Follow this topic Q&A » Credit cards

I'm planning a trip to the US , & dont have a credit card. I will need one can anyone advise me which would be best thanks chris

by nogbert 05 October 2009 |

8 comments | Love

Love 0 loves

Report

Enjoyed this? Show it some love

Retweet

Comments (8)

Facebook

Twitter

General

Comments (8)

824

MikeGG1 posted
Abbey (Santander) Zero. There are no charges for foreign transactions, worldwide.
Also the Post Office.
Nationwide used to be the same but have introduced charges this year outside Europe.
Mike
Posted on 05 October 2009 | Love 1 love Report
83

SmudgeButt posted
Leave yourself plenty of time to get your application in - Santander are slow. You might need up to 2 months.

Also be sure you clearly state (in bold, highlighted with little gold stars around) if you need a card for a second person. Otherwise you won't get one and you'll have to jump through 15 different fire ringed hoops to sort it out. (and another 2 months at least - but frankly I gave up after 3)

Bonus with them last I saw was 0% on purchases for 3 months after the start of the account and then a good balance tranfer period as well. But do set up a DD for your minimum payment so you don't get caught out.
Posted on 05 October 2009 | Love 0 loves Report
83

SmudgeButt posted
You may also want to check your credit rating prior to applying - if you don't have credit it might be hard to get!
Posted on 05 October 2009 | Love 0 loves Report
16

Mister W posted
My experience was that Santander where pretty quick with my zero credit card. In fact they chased me to return the forms.
Posted on 05 October 2009 | Love 0 loves Report
22

OzsWorld posted
For the US - I would always go with American Express (it's accepted everywhere)....you may get a cash back offer and the charge is normally 2.99% which seems to be the average. Unless you've spending thousands, 2.99% charge (per transaction) won't dent your pocket.
Posted on 05 October 2009 | Love 0 loves Report
22

OzsWorld posted
One more thing - always good to call the card company and let them know where and how long you're traveling to before you go....that way you limit the chances of your card getting rejected abroad.
Posted on 05 October 2009 | Love 1 love Report
824

MikeGG1 posted
Personally, I carry Amex, MasterCard & Visa wherever I go to make sure.
Mastercard & Visa should be acceptable anywhere.
The charge on Amex is higher than the Cashback so I don't use it outside UK, especially as it is converted to USD first and then pounds.
The Abbey (Santander) Zero card comes under the MasterCard umbrella.
Mike
Posted on 07 October 2009 | Love 0 loves Report
824

MikeGG1 posted
Any new card you set up you should always do a Direct Debit for either the full amount of balance or the minimum. Whichever you do, it will prevent you from ever defaulting on a payment.
If you just do the minimum, it doesn't prevent you from paying extra by cheque or transfer whenever you want.
But remember, the DD will not take effect until the statement issued after the DD has been set up. As there are several stages involved including you current account providers, the first account will need to be settled by cheque or transfer. There will be a reference to DD payment on any statement for which a DD is valid.
Mike
Posted on 07 October 2009 | Love 0 loves Report

Post an answer

Something you're dying to ask... or answer?

Get started now

Sign in for a better Q&A

Registered already? Great! You can just sign in to ask and answer questions.

W3C Thank you for using Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels