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CREDIT CARDS ABROAD – WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Cheapflights.co.uk, the UK’s leading flight price comparison site, has researched credit card charges

abroad to give travellers a better idea of what to expect when paying by plastic. The findings included

APR* on purchases, ATM fees and interest fees charged for cash withdrawals when abroad, as well as emergency telephone numbers.

 

Travelling with a Bank of Scotland One credit card will help shop-till-you-drop consumers breathe easy with APR on purchases abroad coming in the lowest at 9.90%. This is in contrast to Marks & Spencer &MORE and Nationwide BS Classic cards which both charge 17.90% on purchases. ATM withdrawal fees range from 1.5% to 3% and minimum charges start at £2. Capital One credit card users face the highest minimum charge – a whopping £5 is the price they will pay for getting cash out overseas.

 

Frustratingly for Cheapflights fliers, the interest rate for cash withdrawals abroad will often incur a much higher rate than normal transactions. BarclayCard Platinum credit card holders will be charged a steep 27.90% on cash withdrawals. Travelling with an HSBC Premier credit card is a better option with a low interest rate of 11.9%. Overall, with all charges taken into account the HSBC Premier credit card is one of the best options for frequent duty-free shoppers. The most expensive is Capital One which is hampered by its high withdrawal fee.

 

David Soskin, CEO of Cheapflights comments: “As a price comparison website we are focused on looking at the best deals for our site users. The emergency telephone number guide should prove particularly useful in case of any unexpected situations arising - holidaymakers can rest assured credit card help is only a phone call away.”

 

The credit cards abroad page will be joining others in the helpful travel tips pages, which can all be found at www.cheapflights.co.uk/travel-tips

 

*Annual Percentage Rate

Credit card company

APR on purchases
(In addition, transactions subject to conversion fee usually in the region of 2.75%)

ATM cash withdrawal fee

Interest rate for cash withdrawals
(Often these incur a much higher rate of interest than normal transactions.)

Emergency number

American Express Platinum

15.90%

3% (min £3)

25.90%

+44 127 3696 933

Bank of Ireland Standard

16.90%

1.5% (min £3)

19.16%

+353 56 775 7007

 

Bank of Scotland One

9.90%

2.5% (min £3)

22.95%

+44 845 300 0344

Barclaycard Platinum

14.90%

2.5% (min £2.50)

27.90%

+44 160 4230 230

British Airways American Express

15.90%

2.5% (min £2.50)

23.60%

+44 808 100 2255

Capital One

15.90%

3% (min £5)

25.90%

+44 115 993 8002

First Direct Gold

16.90%

2.5% (min £2.50)

21.90%

+44 113 234 5678

HSBC

15.90%

2.5% (min £2.50)

21.90%

+44 144 2422 929

HSBC Premier

11.90%

2.5% (min £2.50)

11.90%

+44 144 2422 929

Lloyds TSB Platinum

15.90%

2.5% (min £2.50)

24.90%

+44 1702 278 270

Marks & Spencer &MORE

17.90%

2.5% (min £2.50)

20.90%

+44 1244 879 080

Nationwide BS Classic

17.90%

2% (min £2)

21.90%

+44 126 8 567 213

Nationwide BS Gold

15.90%

2% (min £2)

18.90%

+44 126 8 567 213

Natwest Classic

13.90%

2.5% (min £2.50)

24.90%

+44  1423 700 545

Saga

16.90%

2% (min £2)

21.90%

+44 126 8 298 807

Sainsburys Bank Advantage

13.90%

2.5% (min £2.50)

19.95%

+44 131 549 8040

Sainsburys Bank Platinum

15.90%

2.5% (min £2.50)

19.95%

+44 131 549 8040

Tesco Clubcard Credit card

16.90%

2% (min £2)

22.48%

+44 845 300 4278