Money travel card
Setting off to Switzerland again soon after the 2 yr Covid break that we didn't need, but we're concerned about the amount of cash we need for fuel and peage, so my question is can someone recommend a fuss free, fee free money card, to use when crossing France. We have always taken cash but as we've become older and more cautious we think a debit card payment would be safer and easier.
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We use a Debit card from Metro Bank and keep it topped up as we go along. There are no fees when using in Europe. The app is easy to use. It was a Which Magazine Best Buy and mentioned on Radio 4 today (Money Programme, I think) as one of a couple of no fee options.
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Revolut. You can load it with funds from a nominated bank account, credit card or something like ApplePay. Use it with your phone for contactless payments abroad without foreign currency transaction fees.
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For matters such as this my starting point is the MSE website.
We have used a Caxton card in the past but our Nationwide CC, our first CC for some 30 years, has no fees abroad for purchases or ATM use.
Have also recently opened a Chase account, recommended on MSE, and their card, Mastercard, is also fee free abroad.
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There are cash cards which you load with money in advance, there are debit cards which draw directly from your current account, and there are credit cards which (hopefully) you can pay off in full via a direct debit at the end of the month. Some prefer one of those scenarios, some prefer one of the others, but Martin Lewis in his newsletters, podcasts and websites has reliable advice on all of them.
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Good point. Could help you avoid being stranded on a Sunday! That said, to travel abroad without at least one credit card is probably folly even if you never use it.
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+1 for Caxton fx card. Have been using one for years.
You can pre-load it, load it whilst you're away with the nominated debit card, withdraw cash from ATM's & pay in local currency, this would include petrol stations, just be aware of 'Pay at Pumps'.... see below
Just don't use it for car hire or anything that requires a deposit as funds may not be available until deposits are refunded to your card.
Always pay in local currency (whatever is loaded on the card) to prevent charges.
You can load multiple currencies.
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Hi, re your comment, and kasspa's, we fell foul of the 'pre authorisation' pitfall in France back in 2013.
Pulled up at fuel pump, inserted Caxton but pump not working. Move to next pump all worked OK.
Next day try to pay for shopping with card and its declined! Calls to Caxton revelaed that two pre authorisations of €100 had been taken from the card plus what we had paid at the second pump!
Caxton refunded one of the payments but the stress of it was another reason we went for other ways of paying.
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We are regular travellers to Europe and used to use a Caxton Card. Gave up on this and now just use my Bank Debit Card and a JaJa card (formerly the PO Card) which have no fees for o'seas purchases but have one for cash withdrawals. I take 2 cards just in case one is not accepted as happened in a small supermarket in Germany once! We rarely use cash and should we need any I take the small hit at the ATM. Make sure that your purchase is shown in the foreign currency and not sterling thus stopping the o'seas bank using their rate of exchange.
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We have been regular travellers abroad and have access to both a JaJa credit card as said no foreign fee transaction, but also a Halifax Clarity credit card, no foreign fee transaction or fee for cash withdrawal, just pay interest from day taken so we pay the amount off in a couple days and pay pennies in interest, found it the best way to get cash out worldwide. We prefer the Halifax as website and service is better than JaJa.
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