Best credit card

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Discussion

User33678888

1,141 posts

136 months

Wednesday 25th February 2015
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Simpo Two said:
User33678888 said:
"Their' rates are the mastercard ones, and comparison tables have already been linked to in this thread. You are asking stupid questions, which is why you are being called stupid. You're unfortunately too ignorant to realise you're being stupid, but then this is the internet.

Quite why you're so interested in a second or third best buy is beyond me. What's wrong with a halifax clarity card and the mastercard interbank exchange rate? For instance, they were doing 1.367096 EUR/GBP yesterday.
If you had actually bothered to read what I posted at 10.58 you will see that a Clarity card is on its way. But you were too busy being an anonymous keyboard warrior to notice. I am not familiar with international travel and don't dabble in FOREX (as you obviously do when not taking time out to insult strangers halfway through a thread).

My thanks to REALIST and the others for providing helpful information rather than pumping their own egos smile
Why you are ignorant is of no interest to me. You asked a stupid question. Presumably you cannot read. http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-trav... was posted many many posts before I even bothered responding. If you read the information in the links provided to you by other users you'll get all the answers you need. Posting stupid questions makes you look stupid. I can only surmise that you dislike being called stupid because you realise you are appearing particularly stupid.

Edited by User33678888 on Wednesday 25th February 15:41

Simpo Two

Original Poster:

85,149 posts

264 months

Wednesday 25th February 2015
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User33678888 said:
Why you are ignorant is of no interest to me. You asked a stupid question. Presumably you cannot read.
Evidently it's a quiet afternoon in Perfectville. Why spend time sniping and chestbeating when you could be doing something useful? Next time, try to reply to threads only when you have something helpful of amusing to say.

ETA: Wow, you even came back to add more stuff to your reply. Awesome.

pushthebutton

1,096 posts

181 months

Wednesday 25th February 2015
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I've had the Clarity for a while and it's been really good.

One thing I haven't done is use it for cash withdrawal. Am I right to assume that you can withdraw up to the daily limit with a zero balance on the card and then pay off the same day to avoid fees? If there was already an balance on the card, then would you have to clear the whole amount in order to avoid the interest on the cash withdrawal?

Thanks.

ManFromDelmonte

2,742 posts

179 months

Wednesday 25th February 2015
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pushthebutton said:
I've had the Clarity for a while and it's been really good.

One thing I haven't done is use it for cash withdrawal. Am I right to assume that you can withdraw up to the daily limit with a zero balance on the card and then pay off the same day to avoid fees? If there was already an balance on the card, then would you have to clear the whole amount in order to avoid the interest on the cash withdrawal?

Thanks.
This is how I assume it works but haven't tested it.

One thing to think about is that it can take several days for transactions to appear on the account and it is also against the terms and conditions to go into credit. It might be best to wait until the transaction hits the account before paying it off. We are only talking pence of interest anyway.

pushthebutton

1,096 posts

181 months

Wednesday 25th February 2015
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ManFromDelmonte said:
We are only talking pence of interest anyway.
Thanks.

I can just about handle that.

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 25th February 2015
quotequote all
User33678888 said:
Simpo Two said:
User33678888 said:
"Their' rates are the mastercard ones, and comparison tables have already been linked to in this thread. You are asking stupid questions, which is why you are being called stupid. You're unfortunately too ignorant to realise you're being stupid, but then this is the internet.

Quite why you're so interested in a second or third best buy is beyond me. What's wrong with a halifax clarity card and the mastercard interbank exchange rate? For instance, they were doing 1.367096 EUR/GBP yesterday.
If you had actually bothered to read what I posted at 10.58 you will see that a Clarity card is on its way. But you were too busy being an anonymous keyboard warrior to notice. I am not familiar with international travel and don't dabble in FOREX (as you obviously do when not taking time out to insult strangers halfway through a thread).

My thanks to REALIST and the others for providing helpful information rather than pumping their own egos smile
Why you are ignorant is of no interest to me. You asked a stupid question. Presumably you cannot read. http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-trav... was posted many many posts before I even bothered responding. If you read the information in the links provided to you by other users you'll get all the answers you need. Posting stupid questions makes you look stupid. I can only surmise that you dislike being called stupid because you realise you are appearing particularly stupid.

Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 25th February 15:41
Maybe he just couldn't be arsed to read the claptrap on the various 'expert' websites that are the last refuge of the desperate and dumb these days?

