BF Eurocard - Issues with Payment

[rileyman]

I do that with my two cards. Pay the balances before the relevant date - no interest.

[SpecialK]

On 18/11/2020 at 12:37, KenTownley said:

I would also like to know the card you use. One with zero interest on all payments sounds like heaven!

 

We use a Halifax Clarity card. Last time I looked it was one of the best to use for foreign currency transactions. They use the money market rather than tourist conversion rate and do not build a transaction fee into the conversion rate. For those increasingly rare times we need cash, I also use it for getting money out of the hole in the wall when we are away. Using a credit card for cash goes against all we have been told over the years, but if you pay it off as soon as the bill arrives it is cheaper than using a debit card with their various fees or one of the travel money shops.

Other than getting a new card, a MasterCard will give a better conversion rate than Visa.

[David Williams]

1 hour ago, SpecialK said:

We use a Halifax Clarity card.

Definitely the best generally available free credit card for worldwide use. There are a number of options for European  or worldwide free debit card use, I find Starling the best and if you really want a clone of the BF card you can link a Euro account to that as well ( however the Euro account does cost 0.4% at time of currency conversion, the standard sterling account just uses money market rates at time of spending it.

Note we are currently fortunate in the UK. My Britine  French account costs a Euro a month to run and if I want a debit card it would cost extra to obtain and use.

Edited November 19 by David Williams

[wortley]

Halifax Clarity even worked faultlessly in Luang Prabang, and the ATM spewed out more than a million Kip for £100 sterling - but I found later that the local market traders preferred payment in Thai baht. All that after the immigration officer at the airport had requested I pay the entry fee in US dollars. 

 

Edited November 19 by wortley

[Paully]

Whilst there is no doubt that Clarity and other such cards are great for use round Europe. We still have the old Santander zero card, which is very good. But the reason we took out a Fair FX type card was it in effect allows you to buy ahead, or hedge, your holiday currency. During the year when the exchange rate is favourable we buy. When we actually go away it may have collapsed (it does frequently) and no matter how good your CC is, it still won`t give you as much bang for your bucks..

  Doesnt suit everyone of course, but it does us.

[Penlan]

The card has just gone live again - so the  email said anyway.

Rhys

[straightfeed]

On 10/07/2020 at 10:30, Millsy said:

There are no value products from Nationwide any longer I think. Their deposit rates are derisory and over the years they have removed virtually every advantage from their cards. £156 for breakdown and travel insurance  with additional health screening for pre-existing conditions? You're paying for that and they are getting commission too...

Trying to get away from "travel insurance" and looking to get "medical cover" only in France for up to 5 trips a year.

Does anyone do such a thing? I really don't want to get coverage for loosing a £13 mobile phone or losing my luggage in transit (its in the car!) and as far as cancellation delays- I just take the next available ferry! 

Simple medical insurance cover doesn't seem to exist. I want a "get me better policy with a "ship me back in a box" as an extra benefit! I also dont want a long conditions/omissions/restrictions  pile of bumf to read.

Toddle pip,

Now wash your hands.

[KenTownley]

Many thanks for the posts. Very helpful.👍