Bank accounts for Spain and portugal (1 Viewer)

[Dorset Diver]

Ahhh so much info I have brain freeze lol

I don't actually have a credit card never needed one and not sure they would give me one if I'm not working for a year.
I'll have a look at the revolut card that seems an idea and I'm going to go in to my local Santander branch tomorrow and ask them for advice on having an account with them.

I tend to use my debit card for fuel gas supermarket shops etc but cash for smaller purchases

Doing that abroad I would expect to have bank charges added either by my own bank or that of the trader, or both.

 

[Northernraider]

Doing that I would expect to have bank charges added either by my own bank or that of the trader, or both.

Yes I meant that's what I do here in the UK

I've never been abroad for more than 2 weeks at a time before in my life and therefore always just carried cash with me.

 

[Freespirit1]

Thanks for the info I'll go look at some of these options

Open an account in Ireland who's currency is the Euro

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[cantonalegod]

To be fair though the better conversion rates pretty much pays for the 2% fee anyway.

Not unless they are giving you 2% over bank rate! Clarity uses pretty much pure bank rate.

 

[Reallyretired]

I find Caxton for cash and Halifax Clarity for purchases works fine for me. I don't use a lot of cash either at home or abroad and the Clarity card is set up to pay off the balance every month so no interest. The marginally better exchange rate on Revolut would not save me anything significant so not worth the bother of applying.

 

[Northernraider]

I think I'll ask about the Halifax clarity tomorrow as I bank with Halifax at the minute and still working till end of month so might work out

I don't actually use a lot of cash myself when I think about it ...its mostly for small item purchases as everything fuel and shopping currently goes on my debit card

Can only ask them I guess

Will have a look at the revolut and caxton cards too

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[cantonalegod]

I find Caxton for cash and Halifax Clarity for purchases works fine for me. I don't use a lot of cash either at home or abroad and the Clarity card is set up to pay off the balance every month so no interest. The marginally better exchange rate on Revolut would not save me anything significant so not worth the bother of applying.

We have a dd to pay off the balance every month, but with cash withdrawals as soon as it appears on the account i pay it off via the app, so no interest.

 

[mojo]

Advice from a Halifax employee -use the credit card to take out money and pay it off online same day.One days interest charge but nothing else.Works with any CC ?

 

[Just smiffy]

Advice from a Halifax employee -use the credit card to take out money and pay it off online same day.One days interest charge but nothing else.Works with any CC ?

???
Most cards you have 59 days to pay it off with no interest......

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[Just smiffy]

???
Most cards you have 59 days to pay it off with no interest......

Ahhh just seen, it may be different for cash withdrawal.....

 

[Just smiffy]

For information: if you draw cash out overseas on your credit card it may affect your credit score....

 

[mojo]

Lucky we dont need credit anymore then

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[Minxy]

Not unless they are giving you 2% over bank rate! Clarity uses pretty much pure bank rate.

You are mixing up taking out cash from an ATM with making a purchase - if you use a credit card to withdraw cash from an ATM you will more than likely be charged interest from the moment you do so, some also charge a transaction fee too, but with a few of the preloaded/cash cards you don't get any of these charges.

 

[Minxy]

I think I'll ask about the Halifax clarity tomorrow as I bank with Halifax at the minute and still working till end of month so might work out

I don't actually use a lot of cash myself when I think about it ...its mostly for small item purchases as everything fuel and shopping currently goes on my debit card

Can only ask them I guess

Will have a look at the revolut and caxton cards too

You don't have to tell them you're giving up work ... the application is normally based on the situation at the time you apply along with your previous history, not your future ...

 

[Northernraider]

You don't have to tell them you're giving up work ... the application is normally based on the situation at the time you apply along with your previous history, not your future ...

Yeah that's my thinking

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[Northernraider]

I'm losing the will to live with Halifax

It's a Halifax acvount I have but my branch is bank of Scotland and so is my internet banking so to change my account from one I pay for to a basic account I need to do it over the phone to Halifax....cant do it in branch or online apparently.
Guess what ......3 days I've been trying to phone and still a 20 minute waiting on the phone
I also can only apply for the Halifax clarity card over the phone too

And of course while yiur on hold some bloody robot repeats every 2 minutes that you can do most things online to save time ....only not the bloody thing im trying to do.

 

[cantonalegod]

You are mixing up taking out cash from an ATM with making a purchase - if you use a credit card to withdraw cash from an ATM you will more than likely be charged interest from the moment you do so, some also charge a transaction fee too, but with a few of the preloaded/cash cards you don't get any of these charges.

Clarity Purchases = bank rate, plus usual interest free period, pay off in full by dd.

Clarity Cash Withdrawals = bank rate, pay off on Halifax app next day, NO INTEREST TO PAY.

No confusion this end!

 

[Northernraider]

Clarity Purchases = bank rate, plus usual interest free period, pay off in full by dd.

Clarity Cash Withdrawals = bank rate, pay off on Halifax app next day, NO INTEREST TO PAY.

No confusion this end!

