with the card while its in credit but have yet to confirm on the statement date if the customer services advisor is correct about no charge .

What Ive found to work
Only use the card for when going abroad not day to day.
- a few days before due to go abroad upload card with roughly how much you I think I will spend plus a bit more.
Use whilst away to draw out cash as needed. ( make sure not to go overdrawn)
When I return to uk wait for statement then ring up Halifax and ask for any money still in credit to be returned to my current account with some excuse 'as I made a mistake and paid money to the wrong card. '
Leaves the card with a nil balance again.
Works every time

Taking out credit...... ie any credit card with a credit limit .

This will affects mortgage applications or any other credit applications

I love my Clarity card! I've used it all over, from Denmark to the US, the Maldives and Brazil. Never had any problems - and I just keep track of what cash I withdraw, and normally pay it off on the day.

What a lot of doom mongering wafflers you don't ring and tell them your accounts in credit. or make sure the bank is aware that its in credit fk them .
Half the staff haven't a clue so just give opinions anyway they cant remember all the terms and conds off by heart on all products.
They are always going to spout in the banks financial favour

I have had my clarity since they came out its payed me £450 cash in fivers which now have stopped .
Cant see any other card having payed the customer £450 cash return .

Have recently had it in credit for over two years and used it for 7+ years on long 12 week trips regularly

The most interest I ever payed on cash advances was £1.50 over 12 weeks away as when paying the cash aadvance off from your current acc on a thur/ Friday the payment may not hit the card till mon or tue .
My interest rates were very low originally 11.9% which has since gone up twice

Who would be stupid enough to listen to the banks lies that only promote the banks financial gain .
Of course they don't want you to put it in credit as they make no money and you are saving money .

Santander has nothing to do with Halifax or how you can manipulate any bank rather than the bank financially manipulate the customer

I was abroad paying off my balance from cash withdrawals as soon as the money came out of my account using mobile banking. Then a direct debit payment took it about £300 in credit. I had a telling off from Halifax for breaking the T&C even though it wasn't intentional.

Bit miffed that the OP has removed my warning that using this could scupper mortgage applications! While 'people' may be correct that you can load money & avoid the issue, better surely to give folk the info & let them make the informed decision how they proceed. For the relatively minimal saving you will make using this over say WeSwap (who are to reserve the right to load up to 2.5% in certain circumstances from June) it is not worth risking a mortgage app over!

Some links to suggest thinking twice about creating a credit balance & back up my concerns;

http://www.hotukdeals.com/misc/advice-need-positive-balance-a-santander-zero-credit-card-976077

https://www.halifax.co.uk/creditcards/help-guidance/terms-and-conditions/clarity-card/

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/withdrawing-cash-abroad-credit-record

http://www.money.co.uk/credit-cards/should-you-ever-withdraw-cash-on-your-credit-card.htm

http://www.yourmoney.com/mortgages/how-to-get-your-bank-statements-mortgage-approval-ready/

Reading the last one, I am glad I'm not having to apply any time soon!

once you apply, how long takes to get it?

Which means?

Remember if you prepay your card into a credit balance that any retail transactions which you make before the ATM advance will use up the credit balance. Payments which post after the ATM advance and the retail purchases have been made will go to the ATM advance before the retail purchases. So, if you use this product don't mix up overseas spending and short term borrowing. To be honest Monzo or Revolut are much cleaner products if you just want a travel money card.

Also, make sure you clear your cash balance every month as it doesn't look good on the credit bureau.

Just checked both and it like you would be getting better rate on MasterCard website than Revolut- can you check and confirm? I like the idea of Revolut too

I can certainly vouch for the good rates on this card. Went to Dublin last year (pre Brexit) and got better rates than I had got at the bureaux de change for the cash I bought before flying out.

Always clear my cards in full every month anyway, so it's not an issue in terms of interest for purchases.

I don't understand the obsession with withdrawing lots of cash to use whilst abroad anyway, unless you are going to the middle of nowhere or exotic, or a place that traditionally is more cash orientated, plastic should be fine. Personally, I always have cash to hand for small items (food, meals in restaurants, tips etc) and places that didn't accept cash but stuck most of it on the card.

Beware of DCC - there was a bar I went to in Dublin that 'insisted' that the card machine decided on charging in sterling as opposed to anything they were doing - a tall tale which I found hard to believe!

I go usa for several weeks a year - and use clarity to withdraw cash from machines very regularly - for me personally iy has never negatively impacted on my credit score - but I do pay off in full.

Dave

Cheapest for this card (and any card) is ALWAYS local currency.

Dave

This isn't my opinion, it's fact. It's cheaper to pay in the local currency and let the card do the exchange for you. This is one of the BIG selling points of this card, the fact that it provides such a good exchange rate and on top of that it doesn't charge a fee either. You carry on paying in GBP by all means, but I can assure you that you'll be paying more...

Put the card into a cash machine abroad and it'll tell you on screen how much it'll cost you for the cash machine to do the conversion. It is always way more. Fact.

Note that the majority of foreign retailers that offer the facility to convert to GBP use Dynamic Currency Conversion (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_currency_conversion) which is an third party intermediary that does the conversion and takes a percentage. If you elect to convert to GBP you will be paying for this service. The benefit of course is that the sterling amount is fixed removing any exchange rate risk.

If cash withdrawals are noted on your credit file avoid at all cost as this will have a major impact on your credit score and the ability to borrow in the future!

You do it your way, I'll do it mine. I know which I think is cheapest for this card.

I ordered Monzo card after reading the threads. It took 3 days for the card (no fee) to arrive and no credit checking since it is a prepaid card. Use the link on Martin's moneysavingexpert website and you can jump the queue.
Nice android app which also provides the details of the spending.
I can top up the card through the app and lock/unlock the card whenever I want (I just want to use it overseas travel).
No charges for online and ATM withdrawals.

