Currency question

[steve333]

Good morning all,after taking in all your good advice I have applied for a Santander zero credit card(I bank with them anyway), no monthly fees,no charge for withdrawals anywhere in the world and 0% if balance is paid on time(I will only use this card for holidays),Steve.

[Harry Peterson]

On 7/18/2019 at 7:58 AM, Gazza64 said:

Over the past few years we have used a FairFX Curency Card.

These are a pre-paid MasterCard & work exactly the same as a credit or debit card. The big advantage is that you can load as much or as little onto it as you wish, you can also instantly monitor purchases and top up via the app. They do a GBP, USD & Euro card.

You can also make cash withdrawals at any ATM. Additionally their exchange rate is one of the best you will find.

https://www.fairfx.com/?&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ps-uk-en-exact-brand_pure&utm_content=brand_-_generic_exact&utm_term=[fairfx]&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhOqRkvG94wIVwbHtCh0FLg9_EAAYASAAEgLV1PD_BwE

The exchange rate may well be competitive, but watch out for the other charges.

[pete14]

I suppose another advantage of using a card rather than cash is that you don’t end up with a pocket full of loose change which can be difficult to use. I have loose change from different countries using the krone and I have no idea which is for which country.

[Selbourne]

Just now, pete14 said:

I suppose another advantage of using a card rather than cash is that you don’t end up with a pocket full of loose change which can be difficult to use. I have loose change from different countries using the krone and I have no idea which is for which country.

 

Funnily enough, we were having a clear out over the weekend and found a big bag of coins that, like you, we have no idea where each of them comes from! I guess that’s a hidden ‘cost’ of using cash. I used to get currency for everywhere that we went until my kids shamed me by saying that “cash is for old people” and I got a Revolut card where you load £ sterling and then use it as a debit card where it converts into the currency of the country that you are in at a competitive exchange rate and with no fees. Works perfectly. 

 

In fact, I was even shamed by my near 80 year old mother who, when seeing me enter my PIN number for a transaction said “Don’t you use contactless? I use it everywhere, it’s brilliant”! My kids (both in their 20’s) claim that they never carry cash and use contactless for everything, however small, so I have been trying it for the last few months and it’s been a revelation. It felt weird presenting a card for as little as £1 but nobody has ever batted an eyelid. I have, at last, ‘got with the programme’!

[wowzz]

4 hours ago, steve333 said:

Good morning all,after taking in all your good advice I have applied for a Santander zero credit card(I bank with them anyway), no monthly fees,no charge for withdrawals anywhere in the world and 0% if balance is paid on time(I will only use this card for holidays),Steve.

I would suggest that you use it at least once prior to going on holiday, and also go onto the Santander web site and enter the dates and countries that you will be visiting, to ensure that your card is not flagged and blocked.

[brian1]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

I would suggest that you use it at least once prior to going on holiday, and also go onto the Santander web site and enter the dates and countries that you will be visiting, to ensure that your card is not flagged and blocked.

Good advice,you can phone them also,giving all destinations and times.We also have a Santander bank account and zero card.We set up a direct debit so the card is always paid up and never goes into the red.

[steve333]

4 hours ago, wowzz said:

I would suggest that you use it at least once prior to going on holiday, and also go onto the Santander web site and enter the dates and countries that you will be visiting, to ensure that your card is not flagged and blocked.

Thanks for the heads up-will do,Steve.