Euro bank account with cashcard- help please?
Discussion
Occasional poster would be grateful for some advice.
My wife has just taken a job where she will be paid in euros- for the moment the organisation concerned does not possess the ability to pay her in sterling. Our UK bank has failed to live up to its advertising blurb by suggesting that whilst they would be delighted to open a euro current account for her (with no minimum balance, it must be said) they do not offer a cashcard that she can use to obtain euros from the hole in the wall whilst she is away in Europe. there seems to be no explanation for this- my surmise is that they would rather she used our UK joint current account to withdraw euros, attracting a 2% handling fee and a favourable (for them) exchange rate, than to provide her with such a service?
Does anyone know of a bank, European or UK, that would offer such a service? The private bank route generally seems to require two accounts, one sterling and one euro, with a requirement to maintain a large balance in each (typically 5000 in the currency of each account, with low interest rate....) and I'm not keen to keep C10K tied up in such a fashion....
There will be a decent balance flowing through the account on an annual basis so must be in a bank's interest to deal with her- we wanted to keep the whole thing in one place but reckoned without the inevitable commercial greed of a substantially public-owned banking institution...
Any help gratefully received!
My wife has just taken a job where she will be paid in euros- for the moment the organisation concerned does not possess the ability to pay her in sterling. Our UK bank has failed to live up to its advertising blurb by suggesting that whilst they would be delighted to open a euro current account for her (with no minimum balance, it must be said) they do not offer a cashcard that she can use to obtain euros from the hole in the wall whilst she is away in Europe. there seems to be no explanation for this- my surmise is that they would rather she used our UK joint current account to withdraw euros, attracting a 2% handling fee and a favourable (for them) exchange rate, than to provide her with such a service?
Does anyone know of a bank, European or UK, that would offer such a service? The private bank route generally seems to require two accounts, one sterling and one euro, with a requirement to maintain a large balance in each (typically 5000 in the currency of each account, with low interest rate....) and I'm not keen to keep C10K tied up in such a fashion....
There will be a decent balance flowing through the account on an annual basis so must be in a bank's interest to deal with her- we wanted to keep the whole thing in one place but reckoned without the inevitable commercial greed of a substantially public-owned banking institution...
Any help gratefully received!
Euro / sterling / dollar account
£2500 or 2500 euro min balance or £20 per month
cash cards in all currencies
http://www.lloydstsb-offshore.com/international-cu...
other than that since Nation wide stopped free international cash withdrawal on their current accounts the cheapest way to get cash abroad seems to be ...
a Halifax credit card
free withdrawal, max of 1% interest.. less if you pay it off immediately
http://www.halifax.co.uk/creditcards/clarity.asp
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-trav...
hope this helps
Custard
£2500 or 2500 euro min balance or £20 per month
cash cards in all currencies
http://www.lloydstsb-offshore.com/international-cu...
other than that since Nation wide stopped free international cash withdrawal on their current accounts the cheapest way to get cash abroad seems to be ...
a Halifax credit card
free withdrawal, max of 1% interest.. less if you pay it off immediately
http://www.halifax.co.uk/creditcards/clarity.asp
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-trav...
hope this helps
Custard
Many thanks for all suggestions so far- will follow them up. We're also currently investigating opening an account with the bank that handles her company business in Brussels (KBC)- have also heard good things, as mentioned, about Citi- low maintained balance it appears. Still seems odd that a UK major would be unable to offer a cashcard on a euro account- our 'private banker' was very embarrassed when he told us that no such facility existed, but couldn't explain why....
KBC's website is also in English, which may help, and there's a phone number quoted too.
https://www.kbc.be/IPA/D9e01/~E/~KBC/-
It's not difficult to get an account. KBC will probably ask for proof of employment, e.g. copy of your wife's contract, and to take a copy of her passport.
https://www.kbc.be/IPA/D9e01/~E/~KBC/-
It's not difficult to get an account. KBC will probably ask for proof of employment, e.g. copy of your wife's contract, and to take a copy of her passport.
worpdrive said:
Many thanks for all suggestions so far- will follow them up. We're also currently investigating opening an account with the bank that handles her company business in Brussels (KBC)- have also heard good things, as mentioned, about Citi- low maintained balance it appears. Still seems odd that a UK major would be unable to offer a cashcard on a euro account- our 'private banker' was very embarrassed when he told us that no such facility existed, but couldn't explain why....
Out of interet, which Private Bank was this? Quite surprised by thisActually, MrSneak, misinterpreted your question- we have an account with Natwest 'Private Bank' and it was they who couldn't offer this cashcard facility- I thought you were referring to the minimum balances to which I referred in the original post- that was Cater Allen. Apol's for confusion...
Actually, MrSneak, misinterpreted your question- we have an account with Natwest 'Private Bank' and it was they who couldn't offer this cashcard facility- I thought you were referring to the minimum balances to which I referred in the original post- that was Cater Allen. Apol's for confusion...
Many folk with second homes in France use www.britline.com - basic account with hole in wall card & English speaking staff - possibility of electronic payments too in a creaky way
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