I stand corrected. Yes, I use Metro Bank for cash withdrawals. Supercard was free for the Pilot. I use clarity and supercard for all purchases, mixing them up

You can order physical card for Revoult account now

This is plain wrong........I have a Clarity and visit usa for several weeks a year.

I always withdraw cash from Wawa or Racetrac gas stations (no fee to use machine) - and usually I pay off via online banking later that day - however this year I waited until I came home and the statement arrived.

I withdrew £3000 whilst out there over the 7 weeks and was charged only a few pounds interest.

Its an amazing card - lots of MISINFORMATION on this thread.

I think my apr IS 12.9% or thereabouts.

So very very cheap.

Dave

Odd my Clarity rates are much much higher. Had a £4k clarity for years, I'd ask to change rates but k never pay any interest anyway.

I withdrew cash on a few holidays the last couple of years and interest was pennies (less than £1) and I withdrew £150 - £300
I was still much better off than if I used a 1. bureau de change 2. pre-changed cash in UK, 3. used any other card.

You can pay no interest on withrawal (or extremely little) if you pay off you balace quicker before statement comes.

+ most things you can charge on card which has no interest = Still the best card for abroad

Where did you swipe the card to receive the Dong?

Just get a Monzo card, top up what you like and use it anywhere in the world free of charge.

WRONG! Always, always, ALWAYS do the transaction in the local currency. Then the card gives you the exchange rate there and then. If you do the transaction in GPB then the shop/cash machine will do the conversion and give you an absolutely rubbish exchange rate.

To those that are posting about the account being closed by Halifax if you don'y travel much and hence don't use it that often, why not use it every 3 to 6 months just to fill up a tank of fuel in your car? Have a debit set up to clear the amount in full each month. Won't cost you anything in interest and keeps the account "live". Simples.

That's your problem. No credit history.

Withdraw the equivalent of £100 abroad and you could face an interest fee of up to £1.50 if you leave the balance on your card for a month. Surely most people would pay it off immediately using online banking, or at least pay the card off at the end of the month. Still cheaper than what you'd pay with most debit cards.I wouldn't call this 'a lot of interest' though.

COMMENT OF THE YEAR.
It might come from a person who never has a creditcard and/or have but do not now how the creditcard actually works.

Mind to mention which creditcard does not charge from the day you WITDRAW cash ??

I love Revolut, as you can transfer just what you are spending via app and there's no danger of losing money through cloning. you can also cancel card via app if you lose it. Great exchange rates, much higher better than bureaus. Only downside is £200 max per month ATM. I also have Creation everyday, same as Halifax Clarity. No charges, free atm, interest charged when withdrawn so pay off quickly. Low APR 12.9. Again great rates.

Cold! This is MISLEADING! There's no fee for withdrawing cash, but you're immediately charged interest!

"You pay interest from the day you withdraw cash, but unlike many other cards, there's no withdrawal fee. Whilst we won't charge you a cash advance fee, some independent cash machine providers may charge a fee for their service."

Only get this card if you don't plan on withdrawing cash or are happy to pay a lot of interest to do so!

Is this a new deal? I'm sure its been around for a while since the card came out!

I use mine like a prepayment card. Load it before going and the use it to withdraw cash abroad. No fees at all. Also remember to transact in sterling, the exchange rate has always been better than withdrawing in local currency.
If I don't load enough money, I make cash withdrawals first, then purchases on the card and pay off before the bill comes. Again, no charges at all.

​me too! it hurt when brexit won though, immediately (next day) had a worse rate!!

http://www.wawa.com/ and Aldi USA ATM's used to do no fees/surcharges

If you travel abroad you need this card, simple as that. Had one for years, makes travelling so much easier.

I have a Reward Current Account that is not my main account and had £300 a month going through it now (since the £5 reward dropped) and £3600/£200 a month into my Help To Buy ISA and it gives me 95% I will be accepted without logging in. If you have any Halifax products login to Halifax & apply, perhaps it will take into account the status of your internal 'Lloyds' credit worthiness.

You state "no fees on atm". How does it get round the fees that are charged by the ATM's themselves?. We have just come back from Las Vegas and used the Clarity and Nationwide flexplus card as these are always stated as the best cards for travel but could not get around the fees charged by all the ATM's over there ranging between $3 to $8. Also these cards seemed to be "blocked" by the cashback rules abroad which would have been handy in the likes of Walgreens and Walmart etc

Also check out the Creation credit card as recommended by Martin Lewis for use abroad.

I've been using this card over 2 years, they recently increase my credit limit to £2500, highly recommmend.
I have a Tesco credit card, which I only have £600 credit limit and they refuse to increase my credit limit.

Virgin Essential Current account could be an option for those who do not want a credit card. No fees (Visa Rate) and only £1.50 to withdraw abroad from ATM. Been using this since the closure of N&P Gold Lite account.

The interest rate on my Clarity credit card is 12.7% across the board. If you withdraw cash abroad then pay it back as soon as you get home (or better still, transfer it using online banking straight away) the interest you pay will be much less than the charges other banks levy on such withdrawals.

Revolut also comes with the Card. No need for the phone :smiley:

Hi all,

Made an an application via the Eligibility Checker and it came up with a Decline.

Anyway could fellow members please advise through experience something just as good that has no annual fee or withdrawal fee. Ideally a pre paid card to use abroad in the coming months.

Many thanks in advance

Be aware you are paying interest on atm withdrawals of at least 18.9%apr

Any friend (happy enough to help) or family member will do with documentation to open the account, you can as a 'extended' family etc just pass the card around to whoever is going on holiday :wink:

I'm in Orlando using the card. I have preloaded it with £700. So the account shows credit of -£700

Any advantages to this over the Nationwide Select credit card? That one has the same worldwide no-fee no-rate-load benefits but it also has 0.5% cashback on GBP purchases (was all purchases until a couple of years ago).

