Are UK debit cards accepted in Spain (1 Viewer)

Jul 4, 2010
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We are off to Spain in around 6 weeks and it just occurred to us we don't know if fuel can be bought widely using a UK debit card?

There are loads of you out in Spain at the moment, how do you pay for fuel and are most fuel stations 24 hour?

Thanks
 

Destination Unknown

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Please check with your bank as most banks make a charge for using debit/credit cards abroad.

We used Nationwide and Halifax's Clarity credit cards as they don't charge for using abroad. I also understand that Santander do a card that you can use abroad without charge.

Enjoy your holiday.

Regards Brian and Chris
 
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Jul 4, 2010
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Please check with your bank as most banks make a charge for using debit/credit cards abroad.

[HI]We used Nationwide[/HI] and Halifax's Clarity [HI]credit cards as they don't charge for using abroad.[/HI] I also understand that Santander do a card that you can use abroad without charge.

Enjoy your holiday.

Regards Brian and Chris


Hello Brian & Chris

We live in France for about 6 months each year, we use Nationwide Debit cards in the main.
About a year ago they started to levy charges for using abroad although to be fair they give a good exchange rate which makes up for it a little.

For cash it's a £1 'cash' fee plus 2% commission. To pay for goods and services with their Debit card it's the 2% commission but not the £1 fee, therefore it's cheaper to never draw cash and pay everything with a Debit card here (France).

Of course it may be different with a Nationwide Credit card I don't know that.

We were last in Spain 10 years ago so not sure how things have changed in particular paying for fuel. We are so in the practice of paying with a Debit card here in France that we are hoping it's the same in Spain.

Thanks for your info though, may well be worth checking out the Halifax cards.

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Snowbird

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The Nationwide Select credit card can be used worldwide without charges and the bank rate on the day......Not tourist rates.

If you set it up so as to pay the full amount off every month you will get the best deal available.

As its Visa its excepted just about everywhere.

Some will tell you to take out pre pay cards.....Check it out first.
 
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What ever you do tell your bank/card issuer that you are going abroad. A few years ago we told our bank we were going to Greece, However when we were on Corfu the ATM ate one of our cards.:cry: The bank must have had a geographically challenged worker dealing with our account and didn't realise Corfu was part of Greece:Doh:
 
OP
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Jul 4, 2010
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The Nationwide Select credit card can be used worldwide without charges and the bank rate on the day......Not tourist rates.

If you set it up so as to pay the full amount off every month you will get the best deal available.

As its Visa its excepted just about everywhere.

Some will tell you to take out pre pay cards.....Check it out first.

So that's the way to get around it, that's what Brian and Chris were trying to tell me.

The Nationwide Debit card was commission and fee free too up until a year ago, by placing these charges on Debit card transactions they increased our French cost of living by 2% overnight, not good.

Thanks Dave

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Forestboy

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To answer the question "Yes" we use our debit cards all over europe including Spain only ever had one problem. In Portugal in a Lidl store last year the cashier would not accept cards from any tourists, only locals, so we had to pay cash.
 
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stagman

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We are off to Spain in around 6 weeks and it just occurred to us we don't know if fuel can be bought widely using a UK debit card?

There are loads of you out in Spain at the moment, how do you pay for fuel and are most fuel stations 24 hour?

Thanks

I take very little cash with me but depend on my HSBC debit and credit cards never had any problems ,but as said previously notify your bank before you travel :thumb:
 
OP
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Jul 4, 2010
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To answer the question "Yes" we use our debit cards all over europe including Spain only ever had one problem. In Portugal in a Lidl store last year the cashier would not accept cards from any tourists, only locals, so we had to pay cash.

Thanks Forestboy, just want what we wanted to hear

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Mar 21, 2009
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We spend several months a year abroad and have used a Nationwide [HI]DEBIT[/HI] card all over Europe and never had it refused, however since the introduction of charges we now use our Nationwide [HI]CREDIT[/HI] card for as much as possible, petrol, meals, tickets, shopping etc.. as we get the good business exchange rate and no extra charges. Just pay the whole balance off when due (can be set up automatically for this) or transfer money onto the card before you go. Don't draw cash from a cash machine on the [HI]CREDIT[/HI] card or you will pay a charge the same as in the UK.
 
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We've found that all credit & debit cards are accepted in Spain.::bigsmile:

However, LIDL in Spain DO NOT accept any HSBC card - debit or credit.:cry:

Also, some of the smaller local banks sometimes dont recognise UK cards.

But, our HSBC Debit card is FREE to use all over Europe.:roflmto:

Cheers

Billkce
 

keith

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We use the debit card all over Europe, never been refused since the EU sorted it all out few years ago, then debit cards were a no no but they are accepted now.
We are fortunate as we have a Cumberland B S account and they do not charge any fees to use it abroad.

If you live in their area the Cimberland card will be available to you.

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John & Joan

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In Spain we found that if you used a card in a supermarket they also wanted to see your passport as proof of ID.

We had no problems using our cards anywhere in France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Belgium or Holand.

Some Self Service fuel pumps will not accept UK cards we found.

John
 

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