Credit/Bank Cards for USA?

[The Gauge]

Any recommendations for credit and bank cards to use when holidaying in USA please?

My current Barclaycard credit card charges me 2.99% for every purchase abroad, I can swap to their Barclaycard Rewards Visa card which doesn't charge abroad, but for the sake of one holiday I'd rather not, unless they let me switch back again?

As for bank cards, no doubt my Lloyds Visa bank card will also charge me, but I've heard that Chase are good but you have to load it up with cash from your current account? Probably meaning I can use my Lloyds app and transfer money over when I need extra?

Any recommendations please?

[langtounlad]

Halifax Clarity Mastercard - no currency charges and accepted everywhere on my recent NY trip

[Somebody]

+1 for Halifax Clarity

Chase debit is good for overseas cash withdrawals.

[bmwmike]

I recently got a HSBC global money account and used it in Ireland and it works rather well. Transfer money in and spend in euro, USD, etc. Free and managed via the app too.

[The Gauge]

langtounlad said:

Halifax Clarity Mastercard - no currency charges and accepted everywhere on my recent NY trip

Somebody said:

+1 for Halifax Clarity

Chase debit is good for overseas cash withdrawals.

Thanks, just had a look at that one, seems good for any big purchases that you need a credit card for..

[Silverage]

The Gauge said:

Any recommendations for credit and bank cards to use when holidaying in USA please?

My current Barclaycard credit card charges me 2.99% for every purchase abroad, I can swap to their Barclaycard Rewards Visa card which doesn't charge abroad, but for the sake of one holiday I'd rather not, unless they let me switch back again?

As for bank cards, no doubt my Lloyds Visa bank card will also charge me, but I've heard that Chase are good but you have to load it up with cash from your current account? Probably meaning I can use my Lloyds app and transfer money over when I need extra?

Any recommendations please?

Halifax Clarity without a doubt. Don't worry about the mad rate for cash withdrawals - when we were in the US last year I didn't spend a single penny in cash, everything went on the card.

[fat80b]

Yes - nearly everything is card in the US now.

The only problem I had was luggage in the hotel where the bellboy wanted $5 a bag to hold on to the luggage and said cash only….

[matrignano]

Another one for Halifax Clarity.
My go to card to use abroad.

You could also go with Revolut but you need to pre-load local currency to it.
Useful if you also make payments in other currencies (I use it a lot for EUR payments), and has some decent insurances for about £100 a year.

[J210]

Creditcard like everyone else has said Halifax

If you want a bank account chase is one of the best. Esp as you can use chase ATM's for free

[TikTak]

Always use our Monzo accounts abroad. Nothing else gets anywhere near the exchange rates they offer.

[boyse7en]

Silverage said:

The Gauge said:

Any recommendations for credit and bank cards to use when holidaying in USA please?

My current Barclaycard credit card charges me 2.99% for every purchase abroad, I can swap to their Barclaycard Rewards Visa card which doesn't charge abroad, but for the sake of one holiday I'd rather not, unless they let me switch back again?

As for bank cards, no doubt my Lloyds Visa bank card will also charge me, but I've heard that Chase are good but you have to load it up with cash from your current account? Probably meaning I can use my Lloyds app and transfer money over when I need extra?

Any recommendations please?

Halifax Clarity without a doubt. Don't worry about the mad rate for cash withdrawals - when we were in the US last year I didn't spend a single penny in cash, everything went on the card.

Is the cash rate that mad? I know it starts immediately, but if you take out £100 the day you arrive, and pay it off when you return two weeks later it only costs you about £1 in interest (unless i've got my sums wrong).

[PistonBroker]

As already said, Halifax Clarity.

We got it for Florida in 2019 and used it again in LA last year.

It's our regular spending card these days - don't worry guys, cleared every month! - and the only issue I've found is when using it here the requirement for a PIN kicks in on a sub-£100 transaction more regularly than my other cards. Quite often the machine says declined and I get a pitying look from the person on the till!

That isn't a problem in the US of course as they still persist with taking it away and returning with it for an autograph.

[ro250]

Although not needed, another Clarity vote! A few years ago I realised just how much extra I was paying using (ironically) my Amex in America.

[davek_964]

I use Revolut when I travel abroad and the way it works suits me - it is another preload card though.

I did open a Starling account recently which is free to use abroad, but it's likely I will continue to use Revolut most of the time - the fact that you can have different balances for different currencies is a big positive for me.

[John87]

I used Revolut when I visited NYC. Not sure if it was a me problem or a card problem but tips never seemed to debit the card either which saved some cash

[spikyone]

I'd recommend a Chase account. No card fees, no cash withdrawal fees, cashback on your spending, interest (albeit minimal) on the current account balance, and a decent (though not quite market leading) instant access savings rate.

Keep your money in the savings and move the amount that you'll need into the current account every day or two, the app is dead easy to use, much better than Revolut's. By far the best option IMHO.

[The Gauge]

Well I've applied for a Halifax Clarity credit card which should arrive soon, I'll be using that for any sizeable purchases whilst in New York.

I'll be applying for a Chase account too for every day spending, and I'll pre load it before I travel. Useful that I'll be able to keep moving money across to it as and when needed, I assume I'd do that on the Chase app and drag money over from my Lloyds current account? Or would I use my Lloyds app to send money onto the Chase account? Can you do either?

[langtounlad]

I just put everything on the Halifax card and then paid it off when the account became due - simple + protection of using a credit card.

[The Gauge]

Wondering what to do for my 16yr old son who is coming with us.
I have Revolut set up for him on his iphone via Apple Pay, so when he needs spending money I go on my iPhone and top up his Revolut card.
Would I be able to carry on doing this whilst in New York so he can tap in/out of subway stations etc without him incurring costs each transaction?
Alternatively I could get him a Chase account for kids but would rather just use Revolut if possible.

[spikyone]

The Gauge said:

Well I've applied for a Halifax Clarity credit card which should arrive soon, I'll be using that for any sizeable purchases whilst in New York.

I'll be applying for a Chase account too for every day spending, and I'll pre load it before I travel. Useful that I'll be able to keep moving money across to it as and when needed, I assume I'd do that on the Chase app and drag money over from my Lloyds current account? Or would I use my Lloyds app to send money onto the Chase account? Can you do either?

Chase is just a normal bank account, so you'd transfer money to it in the same way as you do with your other bank accounts. It doesn't use linked accounts so AFAIK there's no way to "pull" money in from elsewhere, you'd have to use your Lloyds app to send money to it.