Damn, I should've planned ahead

good tip

actually the marriage tax transfer allowance will be up to about £650 from tomorrow as you can go back 2 years and the new tax year starts tommoz

free £650 not to be sniffed at

yep it was that kind of a deal

personally I like it when I find out something new and useful

for example, it was here that I found out about the marriage tax transfer allowance - somebody helpful should post it again as it always informs a lot of new people and gets a load of heat provided it's been a few months since the last time

same goes for EHIC cards, the holiday season fast approaches and this could save you £thousands, if somebody helpful would oblige?

I pay money into the account before I go abroad so there are no changes.

I use my Clarity card abroad and also when buying online from other counties. If you check the exchange rate on xe.com, or by asking Google Now or Alexa that's exactly what you get with this card. Accurate to the penny.

Supercard now charges 2.99% for cash withdrawals. The original trial version didn't. That's why I now use it for purchases and FlexPlus for cash withdrawals.

USED it in South Africa, Madagascar, North Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Turkey, Jordan , Hong Kong, Malaysia, Jordan ,,,,,,,etc (its one of the awesome card, No fee to use it - No cash withdrawal fee - - excellent rate ) MAKE SURE you let the bank know where you going, so they can log it on the their system.

We have one of these, whilst there is interest, if you pay it off when you get home it'll probably be about 1% of the total borrowed, I used mine the other day and got a rate of 1.19 on the card and would have got 1.14 from an exchange, so the difference in rate more than makes up for a small interest charge.

But install the app, and pay it off as you go

Absolute no brainer this card, currently banging it abroad!

​Thanks man, very helpful :smiley:

You can only withdraw £200 per month with revolut

Someone posted a Travelex card deal and this was then posted as a better deal. I have this card and think it's a great deal. It's good to see it being posted and upvoted so more people find out about it.

Apologies if this has already been answered but I have also had this card for years (highly recommended by the way) so has anything changed recently to warrant this being a new deal?

Not being facetious just curious....

Did not know about this. So if I wanted to take cash out from this card, there is no charge?

Drives me mad, this. Haven't found a single surcharge-free ATM in the US.

How is this a deal. I have had this card for years. What has changed to make this a deal?

Assuming you pay off the card in full every month (they can be a disaster if you don't)....
If you're travelling abroad it can be a cheap and convenient way to pay without charges if you have the right card (however, the wrong credit or debit card can be expensive to use abroad).
Paying for any item costing £100 or more with a credit card gives you legal protection - under Section 75 of the consumer credit act the credit card company is jointly liable with the retailer if you experience a problem.
Using a credit card and paying it off in full every month costs you nothing but increases your credit rating.
If you choose the right card you can get cashback on every purchase you make.
MoneySavingExpert.com gives good advice on which card to choose to earn cashback or for spending abroad.

If anyone has a 11-17 yr old the Nationwide FlexOne charges no ATM fees abroad :wink: Can keep the account open until 23 :smile:
Also FlexOne Regular Saver is worth a mention...3.5% with £100 a month saving, again till 23 - that's 12 years, savings in a childs name with no tax to pay on interest of under £100 per financial year (via parents contributions only - then taxed via parents Personal Savings Allowance or not taxed from all other sources but trusts) or a Junior ISA - these child accounts cannot be counted as 'adult' savings for 'means tested' benefits either.

How can this card save on exchange rates? I don't understand? New to this... what's best to do then? Load £800 onto this and pay by card in Orlando or withdraw in Orlando at an ATM?

how can you tell the MasterCard rate of conversion on the day, and if not on the day, would it show up on the bank statement. the thing i don't like about revolut is its a debit thing, need it always to be topped up, a pain, i like the fact that with a credit card no need to top up and you can pay what's required without being charged interest at the end of the month. ofcourse with cash withdrawals revolut is better i reckon as with this card always worried about paying it off quickly since it can charge u if not paid. am i right in thinking this, I'm fairly new to this scene lol

What is the advantage of using a credit card over a normal credit card, assuming you don't ever spend more than you earn?

Try Mondo card.

I'm looking for a card for my travels where I can pay the bill in a restaurant and buy things in stores and get a good exchange rate and pay no fee's. I would also need a little bit of ATM cash at times. Paying things at the end of the 30 day period i.e. Upon return from holiday would be the ideal scenario
Which card would be the best for me ?
Note: area of travel south east Asia

Great card..Use this for all purchases and supercard for cash withdrawals. best of both worlds. As I pay no interest on cash withdrawals and if I pay in full each month

I'm in Orlando using the card. I have preloaded it with £700. So the account shows credit of -£700

Aqua cards Advance/Reward do NO fees at Mastercard rate, - a lot easier to obtain than a Halifax Clarity (I could get one as I have a Reward Current a/c and they did offer but already have the Aqua Reward with 0.5% cashback and HBOS were removing the £5 monthly reward).

I never use UK cards abroad in ATM's for reasons of skimming as you cant recognise foreign banks or ATM's externally like at home so a device may be on the ATM - try getting that refunded via a UK bank on a foreign transaction, no thanks!

Always go into a bank abroad and use the counter for cash regardless of what card you use, unless of course it is a emergency.

Thanks, good to know something new to me.

Yeah, but still impacts your credit rating to withdraw cash

Totally agree with Excelwang. I used to work for a prepaid card that offered interbank rates but 40% of the time the rate by MasterCard was better (but this differs by currency). Some things to watch out for:-
1) Not all currencies are always offered on interbank rate
2) Where MasterCard rate is used, some still apply a 'spread', which is a markup on the exchange rate but they only mention this in the small print/ somewhere down the page.
3) Always pay in local currency at point of transaction and let the card do the conversion. Otherwise, you will probably get hit with another spread (by the company/bank) that does the conversion.

Got the santander zero credit card and that doesn't charge any fees. Bought some barca v eibar tickets last week and saved £5 using this credit card over my mbna.

Santander Zero has higher cash advance interest rate (29.9%) than Halifax (18.9-25.9%). Halifax also has some OK-ish cashback offers.
Does Lloyds Avois also earn you points for foreign transaction? If so that is great. But bear in mind AMEX exchange rate is not as good as Mastercard so the reward points may not worth it. I believe it also has a mastercard so if you will have Lloyds Avois anyway (some may prefer other reward cards for domestic spending) this can be good.

