How do you pay when you go abroad?

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MuddyBoots472@reddit

Chase got us out of a few holes in the US last summer where our Starling card wouldn’t work (car park pay machines for one!)

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I_am_Reddit_Tom@reddit

Credit card as much as possible. Unless you're going somewhere remote you should need minimal cash. Take a spare card in case you lose the first one.

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InsurancePurple4630@reddit (OP)

Does credit charge extras ?

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starsandbribes@reddit

Get a Curve card to layer your credit card. The Curve card basically sits on top of your existing credit card and handles the transactions for you.

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Varies by provider but many will yes. However they would generally offer a better exchange rate than getting cash at a bureau de change, and some of those will do you again when you convert excess cash back.

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destria@reddit

A 0% foreign currency fees credit card (I have the Halifax Clarity which is popular). Plus a bit of cash. I also carry a debit card to take out cash from ATMs if needed. Word of caution, in the States, in places like restaurants, they will often take your card away from you and run it on the register, you get the receipt and write the tip on, then they run the final transaction through without needing the card again. There are more portable machines these days but it's not standard everywhere. I was very confused by this the first time it happened and didn't understand what was happening.

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Electronic_Hawk1062@reddit

Isn’t opening new bank accounts not good for your credit?

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Dry_Pick_304@reddit

I've only been in Europe for the last 8 years, but I use my Monzo. Might carry some petty cash about. Girlfriend does the same but with a Starling card.

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IsMisePrinceton@reddit

Monzo and I’ll take some cash when I’m over there.

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ProfPMJ-123@reddit

Card all the way. Credit cards are always better than debit, purely because they offer you more protection against fraud. If you need some cash, get it from a bank machine using your regular debit card. If the machine asks you if you want it to charge in your currency (pounds) always say no. Always withdraw in local currency and let your bank do the exchange - it will be a much better rate than you can get anywhere else.

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Significant-Ship-665@reddit

Check out Currensea. You link it to your debit card. Transactions come out of your current account. It's awesome

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RottingPony@reddit

I used Monzo when I went to the states, no issues.

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Sionnach-78@reddit

Revolut , no charges . Credit card will charge you each time you use it abroad so stick to revolut .

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Lufc87@reddit

Santander offer a card with zero foreign currency fees. I keep it with with a relatively small credit limit purely to use whilst on holiday.

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DaveBeBad@reddit

Depends on the credit card. Some don’t charge to use abroad.

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Sionnach-78@reddit

Wow didn’t know . Mine does might look at changing , thanks for that .

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BigHairyBreasts@reddit

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/credit-cards/travel-credit-cards/

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DaveBeBad@reddit

Iirc Virgin money do one - others will too. Not a recommendation, do your due diligence, etc, etc 😀

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Kiss_It_Goodbyeee@reddit

Apple pay can be easier than physical cards in the US. Contactless is not as common here and even Chip & PIN doesn't always work.

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MDKrouzer@reddit

Travelled to the states a few times for work and mostly used credit cards with no issues. The US isn't as cashless as the UK, so it is still a good idea to carry some cash. Tipping is a thing there too and I think servers tend to prefer cash tips.

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UnexpectedRanting@reddit

Apple Pay. Almost everywhere in Europe accepts card these days, just check the amount before you tap so you don't get scammed in those small towns/tourist traps.

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Paintinmypjs@reddit

Revolut and some cash.

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DaveBeBad@reddit

I was there in May. Revolut was great for spending, but taking money with it out of an atm saw a charge added. Although that could depend on who was running the atm. It was a fixed amount per withdrawal, so was better to withdraw larger amounts of cash when we needed it (but most spending was on the credit card - cash was for tips mainly)

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Capheinated@reddit

Barclaycard Rewards - free cash withdrawals from foreign ATMs :)

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PinkSudoku13@reddit

normally card but I wouldn't do that in the US. They often still use the magnetic chip and the likelihood of card cloning is very high in the US. They've only recently started switching to chip and pin and contactless. In the US, I'd stick to cash or at least, I'd get a separate account or prepaid card so I don't have to worry about it

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Capheinated@reddit

I see the usual recommendations of Revolut and Monzo for cards, but if your credit score is fine, the best optiom is a Barclaycard Rewards credit card.... 0% on foreign transactions 0.25% cashback ... And the real kicker: free cash withdrawals from ATMs (other than if the ATM itself charges a fee, but Barclaycard wont charge you). You dont get that in the UK from credit cards, having the option abroad is fantastic. Take a minimal amount of cash with you, and withdraw more from an ATM if you need more.

