Minxy
LIFE MEMBER
- Aug 22, 2007
- 34,811
- 75,482
- Funster No
- 149
- MH
- Carthago Compactline
- Exp
- Since 1996, had Elddis/Swift/Rapido/Rimor/Chausson MHs. Autocruise/Globecar PVCs/Compactline i-138
ZING: - MSE Zing info
This is a pre-paid card which you put £ on and convert to the currency you want - I've just got one to use as a back-up to Revolut, more info on MSE site (above link), also a comparison of Zing, Revolut and Starling: Zing review (there are other reviews if you google).
There's no fee for joining Zing and no fee for the physical card (no P&P either), you can convert £500 pcm for free, thereafter there's a 0.2% charge. You can make 1 ATM withdrawal abroad up to £500 with no fee from Zing (just make sure the ATM doesn't charge), thereafter a £2 charge (or equivalent) per withdrawal. If you want me to refer you we'll both get £30 - info: https://zing.me/legal/referral-october.html
REVOLUT: MSE Revolut info
This is another pre-paid card which you load with £ and convert to the currency you want, eg €, when the rate is good/when you need it. I'll just refer to the standard card from now on - each month you can convert £1,000 fee free and get 5 free ATM withdrawals to a max of £200 in total, then fees apply (excluding the ATM provider if they charge). We use this at ATMs abroad to get € as/when we need them rather than having to get cash before we go.
Info about this card is on the MSE site too. I can refer you and you'll get £10 once you use the card 3 times, info: https://www.revolut.com/revolut-18-refer-a-friend/ There's a £4.99 delivery charge for the standard plan card but the £10 covers that.
CURVE: Curve info
This is different in that you link your UK cards (credit or debit) to Curve and then can purchase items etc with them via the Curve card so you don't get any foreign use charges - great if, like us, you have a UK 0% interest spending card that charges for foreign use but as the transaction goes via Curve it is seen as a UK one so no fee!
On the free plan you can spend £250 a month abroad with no fees (not ATMs though!). We've used it a lot and the only thing you have to watch for is weekend/UK bank holidays as you get a 1.5% fee applied due to the UK markets being closed but it's not a lot and got us out of trouble once when our other cards wouldn't work at a fuel station on a Saturday. When abroad we use it for virtually all of our purchases although you need to be aware that if you use a pay-at-pump fuel station where they temporarily 'allocate' a €100/€150 or so debit you may initially get charged a fee by Curve if it takes you over the £250 spending for the month but that is credited back once the actual cost is transacted and takes you below £250 again.
There's a referral bonus so you'll get £10 if I refer you and you meet their terms (not difficult!) although there is a £5.99 delivery charge for the Curve Pay (standard) plan but if you're thinking of getting it anyway the £10 will more than cover that, info: https://www.curve.com/en-gb/subscriptions/?ref=all-in-one-person
If anyone wants referring for any of these let me know.
This is a pre-paid card which you put £ on and convert to the currency you want - I've just got one to use as a back-up to Revolut, more info on MSE site (above link), also a comparison of Zing, Revolut and Starling: Zing review (there are other reviews if you google).
There's no fee for joining Zing and no fee for the physical card (no P&P either), you can convert £500 pcm for free, thereafter there's a 0.2% charge. You can make 1 ATM withdrawal abroad up to £500 with no fee from Zing (just make sure the ATM doesn't charge), thereafter a £2 charge (or equivalent) per withdrawal. If you want me to refer you we'll both get £30 - info: https://zing.me/legal/referral-october.html
REVOLUT: MSE Revolut info
This is another pre-paid card which you load with £ and convert to the currency you want, eg €, when the rate is good/when you need it. I'll just refer to the standard card from now on - each month you can convert £1,000 fee free and get 5 free ATM withdrawals to a max of £200 in total, then fees apply (excluding the ATM provider if they charge). We use this at ATMs abroad to get € as/when we need them rather than having to get cash before we go.
Info about this card is on the MSE site too. I can refer you and you'll get £10 once you use the card 3 times, info: https://www.revolut.com/revolut-18-refer-a-friend/ There's a £4.99 delivery charge for the standard plan card but the £10 covers that.
CURVE: Curve info
This is different in that you link your UK cards (credit or debit) to Curve and then can purchase items etc with them via the Curve card so you don't get any foreign use charges - great if, like us, you have a UK 0% interest spending card that charges for foreign use but as the transaction goes via Curve it is seen as a UK one so no fee!
On the free plan you can spend £250 a month abroad with no fees (not ATMs though!). We've used it a lot and the only thing you have to watch for is weekend/UK bank holidays as you get a 1.5% fee applied due to the UK markets being closed but it's not a lot and got us out of trouble once when our other cards wouldn't work at a fuel station on a Saturday. When abroad we use it for virtually all of our purchases although you need to be aware that if you use a pay-at-pump fuel station where they temporarily 'allocate' a €100/€150 or so debit you may initially get charged a fee by Curve if it takes you over the £250 spending for the month but that is credited back once the actual cost is transacted and takes you below £250 again.
There's a referral bonus so you'll get £10 if I refer you and you meet their terms (not difficult!) although there is a £5.99 delivery charge for the Curve Pay (standard) plan but if you're thinking of getting it anyway the £10 will more than cover that, info: https://www.curve.com/en-gb/subscriptions/?ref=all-in-one-person
If anyone wants referring for any of these let me know.