How is this for making purchase in dollars online or in any currency for that matter.

As I said I use FlexPlus debit card for cash withdrawals abroad which is 0% fee.

select for purchases
flex for withdrawals!

Ah the old I want to stay stupid and ignorant, very english good job.

It was. ..But not now.Only up to 200 ATM withdrawals without fees. Weekend fees etc etc.

Interbank rate is NOT necessarily better than Mastercard rate. The reason is that interbank rate changes over the day, while mastercard rate is held for a day, so the interbank rate sometimes higher but sometimes lower than mastercard rate. See an example in this article: "the Visa rate on 17 March 2015 was £1 = €1.397 when the market rate was €1.404(high)/€1.385(low)." https://www.uswitch.com/credit-cards/guides/get-the-best-euro-exchange-rate-on-a-credit-card/ Or another example here http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5282794#topofpage: Revolut rate for euro on 13 July 2015 is 1.38, Mastercard 1.393259, Visa 1.38634. So whether interbank rate is better much depends on when you make the transaction, which is much up to the luck. It is not necessarily that when you want to spend (e.g. pay the restaurant bill) the rate would be definitely better. Of course, you could pre-exchange when the rate is good and if you don't mind constantly checking the rates and/or have a crystal ball telling you the rate wouldn't be better then Revolut may suit you.

Had mine for years also. Shame they took away the £5 reward. Great card for taking on holiday although I always get charged $3 for cash withdraws when I'm In New York from every bank I try. This was not the case a few years back.

Not sure why you're so aggressive in your defence of revolut.

WRT point 3 you don't get the "effective MasterCard rate" with revolt at the weekend, as MasterCard (or Visa for that matter) don't apply the same markup or select the same base mid Market rate upon which to markup. Revolut will pick Fridays close and apply the 0.5/1.0/1.5% markup to that, Mastercard/Visa will apply their Markup to the rate at the time the transaction. Here's an example comparing the revolut weekend rate to master card. Small sample, but shows the master card markup is not necessarily so high as to negate that disadvantage of revolut:

https://metabubble.net/payment-cards-bank-accounts/revolut-not-necessarily-cheaper-than-any-other-mastercard/

He also makes one other important point. Revolut appears to use the auth date rather then settlement date. I believe this is unique and another positive for this card (aside from at the weekend, when the markup applies when its a negative). For example if you used a MasterCard to purchase in USD the day of the Brexit referendum, the transaction would likely have been settled the following day when they £ had crashed. Whereas with revolut you would have got the rate at the time you made the purchase. Moreover, you can get further certainty by buying your currency in advance with revolut.

WRT point 4, aside from FSCS using a CC gives you CCA protection. I always use a CC for larger purchases at home or abroad for this reason. CCA makes the card provider jointly liable (for purchases over £100) and so you can seek redress from them instead of the retailer/supplier/etc. Therefore its not something to be dismissed lightly.

In any case the difference between all these cards is minuscule when set against what most people do (use their normal CC/Bank card). So I certainly don't believe anyone using the clarity is a luddite.

Great card use mine just for holidays, my card was unfortunately cloned but halifax sent me a message to check a transaction for nearly $600 and the money was refunded the next day once i confirmed it wasn't me !

Not so much a deal as I've been using it since 2013 when I lived abroad for a while.

Still good of you to share, everyone should have one of these it was and has been a life saver for me!

Nothing new.. this has been around for years. COLD.

The Lloyds Avios Duo is transactions only, NOT cash withdrawals. I also have that card (if you're going to ask for referrals don't do it on deals or you'll get banned, has to be via PM).

Some other points about the Lloyds card:

1) You get 1.25 Avios/£ only on the Amex. They also give you a MasterCard which you can use where Amex isn't accepted, but you'll only get 1.25 Avios/£5 for MasterCard Spend.

2) The previous point means you'll be wanting to spend on Amex. Its worth checking their exchange rates and comparing to Visa/Mastercard. There's no point picking up Avios but losing out on the exchange rate instead. For USD/Euro they seem competitive, for other currency's they may not be. Also if you use it on Paypal, they will bill you in USD.

3) If you spend over £7k in a year they'll give you a free return Business Class upgrade voucher. Sounds good, but short haul IMO business class isn't worth much. Long haul Avios availability tends to be sporadic unless you book several months in advance. Moreover, you will have to pay taxes for long haul (EU flights are generally covered under rewards flight save, which is much lower), so you're still looking at £500-£600 plus the points for the class of travel below.

I use it as my primary card, so regularly hit the £7k, but have struggled to use the voucher, often wasting it on short haul travel or even losing it. (Its valid for 12 months, cardholder must travel so you can't give it away).

Additionally you might want to consider the value of Avios to you. Long Haul you'll need quite a few points and still have to pay taxes. This often means you may aswell just pay for a restricted economy flight through flight brokers. Its worth it for business class long haul provided you can find availability. Short haul the reward flight saver helps, but often you can pickup cheap flights anyway.

I tend to travel short haul a bit, so it works for me. I essentially use Avios as a backup in case I find prices for a date I need to fly are punitive. You can also book one way if you find a cheap one way flight to pair with.

Would this be good to withdraw cash on holiday Mexico?
Never had or even been interested in a credit card before but a perfect exchange rate sounds too good to be true.

Great card for traveling, used mine loads in last few years. Be aware that withdrawing cash on a credit card could impact your credit rating

There's credit cards out there for everyone.. even those with the worst credit. You should have a look at the moneysavingexpert soft credit check facility and the cards it recommends if you want to build up a credit history.

Anyone know where you can find the exchange rates for cash withdrawals on this card. Just wondering if its any better to do this abroad than buy it before I go.

how do I get a credit card then if I've never had one?

yeah thats what I used since I got rejected this last year.