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cgknight1@reddit

Largely card but the USA is a place here cash is handy for tips.

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redrighthand_@reddit

Monzo. I get free cash withdrawals too and no currency fees when paying by card. I only had cash for tips

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Jlaw118@reddit

Always use my 0% foreign transaction fee cards, it’s typically cheaper to do it that way and you don’t end up with unnecessary foreign change at the end. Word of advice though, if you do withdraw cash whilst you’re abroad at an ATM and it asks you if you want to withdraw from the local currency or GBP, always choose the local currency. You get a better exchange rate

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NobleRotter@reddit

I use a combination of card and local cash currency. With knowing that even some cards that don't have a foreign exchange fee can rip you off with bad exchange rates. Many banks are beyond this front than they used to be, but some are still bad

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Opening_Line_5802@reddit

All UK cards besides Amex and Revolut use either the Visa exchange rate or the Mastercard exchange rate. These rates are both published ahead of time now.

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AkimboFrice@reddit

I use Revolut personally, just simple and reliable. Pay me Revolut!

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InsurancePurple4630@reddit (OP)

Have you spent outside Europe? Do they charge and extras?

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Opening_Line_5802@reddit

There's a limit of how much you can spend/convert before they start charging fees

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AkimboFrice@reddit

I used it when in California 2 years back, I don't remember any fees? None that were enough to be a bother.

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OverCategory6046@reddit

Just be careful with revolut. if they go under, your money is not protected by a deposit scheme. That only applies to EEA members & EU. Looks like only money in savings vaults is protected but someone do correct if i'm wrong.

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magical_bergs@reddit

Monzo. Used it in the USA and Canada. Really handy that it shows you your exchange rate straight away. Also instant cash transfer from my bank to the card. I take small amounts of cash too for tipping, on-the-go food, etc

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x_o_x_1@reddit

Chase. Good conversion rate and 1% cash back.

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gogginsbulldog1979@reddit

Sod using cash, it's a pain. Just use a card. I'd have some cash for tipping and stuff, but that's it.

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ImChimeraX@reddit

Revolut, Starling, Chase UK, Monzo etc. They all offer the interbank rates, so the same as you'd see on xe.com and don't charge any commission. If you get an option on a card machine whether you want to pay in GBP or the local currently, always choose local. I always make sure to take one that's Visa and one that's Mastercard as some foreign cashpoints don't play nicely with one or the other so having an alternative can get you out of a bind quite easily. Revolut is always one of these cards as it's Visa and most of the others seem to be Mastercard. I've been using this strategy for years all over the place and it's never let me down.

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buy_me_a_pint@reddit

Cash for smaller items like souvenirs, bottles of water etc, When we go out for meals we pay on card

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LiterarilyFine@reddit

Just my regular credit/debit card (so Barlcays and Amex for me). I don't bother with cash, enough places accept card for me to get by. I just pay the international transaction fee.

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ProtoplanetaryNebula@reddit

I go to the US regularly on business. Take a Revolut card, but also take some cash. Quite a few places take card, but there are enough places that take cash that it's necessary to have some and when I say some, I mean quite a bit, the US is expensive these days.

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dr3w5t3r@reddit

I use my Chase card. No fees and 1% cashback.

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LogicalTexts@reddit

I’m from Yorkshire living in Texas. After reviewing the Resolute Card, I suggest US alternatives. Don’t carry cash! Instead, we have lots of nationwide prepaid Visa/Mastercard/AmEx options, without usage/exchange fees. These are easily purchased for a one time $5 fee and can be loaded up to $2,000 at any retail outlet. Some can be used to rent vehicles Please message me if you want more info. Happy to help.

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ChelseaMourning@reddit

I was in Northern California last year and used monzo 90% of the time. I took some cash but ended up bringing some of it back as I struggled to use it. I guess it depends where you’re going but if you’re in a city, most places will encourage cash free.

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00332200@reddit

Card/contactless

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frusciantefango@reddit

I have a Santander Zero credit card which doesn't charge for cash withdrawals overseas, doesn't charge a fee for conversions etc etc. So I just take out about £50 worth of local currency when I arrive, for anything where cash will be handy, and stick everything else directly on the card.

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McCretin@reddit

Monzo

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wait_whut_@reddit

Halifax Clarity Card.

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JacketPotato-1@reddit

A combination of both. I used a Caxton card when I last went to the States, it was great. Just pre-load it with dollars ahead of time and use it like a debit card.

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British_Chap_@reddit

Mix of cash and my Monzo, some places only take the former, never found a cheaper exchange rate than the latter (+ it's obviously just convenient to pay straight from your GBP account).

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