I managed to get a clarity card

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[Al-Di]

make sure you let them know what countries you are visiting,

 

[Minxy]

Clarity Purchases = bank rate, plus usual interest free period, pay off in full by dd.

Clarity Cash Withdrawals = bank rate, pay off on Halifax app next day, NO INTEREST TO PAY.

No confusion this end!

Well there is for the OP as you're using your credit card like a cash card, great if you can manage it that way but not everyone wants to have to keep logging on and paying it off every time they take money out, assuming of course that they can get an internet connection.

 

[cantonalegod]

Well there is for the OP as you're using your credit card like a cash card, great if you can manage it that way but not everyone wants to have to keep logging on and paying it off every time they take money out, assuming of course that they can get an internet connection.

Well it is about the best cashcard you can get! I can withdraw up to €500 if required, at bank rate, so i'm not going to be using it everyday for cash. Is it a great hardship to log onto a smartphone once every couple of weeks, or maybe a lot longer between, to make a payment. I don't need a wifi internet connection, i can use 3g or 4g on my phone. Takes, like, less than a minute. Simples

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[Northernraider]

Well it is about the best cashcard you can get! I can withdraw up to €500 if required, at bank rate, so i'm not going to be using it everyday for cash. Is it a great hardship to log onto a smartphone once every couple of weeks, or maybe a lot longer between, to make a payment. Why would i need an internet connection, i can use 3g or 4g on my phone? Takes, like, less than a minute. Simples

I think I'll be doing the same

 

[cantonalegod]

I think I'll be doing the same

Very sensible It's worked very well for us in Spain in the past. Before we got our currencyfair account for larger amounts, and needed cash for building work on our Spanish place, we were going everyday and withdrawing €500 from the outside cashpoint, then walking in through the door, and paying the cash into our Spanish bank account We were getting a rate better than Currencyfair and all the other FX companies, and then paying it off via the app straight away. It was a pain everyday, but for normal usage it is ideal...can moneysavingexpert be that wrong? On some trips we use the Clarity just for cash, if needed, and our Nationwide for other purchases, to keep them both in use.

 

[Minxy]

Well it is about the best cashcard you can get! I can withdraw up to €500 if required, at bank rate, so i'm not going to be using it everyday for cash. Is it a great hardship to log onto a smartphone once every couple of weeks, or maybe a lot longer between, to make a payment. I don't need a wifi internet connection, i can use 3g or 4g on my phone. Takes, like, less than a minute. Simples

I didn't mention WIFI ... I actually said an internet connection and that is what you use on your phone ... yes really ... or did you think it just magically connected to fresh air????

It may be okay for you but it won't necessarily be the same for others, hence my trying to 'clarify' the difference between what you suggest and a 'true' pre-loaded cash card so as not to confuse the issue.

Sarcasm doesn't suit you by the way ...

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[cantonalegod]

I didn't mention WIFI ... I actually said an internet connection and that is what you use on your phone ... yes really ... or did you think it just magically connected to fresh air????

It may be okay for you but it won't necessarily be the same for others, hence my trying to 'clarify' the difference between what you suggest and a 'true' pre-loaded cash card so as not to confuse the issue.

Sarcasm doesn't suit you by the way ...

 

[cantonalegod]

Haha...no sarcasm there then!

Doesn't bother me which method people use, but the Clarity card is endorsed by Martin Lewis, (along with another one or two cards), and it (they) is (are) clearly the cheapest way to get cash abroad, as long as you pay the balance asap.

Don't want to turn it into a war of words, it's supposed to be informative.

If people find it too fiddly, then do it a different way!

Merry Christmas!

 

[2657]

Is it a great hardship to log onto a smartphone

It is if you haven't got one

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[2657]

As an aside to this thread I have recently found out out that the Nationwide Flexplus account does not offer fee free foreign currency transactions, only fee free cash withdrawals.

 

[Freespirit1]

I'm losing the will to live with Halifax

It's a Halifax acvount I have but my branch is bank of Scotland and so is my internet banking so to change my account from one I pay for to a basic account I need to do it over the phone to Halifax....cant do it in branch or online apparently.
Guess what ......3 days I've been trying to phone and still a 20 minute waiting on the phone
I also can only apply for the Halifax clarity card over the phone too

And of course while yiur on hold some bloody robot repeats every 2 minutes that you can do most things online to save time ....only not the bloody thing im trying to do.

I'm going to repeat what I said very briefly in my earlier post.

You have the time to apply for an Irish bank account - if you go for Ulster bank they are in Northern Ireland and in Southern Ireland - you open a current account in Southern Ireland and are issued with a Debit card - this card is a Euro account debit card and can be used in exactly the same way you use your Sterling debit cards. As @BreweryDave said in his earlier post - you simply put Euros into that account as and when required and hopefully at a time when the exchange rate is reasonable.

This is basically the same as what @BreweryDave has said about opening a Spanish account - the only difference is you are doing it with an English speaking nation and will probably be a lot easier.

 

[Minxy]

http://digital.ulsterbank.ie/personal/current-accounts/non-roi-eu-residents.html?intcam=U_PC_

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