​ http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/barclaycard-platinum-travel-credit-card-no-fees-abroad-plus-no-interest-cash-withdrawals-2655288

n&p card allows free withdrawals abroad?

I use mine daily at the hole in the wall when abroad and pay the balance immediately with the app, never been charged a penny in interest, mastercard currency rates are pretty competitive too always use theirs and not the local one.

ive just come back, from cuba, as its a mastercard based , it wont work at all

Visa cards work as long as not linked to a US bank system (some uk banks are)

You currently pay £1.50 every time you make an ATM withdrawal, but no other fees.
You might be slightly better off with a fee-free credit card.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/travel-credit-cards#checker

I spend a lot of time abroad and use revolut and love it. only down side is it limits cash withdrawals on the free account to £200 per month. theres non for spending but some places i go, dont really accept cards (greece resorts in partuicular) and are more cash based. Its not an issue for me, as I rarely spend that much cash a month when working
but worth considering for some on holiday

ummmmmm think logically, how could that possibly be true, mastercard makes money using the interbank rate, and adding a % on top

I was told before that bank rate was worst than credit card rate, so it is not at all? thanks

which card would be best for euro ATM withdrawals on a weeks holiday? when we go to Majorca we tend to use ATMs and pay in cash.
we have a virgin essentials debit card, just wondered if there is anything better out there, won't be withdrawing more then 800 euro.

1: £5 - not exactly a large sum is it, but for those more savvy who got in before they started charging, it is of course free

2: It's not a "so called" perfect FX rate, it is an indisputable perfect FX rate, of course there will be small periods of time when the Mastercard rate is better than the interbank, however use common sense and basic understanding of finance and economics, 99% of the day Revolut will be better, you realise how Mastercard make money from you... by charging you an inflated exchange rate, so if they are under the interbank rate, yes you guessed it, Mastercard are losing money, which will not happen often!

3: Well done, of course Revolut will protect themselves at the weekend when they aren't there to trade, so you get the effective Mastercard rate for 2 days, however you can lock in the weekday rate through the Revolut app by simply purchasing the currency you wish

4: Financial protection isn't much of an issue, Revolut has raised millions and will likely have a successful exit i.e. IPO or buyout, however considering most people only keep a couple of hundred and spend and then top up it's not exactly an issue is it

Anyway, continue being a luddite and paying over the odds

Great card!

Had it for years.... best idea is to overpay ie you owe £150 on it but pay in £200 you'll have £50 credit and you'll lessen interest charges... thats what i do anyway

set up up Direct Debit to pay minimum monthly in case you forget to clear it

great card .... i'm surprised it hasnt been withdrawn or changing the fees etc

Having at least one credit card that you use and pay off in full every month will improve your credit score.

Nationwide Select charges 2.5% (£3 minimum) for cash withdrawals. It's fine to use abroad as a credit card 9and pays 0.5% cashback in the UK, but the Clarity Card is the cheapest way of getting foreign currency. I rarely bother exchanging money before leaving the UK.

Are there any UK credit cards that still pay cashback? I use Amex in the UK (for fantastic customer service and cashback) and Halifax Clarity abroad (for no fees). However, there are some shops in the UK that don't take Amex (and Amex haven't signed up for Android pay) so I have to use the Clarity card here occasionally and miss out on cashback.

I believe having no cards is bad/neutral, and having some cards which you have a track record of paying on time is good

Exchange rate is always the best i can get, i use it all the time travelling to saudia arabia and pakistan and europe

tried to get this last year but got rejected because of my ratings. Never had any credit cards before either wtf.

Anyone know if this can be used in Cuba?
Previously I've used a Post Office Credit Card - but this is not allowed in Cuba now.

Thanks

I used to have a Clarity card but ended up using the Revolut once I discovered it, especially since I've got Three Feel at home so the app abroad isn't an issue. One huge bonus with the Revolut is that it doesn't count as a credit card and won't affect your credit score however you obviously don't get credit.

You posted a link to an old deal of mine Pendleton bike from halfords. Seems a moderator has now removed that.
Anyway clarity is a good card, i will now check if terms have changed as we have used ours for a few years in France etc

Have had one for years and it's great. You can pre-load it by just basically paying it in advance. Or just take money out and it'll instantly change your "available credit" online so you can see what to transfer. I have my current account with Bank of Scotland so can manage it all on one account but imagine it's easy enough even if you bank elsewhere.

One word of caution is it will show as a credit card cash advance on your credit reports etc. if you withdrawn cash (even if you 'pre-load' it IFAIK). I've no idea quite how big an effect that may have on your credit but worth considering.

The BIG disadvantage with "pre loading" your credit card (ie putting it into a positive balance) is that you LOSE the "Section 75 protection" usually associated with buying goods over £100 using a credit card.

FOR EXAMPLE - If you pre-load the card with £500 - so your account is £500 in credit - then purchase a fridge for £400 - thus taking your balance down to £100 - and the fridge breaks after 3 months and the retailer wont do anything to help - USUALLY the credit card company will help you out - however if you have used a positive balance to pay for this fridge then you WONT be covered with the usual protection paying on a credit card gives you.

Excellent card - used it last 7 years in Florida - never had a problem as long as you find cash machines that won't charge you for making a withdrawal (WAWA Gas Stations and Racetrac are 2)

Dave

Barclaycard https://www.barclaycard.co.uk/personal/platinum-travel-credit-card?WT.mc_id=C022L011N91&WT.tsrc=DirectPartners&TC=MSE0330139&mpch=ads

If you apply via the MSE website, you skip the queue. I ordered mine on Saturday received it this morning (I realise this is a bit late for you but I may help someone else)

I'm using this card more than three years and it is really good card if you travel, excellent exchange rate!

The only issue now with Revolut is that they have lowered the ATM withdrawal limit to £200 (Or Equivalent) per month, down from £500. I too have moved to Monzo because of this.

I had this but then swapped to the barclaycard that is also no fees AND no interest on cash withdrawals as long as you pay the statement balance in full the following month - this offer expires August 2018 though.

