Using a bank card abroad

I’ve always used Monzo and found it to be spot on. Like others, it’s good if you’re with other people and are splitting bills. My bank (First Direct) is also free for card spending abroad, and has a fee free cash withdrawal limit of £500 per day, whereas Monzo is £400 in a 30 day period. Like said, no need to convert to local currency and back. Just spend and it converts at the published bank rates.

Revolut and Starling are better in other respects, but for casual spending, they all do the job. I guess it what you are used to.
 


MackneyHackem said:
Use cash. Cash is king.

You don't want to be relying on just a bit plastic. Craziness.
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Take Pounds Sterling (English notes only!) Everyone is delighted to accept Sterling as it's worth more than their foreign money.
Joe Public said:
I’ve got Revolut and monzo, both great. Monzo I use back home too much easier than my current account.
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I use my Starling account (card or phone) for nights out in the UK to avoid my current account being littered with lots of "pub" entries.
 
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Darlo1973 said:
Take Pounds Sterling (English notes only!) Everyone is delighted to accept Sterling as it's worth more than their foreign money.


I use my Starling account (card or phone) for nights out in the UK to avoid my current account being littered with lots of "pub" entries.
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Using a debit card is pointless in general when you could be accruing points using a credit card.

But also, why would you care about your account having a record of you going to the pub?
 
Was watching a video last night about tourist ATMs oddly enough.
Don't press the "Balance and Cash" option, press the "Other" button and get cash that way otherwise you get charged for looking at your balance without realising.
 
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Revolut was always our card of choice, never had any issues.

Well, apart from in Paris last year when it kept getting declined, was calling it, and them, all the pieces of shit under the sun....and then I realised I hadn't been transferring money on to it. Oh How we laughed.

Actually, just come back from US and just used my debit card, we bank with First Direct as apparently they'd removed all the fees, and it looks like that was the case, with no fees apart from the usual ATM withdrawal fee, which is nowt to do with the bank.

Wouldn't have thought FD are the only bank to do this, so might be worth checking.
 
Above just reminded me of another point with chase is that in the US you can withdraw cash from Chase ATM's free of charge apparently
 
Thewper1 said:
Revolut was always our card of choice, never had any issues.

Well, apart from in Paris last year when it kept getting declined, was calling it, and them, all the pieces of shit under the sun....and then I realised I hadn't been transferring money on to it. Oh How we laughed.

Actually, just come back from US and just used my debit card, we bank with First Direct as apparently they'd removed all the fees, and it looks like that was the case, with no fees apart from the usual ATM withdrawal fee, which is nowt to do with the bank.

Wouldn't have thought FD are the only bank to do this, so might be worth checking.
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Was wondering how much this fuck on will save tbh!
 

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