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Thread ID: 84281	2007-10-31 06:12:00	Taking money overseas when travelling	somebody (208)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
606823	2007-10-31 07:22:00	Cheers guys - as far as I know my bank is part of the "Plus" group, though I think using Visa would be safer. If my understanding is correct, then if I put money into my credit card so that it's in positive figures (as WMG suggests), then when I withdraw that cash overseas I won't be charged interest? As long as your account is in credit you will earn about 3-4% interest although you will get charged international currency charges on top on any withdrawal fees. So make a few big withdrawals only to save on the charges.	winmacguy (3367)
606824	2007-10-31 07:28:00	As long as your account is in credit you will earn about 3-4% interest I think you will find that only a few banks offer this. BNZ did one stage (not sure if they still do), but many other banks do not.	Jen (38)
606825	2007-10-31 07:31:00	My daughter is in the UK at the moment. To give an idea of fees I checked her bank account - she has been using her cash flow card on her tertiary account in ATM machines. Details follow: GBP 200.00 ASDA OADBYat 0.3722* $537.29 09 October OffshoreServiceMargins**$5.91 09 OctoberVISA DEBIT Overseas ATMFee$5.00 Ah - doesn't seem as bad as I'd thought. What bank is she with? In terms of where I'm going, I don't want to reveal too much on a public forum, so all I'll say is that it's a developed country on-par with NZ standards, which means there won't be any need for bribe money etc. The actual function I'm going to is 3 days long, but I'm taking the opportunity to do a bit of sightseeing while I'm there - a total of about 12 days.	somebody (208)
606826	2007-10-31 07:33:00	I think you will find that only a few banks offer this. BNZ did one stage (not sure if they still do), but many other banks do not. I don't think I earn interest when my card is in credit (National Bank), but that's not a big concern for me.	somebody (208)
606827	2007-10-31 07:35:00	Remember too....fees and currency conversion costs are a fact of life when travelling. Banks etc are there to make money, not make you happy. Too many people overrate their "value" as a customer. Chances are they are in the 92% that banks just love to lose..... IF it worries you, get over it and allow for them in any budgeting. And most importantly, have a good trip! That should be your priority,	allblack (6574)
606828	2007-10-31 07:46:00	Just be careful if you use a credit card in places like a restaurant. Make sure you can see the person at all times who takes the card and swipes it. Don't let them take it out the back or something. We were on holiday last year and didn't even think of this and someone must have taken a copy of the credit card somewhere as the day after we got back in NZ I got a call from the bank saying that someone had just tried to use our credit card in Brazil! One of the things we used was this (http://www.cashpassport.co.nz/). You can use it at ATMs and it is not linked to your bank accounts - You prepay before you leave and can add more if needed.	CYaBro (73)
606829	2007-10-31 08:25:00	Don't put all your eggs in one basket though, because it only takes a wayward ATM to eat your card one weekend or for you to lose your card to cause financial havoc. The other thing to be aware of is that if you have a joint account Visa and the other account holder loses their card then the account will be frozen and you won't be able to use it. This happened to a friend whilst she was overseas. Her hubby back in NZ lost his wallet two days after she arrived in Oz and ruined her holiday because she was relying on her Visa card for money and had no backup account or travellers cheques to use.	FoxyMX (5)
606830	2007-10-31 14:30:00	Other than between NZ and Australia, there are double exchange costs with Visa, The local currency is changed to USD then again on changed to NZD, collecting two hots of exchange commission. If you are going to Europe for a protracted period open a UK account in a British Branch of a NZ Bank in NZ before you go, transfer funds and get a UK Cash card than can be used throughout the EEC in Euros. A direct bank to bank TT costs the least in forex fees.	KenESmith (6287)
606831	2007-10-31 18:01:00	Two points: 1. Have a contingency plan if you lose your credit card or get robbed. Keep the NZ phone number handy. 2. Take some cash. Stash it away in a safe place such as a sash under your shirt. Depending on which countries you go to, $ US Dollars are the generally the best to have; NZ currency should be ok to exchange in (western) Europe. If you return to NZ with foreign currency, keep in mind that some of it cannot be exchanged in NZ - e.g. Indian Rupees.	Morpheus1 (186)
606832	2007-10-31 18:04:00	Travellers cheques always did it for me. And a helpful hint is to email yourself at your Gmail address the cheque numbers, in case of loss.	Greg (193)
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