Only downside is it's a visa so rates are every so slightly worse than MasterCard

These cards are great, but
NOTE interest starts accruing the day you withdraw the cash, so make sure you pay it off as soon as possible (instead of waiting for the statement to come).

NOTE 2: The santander zero card basically the same, and it has some (OK-ish) cashback offers too.

NOTE 3: If you're looking to earn rewards, I believe the lloyds avios card is the only free foreign transaction card which earns you any points (avios points in this case). It does have a £24 a year fee, but earns you 1.25 avios per £1 spent (double in the first 6 months). 8,000 avios + £35 gets you a return with BA to paris. It isn't free for ATM withdrawals, only in store/online purchases etc. If you know someone who can refer you (like me), you both get a 4500 avios sign up bonus.

This is a great card to take abroad, you get a pure exchange rate as far as I can tell. However, I too suffered a serious fraud 6 months after I was away, first I heard of it was the automated service calling me to confirm fraudulent transactions, which I declined, but it was too late for earlier fraud. Halifax were first class in dealing with this issue, however it was a painful reminder NOT to let the card out of your sight when on holiday at restaurants etc. Use cash for these payments instead, it's a lot safer.

This card has been a godsend. I've been all over Europe using it in cash machines and at chip and pin at restaurants etc- I've had zero problems and it offers great foreign currency conversion rates too. Like others, I don't tend to use it much in UK as there is no longer any cashback.

in what respect is it one of your old deals?

Genuine question so why did you refer to one of my old deals? Has something changed with the clarity card to promote it as a new deal?

Just been accepted on this card, woot woot. Will be using around Europe for my holidays ☀️☀️☀️☀️

Unsure why this deal is posted, nothing new here, have had one for years. Has something changed?

Pattaya will be end of the year with mates :smiley: - Thais ones with the daughters :smiley:

I've wanted this card for a while, mainly for the travel aspect (also just for general credit rating building), but I'm pretty certain I can't get it because I'm a student. I do currently have a crap credit card for the purpose of credit building only, but even despite this I'm guessing I've got no chance of being accepted on an application as I have no solid income?

I use mine abroad and have never had a problem providing I record travel dates in my online account. Not the best interest rate but not the worst. Nothing better for travelling and good security.

many people unaware of this deal, bro

Make sure you let Halifax know you are going abroad otherwise it will be blocked - I tried to use in in the US earlier this year and while it was fine for online purchases, it was rejected at restaurants - I only saw the 'let us know if you are planning to use the card abroad' when trying to contact them to see why it was rejected

I don't understand how this is a deal, this card has been around for 5 years or more and nothing has changed?
What make it so hot all of a sudden?

naughty! :smiley:

I used this card when travelling to Europe in the summer it was great.....don't forget to ensure you are billed in currency and not in sterling, the exchange rates are fantastic. Recenty added my daughter as a second card holder so that she can withdraw cash and put into her German bank account as this is the way to get a decent exchange rate

yes, thank you! I was going to point this out myself as there have been several comments about Thailand

if you're comfortable carrying enough cash around, its a good location to use money exchangers (absurdly close buy/sell rates at superrich), and pay with credit card whenever possible of course

you are not supposed to preload the card. Before I go away I arrange a delayed payment designed to cover cash withdrawals a day or two after I think I'll make them. As the highest rate debt is paid off first this normally works fairly well. I have accidentally pre-loaded the card doing that when I forgot to allow for the different time zones. It wont stop any interest being charged but it will significantly reduce it.

However even if you cant be bothered doing that this is still probably the cheapest way to get foreign exchange.

you two should get together! :smiley:

You are able to get an old fashioned credit card delivered to your house via Pigeon if you'd like...( the first part of that is true)

I'm in Pattaya for 3 weeks.....

Hua Hin for the first week then a few days in Bangkok

I use the Supercard from Travelex. No fees for purchases, links directly to your current cards, some of the best rates.

Right now im using Aqua Reward for oversea transactions and Revolut for cash. BTW you can top up Rebolut account witch credit card then transfer it to any bank account and make some profit

it's perfect exchange rate bro - that's mostly the point here lol - you won't get rolled over on the exchange rate

I bet you did.

The rule with this kind of card if you don't go on holiday frequently is a simple hack. Get a foreign online newspaper subscription in foreign currency ($1-5,CAD,EUR etc) and set card to auto pay full expenses every month. that way the card is forever active.

the way i do it is, build up some debt on the card, a day or so before the direct debit full payment is due to be taken, pay the full bill online so you owe nothing but the direct direct debit will still be taken as it is too late to stop the process, you will then be in credit once the dd is also credited to your card.

That's right, or just few pennies maybe.

I do wonder hmmm ....."no fees, but our exchange rate probably sucks".

A bit like those Forex bureaus "no commission when changing you money back in to sterling.....at a rate which will make you projectile vomit"

And you've all the protection of a credit card.

save 3% on your spend + save a poor exchange rate

Lots of people are saying this is great for overseas, just asking why? I'm new to this. I'm also travelling to USA, Florida in august, so if this card will be good I will order one! Thanks for any tips and advice in advance

Should be noted that having this card doesn't mean you can go anywhere abroad and withdraw money from cash machines with no charge.

For example in Thailand which has been mentioned you will be charged 220 BAHT for each withdrawal. This is around £5.

A few reasons I won't be using Revolut:

1. There's a £5 charge to set up/receive the card.

2. The so-called "perfect" interbank exchange rate is not always better than Mastercard's rate and is, in fact, sometimes worse due to fluctuations. For example, 100 GBP at this moment is worth 116.59 EUR at the live rate, but Mastercard's fixed rate for the whole day today is 117.05.

3. "At the weekend (Friday 23:59 - Sunday 23:59) we apply a small mark up on the spot rate as the Forex markets are closed. We take the rate from Friday 23:59 and apply a 0.5% mark up on major currencies and 1.0% on other currencies to protect the company from potential losses due to a large fluctuation in the rate. For illiquid currencies like Russian Ruble and Thai Baht, there is 1.5% mark up on weekend."

