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What's the best credit card for taking on holiday?

by Valsypop 22 June 2010 |

11 comments | Love

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I'm going on holiday with my boyfriend in August. I'd like to get a credit card which we could charge most purchases to and then pay off in a couple of instalments when we get home.
Ideally, it would be a 0% on foreign transactions with a 0% offer on new purchases for 3 months at least.
If we could get an additional card, that would be great.
I currently have a credit card with RBS which charges 2.75% for foreign transactions. I also bank with them but am considering a move to First Direct who I see also charge a transaction fee.
Any recomendations of other providers who don't require holding a current account to qualify?
Thanks
V

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804

MikeGG1 posted
Santander Zero ticks most of your boxes.
No foreign transaction fees
No ATM charges
0% for 6 months on new purchases
0% for 6 months on Balance Transfers
0% Balance Transfer fee
However it does require a current account, but that gives you 5% for the first year, so consider getting one if you want to change anyway. You can always change again next year when the 5% finishes.
Mike?????
http://www.santander.co.uk/csgs/Satellite?appID=abbey.internet.Abbeycom&c=Page&canal=CABBEYCOM&cid=1237861667895&empr=Abbeycom&leng=en_GB&pagename=Abbeycom%2FPage%2FWC_ACOM_TemplateW2?
Posted on 22 June 2010 | Love 1 love Report
83

SmudgeButt posted
Suggest you both apply separately so you have 2 different cards just in case.
Also Santander makes it difficult to add a second person (tried to get a card for my OH and asked on application & repeatedly after and was finally told it would be easier for him to apply for his own.)
And apply now - they can be slow.
Posted on 23 June 2010 | Love 1 love Report
804

MikeGG1 posted
I would agree with the second card idea. The only commission free alternative is the Post Office (Bank of Ireland) card. However, that is a Mastercard as well.
It might be better to get the Nationwide VISA card as a back-up. That has a commission charge but it is only about 1% and only outside Europe. That is the wider Europe and not just Euroland.
Are you going to Europe or further afield?
Mike
Posted on 23 June 2010 | Love 0 loves Report
3

bobbyjohn posted
Remember that with any of the credit cards mentioned above you will pay interest on cash advances from the moment you draw cash. For drawing cash from ATMs in Europe I use the VISA debit card for my Nationwide Flex Account (Current Account) . There is no commision and no VISA loading and you a get a better exchange rate than the 'Tourist Rates' used by banks and bureaux de change. And since there is no commision there is no minimum charge; so drawing small amounts for security (not carrying large wads of cash) is not penalized.
Posted on 27 June 2010 | Love 1 love Report
1

micos posted
Nationwide are withdrawing the use of a Flexaccount card for foreign withdrawals this year. I have used the account for this purpose for the last five or six years and it has been excellent as they give a very good exchange rate with no commission charge. Sadly, this is now about to end. Does anyone know of an alternative card that offers a similar facility to this?
Posted on 27 June 2010 | Love 1 love Report
804

MikeGG1 posted
If you overload the Santander or PO cards that should eliminate the interest charge.
Mike
Posted on 28 June 2010 | Love 0 loves Report
0

R123 posted
Yes that works. Take 2 zero commission cards. Pre-pay on one of them and use that one only for cash withdrawals and use the other one for purchases as normal.
Posted on 28 June 2010 | Love 0 loves Report
3

bobbyjohn posted

micos
said
     "
Nationwide are withdrawing
the use of a Flexaccount card for foreign withdrawals this year."
Where did you see this? I've not been notified of any change by Nationwide and their website is still promoting foreign use.

MikeGG1
said

     "It might be better to get the Nationwide VISA card as a back-up.
That has a commission charge but it is only about 1% and only outside
Europe. That is the wider Europe and not just Euroland."
My understanding is that "Europe" is the EU + Turkey + Israel. Having said that I used my FlexAccount card in the Ukraine recently and was uncertain whether the 1% charge was levied. I certainly got a better rate than other members of the group when they eventually managed to find a bureau de change offering to take their Sterling notes.
Posted on 28 June 2010 | Love  0 loves Report
0

bangernomics posted
I've trawled through Nationwide's website and they are still promoting the FlexAccount card for foreign use (cash and payments). I'm nervous though because I'm off to France next week- does anyone have any definite info on the withdrawal of the foreign use?
Posted on 28 June 2010 | Love 0 loves Report
2

Joolsx posted
I worked for Nationwide credit card briefly this year ( I ran away!). Visa impose the charges for foreign transactions - here's the Nationwide section for checking whether a fee will be charged http://www.nationwide.co.uk/creditcard/goldcard/foreigntransactions.htm
Nationwide current account cards are run by different callcentres- so ring them for the present situation.
Don't use your credit card for taking out cash in normal circumstances- you will be charged at a whopping APR from the day you take it out (unless you are on an interest free period).
It seems best to always have two cards of different types- ie Visa and Mastercard. There seemed to be an awful problem with Visa in Australia due to chip and pin (at least with a certain company's cards). Also Nationwide are very very keen on anti fraud measures and your card can get refused (US supermarkets and having a string of purchases usually did this!)- the fraud department was only working UK hours so you could get very embarrassed in some time zones. Write down your card issuers non freephone number (don't forget thieves can steal your mobile too so be careful where you store it!)
Make sure you do know your pin and you should keep cards separate if possible. Remember that a second card issued on the same account will be blocked if there are any problems with the main card, so don't use this as back up.
I used to parrot most of this stuff several times a day, so I hope it helps!
Posted on 28 June 2010 | Love 1 love Report
0

simplydevine1 posted
Santander Zero will be perfect. And there are little delays with applications now, it was only due to integration of Alliance & Leicester and an overload on applications that caused delays earlier in the year. If you apply over the phone getting an additional cardholder is no problem at all, as long as they are added at application stage. Have a good holiday!
Posted on 28 June 2010 | Love 0 loves Report

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