Maybe he just wanted to confirm the understanding he had reached?

No justification for the repeated personal insults, is it? You might consider how you 'appear' before making assessments of others?






swd

81 posts

181 months

Thursday 26th February 2015
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I haven't looked into any tricks mentioned above regarding paying into the Clarity card early. I just have my DD set to pay off the full amount every month like all sane persons should (unless you're doing something clever). It's just reassuring that I'm not getting ripped off. How do I know that? Because Moneysavingexpert says so. I'm a simple man.

acd80

745 posts

144 months

Friday 27th February 2015
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ManFromDelmonte said:
It is also against the terms and conditions to go into credit.
No it isn't - I had a credit balance on it from last October until this month when it was used abroad again. I've done it loads of times and never had any issues with it.

ManFromDelmonte

2,742 posts

179 months

Friday 27th February 2015
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acd80 said:
ManFromDelmonte said:
It is also against the terms and conditions to go into credit.
No it isn't - I had a credit balance on it from last October until this month when it was used abroad again. I've done it loads of times and never had any issues with it.
Sorry to be dull but it is, the fact that you have done it doesn't mean anything:

Halifax Clarity Ts and Cs said:
7.7 You must not make payments or transfer funds from another credit or store card to your account that would leave a credit balance on your account. We may return any funds that exceed the balance owing on your account to the account from which the money was sent.
Edited by ManFromDelmonte on Friday 27th February 14:47

RicksAlfas

13,355 posts

243 months

Friday 27th February 2015
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I've done it too, but only for a short period whilst we were away.

TaRD

778 posts

186 months

Saturday 7th March 2015
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Just got a Clarity card for a USA trip in the summer, has anyone used a prepaid cash card in the USA as well? Is it worth it? Can anyone recommend one?

pushthebutton

1,096 posts

181 months

Saturday 7th March 2015
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TaRD said:
Just got a Clarity card for a USA trip in the summer, has anyone used a prepaid cash card in the USA as well? Is it worth it? Can anyone recommend one?
I may well be wrong, but I'm not sure you'd ever need one. Aside from needing a few $ when you arrive for taxis etc, you can withdraw $500(?) each day from ATMs and you get the best USD rate on the market. It's the same rate with all purchases on the card as well. You'll be charged interest on the ATM withdrawals immediately, but apparently it isn't enough to impact on the improved exchange rate.

I think next time I'll do as much as possible on the card...maybe.

anonymous-user

53 months

Saturday 7th March 2015
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TaRD said:
Just got a Clarity card for a USA trip in the summer, has anyone used a prepaid cash card in the USA as well? Is it worth it? Can anyone recommend one?
We did a 3500 mile road trip on a Harley last summer, and everything went on a Clarity card, simply for the convenience.
And I mean everything...... hotels in Vegas, the bike hire, all fuel, motels, hard cash......
Never felt the need for anything else, and nor did it strike me as an expensive way of doing business.

TaRD

778 posts

186 months

Monday 9th March 2015
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Cheers both, maybe I'll have a rethink.

pushthebutton

1,096 posts

181 months

Saturday 14th March 2015
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I'm going in a couple of days. Everything will go on the Clarity including cash withdrawals so I'll let you know.

R666

183 posts

225 months

Sunday 15th March 2015
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Not a credit card, but I have a Caxton fx card. One for euros one for $

You load it up via the web, or even by text. They give very competitve exchange rates. Then you effectively have a card for free cash withdrawals and no commissions when making purchases.

It offers no credit, but I was really impressed on a recent 3 week road trip across the U.S.

Just a thought

pushthebutton

1,096 posts

181 months

Friday 27th March 2015
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I've just got back from the USA and a quick average gave me $1.496/£1 on transactions.

I withdrew $200 from an ATM, and paid it off a couple of days later and was charged £0.05 interest. All ATMs I found in the US charge $3 and upwards for cash withdrawals and so this eats into the better exchange rate offered by the Clarity. I couldn't find any ATMs that didn't charge, so I guess it's best to (obviously) withdraw all incidental cash in one lump at the start to minimise the one off charges.

The best rates available today according to Money Saving Expert are:

http://travelmoney.moneysavingexpert.com/holiday-m...

This shows the Clarity being top at $1.499 and the next closest is Best Foreign Exchange at $1.477. A quick guesstimate shows that any withdrawal over about £150 from a U.S ATM will, including a $3 fee and interest charges, beat the 2nd best rate.