4. Your money isn't covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

I tried to get this card a few weeks back and got rejected. Anyone else had issues? Have an Experian rating of 999 so a bit miffed but not sure if it's because I closed a current account with them last year.

I have one of these - great for spending but to avoid the overseas cash withdrawal interest charges use a Barclaycard Platinum Visa

If I pay it off the same day/next day, does that mean I get charged nothing?

I think withdrawing cash a lot can be bad for your credit rating; as far as credit ratings show this is the same as taking out cash in the UK; which looks like you are struggling. This won't matter if your not planning on taking credit but might if you are looking at buying something like a house soon.

This is just complete speculation as no one knows what lenders really take into account and may be complete rubbish.
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/withdrawing-cash-abroad-credit-record

Taking mine to Spain next week! Only taking 60 Euros with me in cash and using this for the rest. Set a direct debit to pay the balance in full and job done!

I have had this card for several years. This is what I do every time I travel. Pre-load enough to cover all cash withdrawals plus a bit more to be sure. If you do this the card will always assign payments against cash withdrawals BEFORE card purchases. It's a fantastic card and always recomend it to friends and family. HEAT for this deal!

I take enough Thai baht for the airport transfer and a little over, I always take cash and change in one of the 100's of exchange booths which are open late into the evening, a little better rates than here for sure...where you staying?

Great card I'd recommend, used mine for a trip through Romania, Montenegro, Croatia, Serbia and Hungary without a blip. Also used the Revolut for cash but without internet the Revolut is an issue. I also had a Travelex Supercard which broke every device it touched and I gave up using it.

​I have a card with revolut.

Agree with all the Revolut comments, its an excellent card, only -ve is it tends not to be accepted (along with most other Monzo We Swap pre paid) in French 24/7 unmanned Petrol stations, of which there are 1,000's and tend to have cheapest fuels also use Clarity cc and just got a Creation Everyday cc as top pick on mse @ moment.

In the UK many cash machines charge you regardless of what card you use. That's down to the cash machine provider. This card provider (or any other) can't and won't do anything about those charges, either here or abroad. You do still have a burden of responsibility to choose where you draw cash out.

Isn't this a duplicate deal? What is new from how it has historically been (and has been posted here before, and came along with the same debate about Clarity and Santander...)

cheers buddy

Had this a few years now, and travel all over S.E Asia(Including Thailand) with no problems, so hot from me. i do take alternatives, but so far they've not been needed.

I have this card and used it in Canada last year, its great, no charges on spending so instead of taking a lot of cash I just used the card whenever I could , either for eating out, buying good etc. The exchange rate was very good and no charges, when I got back I just paid off what I had spent from my holiday budget that was in my UK account.

If your abroad and spend on the card, you just have to pay it off before the end of the month, if you draw cash from a machine and pay it off straight away via internet you wont pay any interest.

told Halifax id be going to Vietnam recently using this card. Didn't have ANY problems whatsoever. Had access to all the Dong I needed.

You dont get charged a fee if you draw cash out whilst abroad, but are charged interest but its minimal, plus if you have access to the internet and pay it off from your current account more or less straight away you dont pay anything. Hope this helps

They once reduced my credit limit to £250 and did not increase it for 6 months even after I protested. But now my credit limit is nearly 5,000 maybe I've been going on more holidays recently.

So If you withdraw cash but transferred the money straight away from another account you'll pay no interest either?

​I still have santanders zero current account from year backs, giving the advantage of being able to withdraw cash without any charges or interest charges :smiley:

Monzo is also preloaded at the moment until their full current account comes on line sometime this year. Their figures are a bit dubious, you'll get your card surprisingly quickly.

Had for Years. Spent a Year in Spain and a Year in Australia. Used For Everything. Requested Credit Limit to 8000 easily agreed. Ive bought Cars too 1 Dollar Coffees. The Exchange Rate is better than My Forex Broker. List With paypal and Select for Foreign Purchases Avoiding their 'sh***y Rate Cannot Lose!

I can vouch for this. Halifax cancelled mine without any notice. I hadn't used it since my holiday the year before, I had no reason to doubt it would work until refused at a shop in Spain!! I had a backup card anyway. When I got home called Halifax CS who said it had been cancelled as not used for a while??!! Cretins. But a great card if they don't cancel it.

Hi Bazza,

Im going to Thailand next week. Is it best to take cash and exchange there? do they give better rates than here?

Thank you

No interest at all using my combination of cards.

I took this card and no local money to Barcelona, Hong Kong, Thailand and Macau with no issues! As mentioned a few times already, if you withdraw cash then try to pay it off when you are next on WiFi and see how much it's cost in GBP.

No point getting now, was using upon till now, sthat using asda casback credit.. check it out. It's much better.

Used this card for years while travelling overseas. Excellent just pay off before the end of the month.

Yeh, I signed up today for Monzo... "over 10000 people in the queue ahead of me" waiting to get a card - might take a while. I'll stick to my Supercard (linked to bank account) and Revolut (pre-loaded).

​Well you are paying fx fees in effect, it is built into the rate that nationwide offer you, which will be the mastercard or visa rate, only revolut gives the true interbank rate

Had this for a few years, very handy and use it for all my travels. Also paying it off is really easy as it's integrated into the halifax current account app.

Sorry to be daft....do you mean if you're abroad you have to pay off the balance e.g. same day/hotel lobby, or so you mean you just have to pay before payment's due at the end of the month?

Yep, I use it and just transfer the money back same day with internet banking = no fee, no interest.

Bought some Jewellery for my mother when in Turkey on it, cost £770 instead of £790 due to the better exchange rate :smiley:

While against ToC you can have a positive balance and they don't seem to care, I've had 4.4k available on my 4k Clarity a few times, I use it daily for everything.
Fuel, food, hotels etc (I work in the field/away a lot). It's my primary card and I just pay the balance in full every week or 2. I use my normal debit card for local cash withdraws though. I got in the habit of daily use because of the old cashback, but just kept with it.


