Travel cards

I'm travelling up the east coast of Australia in just over a month on a visitors visa and am looking to spend 2-3 months out there! I'm from the UK and was wondering if anyone has had any experience with any travel cards so that I can transfer my money into an account so that I can use it out there preferably with minimal transaction and atm withdrawal fees?

Any good or bad experiences will be helpful as well as alternative ideas!

Thanks all!

UK travel cards have been well debated on here and several other branches ( Thailand for one) so do a search and see what comes up. Do use the filter though to the last 6 months.

no such beastie . you pay no matter what. just budget wisely . credit card most often gives best rate of exchange. your bank debit card might do you. just check with your branch. companys are in business to make a profit not to do you a favour. joe pescie had a rant in lethal weapon. if you can recall.

Some UK banks are better than others so yes, there may be a beastie. Think its Nationwide Bank.

I just heard about someone whose pre-loaded card was cloned and all his money taken - before his holiday started, might have been at the airport. So my only advice is to have back up or two cards, just in case.

Credit cards are the last place to get the best exchange rate so don't use those to get cash withdrawals, although paying for goods with them is ok, if you pay off the card each month. To do that when on holiday means having an online credit card account and bank account so you don't miss any payments, get interest adde or a charge for none payment.

no need to bother with a preloaded card. Tell your bank where you are going and you can use your debit card. There are joint arrangements between some UK and Australian banks which reduce fees, but you'll never eliminate them.

as mentioned, you need a backup - credit card is fine and while the in-crowd sneer at travellers cheques, they are a good idea if everything gets stolen.

Halifax bank do a credit card that has zero fees for spending overseas. Do a google search for 'Moneysavingexpert travel credit cards' and the first Money Saving Expert link is the article explaining about this and other cards. I have the Halifax clarity card exactly for the purpose of going to Oz. I wont withdraw cash from an ATM (even though I could) but I will spend on it for zero fees.

Europe is rife with scammers. but if you want to put your mind at ease regarding cloning simply spend a bob or two and get one of those cheap metal card protectors . also having your wallet attached by a chain to your belt such as I use well worth it , not having wallet fall out of your pocket , and only realize it when you see it on the ground such as I did which prompted me to go on ebay so it has less chance of doing it again. keep in mind your going to be distracted enough as it is., what with the check ins and luggage to handle. stitch in time.

Europe may be rife with scammets but Australian bank ATMs should mostly be okay. Cloning is a very small risk.

You're not the guy in a NZ TV advert who wears a tinfoil hat when going to use his ATM card?

The Halifax Clarity is the most well known int'l fee free bank account.

Nationwide Building Society, as a building society and not a bank, has in the past had a low or no international transaction fees but this is now only available to existing members for credit cards, with a 1% fee on debit.

Don't bother with the travel money cards, no need given the fees that come with them, relative to what Halifax offers.

Whilst Barclays offers a fee free cash machine withdrawal with Westpac, it still charges the 4% or so foreign currency conversion fee.

Note cards are widely accepted in Australia, so even the smallest transactions you could put on the Halifax and minimise the higher fee cash withdrawal moments.

There is difference in banks fees and charges, in a certain account, with a certain bank it indeed may be fee free, but the charges you encounter at the ATM you use will set by the controller of the ATM.

A very good case in point is that i used my CC at the ATM a small regional bank in Chanonix in France when we were there a couple of years ago, the bank fee [From my own bank]was very small for the overseas transaction, but the free levied by the bank for using their ATM was mind blowing at about $AU50!!

And Bank travel cards you can load up with cash, are supposed to replace travelers cheques, but have one big flaw the they can only be be used in and ATM, and if you run into trouble[if you forget you PIN, or the card is damaged]there is nobody in the bank that you can help you.

Having a back up plan 'B' is the way to go, seems to be the way to go with these cards.

Look into Citibank. They have a fee free card at a range of ATM's,
I organised one in Australia before leaving for UK/Eur this year. It's fantastic, can also be used here in Australia.

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