credit cards

[Robert5988]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:We have just got back from Florida and refused to use anything except our Nationwide DEBIT Card on this trip (plus some dollars cash) I loaded the Nationwide Flex Account with a few thousand pounds plus arranged a free overdraft should we need more on average we got $2+ to every pound spent the only charge was from Bank of America ATM's so I avoid them now

We also have Lloydstsb accounts and have been stung with charges over the years but never again[/quote]

Glad you have been converted Julie!

I honestly can't understand why there is any further discussion on this subject.

Nothing, but nothing, beats Nationwide 'plastic'(credit or debit cards) for spending $$$$ in the USA.

Yet people still seem to get TCs.

I can understand people wanting to use other cards like Virgin to get Airmiles; but is it worth 6 cents in every £ you spend?

I collect AA miles and have a Citibank Credit card that I use in UK for AA miles - but I wouldn't dream of using it in the USA.

[chrisflowers]

I agree Robert. No contest here.

Nationwide every time.

[bargainqueen]

For years whenever I used my visa card abroad I would have to do a calculation for the exchange rate for each purchase then the law changed and they had to show you what they were actually charged you for each transaction. I was stunned when I read what I was giving the Bank each time I used it. I knew it was a couple of cents on the dollar but to see the amount shown in black and white on the statment made me realise I should do something about this. Afterall I'm a serious shopper and we're talking another couple of outfits when it was all added up. Better in my pocket than a Bank's.

I opened up a flex account on line with Nationwide which I use for overseas holidays only. This doesn't have to be your main bank account, I have a debit card which I use to draw out local currency on my trips to Spain and Florida.

It's the perfect solution for us and we've used them for the past two years, only experienced one problem when I shopped in a store which changed the currencey into £'s without asking me. Next trip when I went into same store I paid cash, once bitten twice shy.

I load up the account with a enough for the holiday. You can draw out £300 a day and at beginning of trip we draw out $500 a day, nearing the end we draw out what we need + some for our next visit. We always have money over at the end and can spend it however we want. With t/c's depending how much you have left you have the dilema do I cash them or leave them til next trip.

Maisy check your statment and see what rate you were being charged for each purchase, then compare it with what the tourist rate was at the time. With Nationwide you get the businesss rate which is around 5c higher than tourist, this is what Lloyds is also getting so the difference between the two is what you are being charged. If they are not showing you the breakdown then it will be quite hard to calculate but even a simple what rate did I get for this will give you a rough idea. Then add another 4c say to the tourist rate and recalculate what it would have cost if you had used a Nationwide credit card.
Drawing money out of an ATM is free unless the American bank levy a charge, I use the ATM's in Walmart and Publix without any problem at all.