It's fantastic for traveling as said, but also websites like Cloudflare that insist on charging in USD will be much cheaper than PayPal etc.

will this charge me for ATM withdrawals in Mexico within a resort? What if the ATM has its own fee?

I can use it to pay for any extra services within the hotel?? spa day trips?? etc and the Mexican peso price will converted into a GBP and paid off like any other credit card?? why the rush to pay off so quick? is it interest per day??

Fair enough. Good advice thanks

No fees for purchases on the Clarity card - just daily interest on ATM cash withdrawals

I have done this by accident before, they returned the money to my account it was paid from, but they can also close your account if done regularly

Great card, I have set it on direct debit so takes money out of main account each month. I only use it for abroad too

In the US, some cash machines charge you regardless of what card you use

Sure, you can overpay, its just against the terms and conditions. Halifax warned that they may withdraw the account for misuse so i didn't think it worth the risk. Hope it works okay for you.

​Only issue is when you load up the card you might get a text to confirm 'Yes'...but if like me you don't use your UK sim once abroad that's a problem

Even using a clarity card at an ATM and thus incurring interest you get an exchange rate so good it is cheaper than buying cash anywhere else, including cards like revolut etc.

Yeh me too. Great card for foreign purchases but I do miss the £5 for £300. Use Nationwide CC now which gives % cash back.

on cash withdrawal aboard whats the interest rate and does it start straight away

The rates will be based on Mastercard. Have a look at the Mastercard foreign exchange rates on their website.

I use the combination of Nationwide FlexPlus for ATM withdrawals and Supercard for purchases. No fees on either and using the Supercard means i get a months grace to pay off the debt as it's linked to my Visa credit card. I've considered the Clarity but seems like too much hassle having to pay it off to avoid interest.

We've got a nationwide flex plus bank account which gives free cash withdrawals and their select credit card that gives free foreign use and 0.5% cashback on all spends.

you're a mug if you pay fx fees there are so many options nowadays

Yep, did it last year when i was in NY. Its against their T&C's but I do it anyway.

So no harm with this where you top-up with money and use it abroad in, say, Thailand and Singapore?

I use Monzo - best debit card ever - no cost whatsoever and instant app notifications. Better than other cards... go with it unless you need
credit card.

is there any cashback thru Topcashback/quidco on it?

Revolut is the only card you need abroad....no fees on atm, or any other transactions, instant top up from bank account at best rates, simply cant fault it....dunno how this compares cos never had one, but with revolut I dont have the temptation to go into debt as I would with this

Please note if you use this only for holidays as I do and never have a balance on this:-

Halifax constantly email telling me I haven't checked my statement (why would I it's zero balance)?

Halifax have twice contacted me asking to close my account as it had not been used.

It's a holiday credit card!! They likely don't like it as they make no money from me lol.

I did this when withdrawing Euros in Spain. Paid the equivalent amount to the bill online as soon as I got back to the hotel and the cash withdrawal didn't even register any interest on the bill. Love this card, wouldn't be without it for foreign travel.

AS STATED ABOVE PAY OFF ASAP,OR YOU WILL BE CHARGED,IVE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH GETTING THIS CARD TO WORK IN THAILAND,EVEN AFTER INFORMING THEM I WOULD BE GOING THERE,DONT DEPEND ON IT 100%,HAVE OTHER OPTIONS.

Anyone know how the rates compare with the likes of the travelex preloaded card mentioned in another deal?

Been using this card for a few years now for holidays. I had an issue with fraud last month where by card got cloned in Denmark but they credited all the money back and sent a new card out within 3 days of calling so cant fault the service, although they didn't issue me with a new card when I changed by surname after getting married which I found a bit odd.

best card for foreign travel

Great card, I keep mine for going abroad. I've had it a number of years now and I will be taking it to the US this year.

I just overplayed and currently have £150 in credit

This is the same as the Santander Zero card

Santander Zero Credit Card

A top card according to moneysavingexpert.com for travel exchange rates. No interest if used to spend and pay off in time. If cash withdrawal then pay by Internet as soon as possible to reduce interest. An advantage over pre paid card is that you only use exactly what you spend. Also more protection with a credit card.

Used mine in Orlando last year for practically everything, even ice creams from the small carts in Disney. Only took $50 in cash.

​My Revolut cards seems to fit nicely in my wallet

Anyone know if you can pre load this this avoid any interest charges when withdrawing cash as its a pain remembering to log on and transfer the money over to clear it daily

To be fair, that's an issue with you, rather than that service. So not really a good enough reason not to use it.

I'll throw another prepaid card into the mix - Monzo

Thanks for the info :smiley:

Travelled Asia for 5 months using only this credit card and paypal once to buy a $175 motorbike. 5*.

Brilliant for overseas holidays. Highly recommended.

stand corrected on Revolut

partly true, ie on cash withdrawals, yes it's interest charged from day 1 - but not on foreign purchases

Revolut send you a physical card.


Revolut is pre-paid and therefore suffers from the usual difficulties associated with those types of card (I.e no offline authorisation).

I personally have a Nationwide Select CC which also has no fees abroad on purchases. Combined with the Nationwide FlexPlus (free cash withdrawals abroad but £10 fee for the account- plus other benefits) works out excellently.

Am I right in thinking that the Clarity starts incurring interest on the day of the transaction therefore you need to pay it off instantly to avoid charges ?

I've had this card for a number of years. I always use it for purchasing abroad but I thought I was charged if I took cash out of a cash machine while abroad.

How does this card compare to Revolut?

As above, dont use it day to day but useful when abroad

Excellent for foreign travel, and as well as no fees you get a much better exchange rate as well. Heat added. :sunglasses:

I stopped using mine when they removed the cash back (get £5 when you spend over £300) end of last year. Although I've kept hold of it for foreign travel.