Best uk card / bank to use

[nedders]

Hi There

I am arriving in BA in a few weeks time from the Uk (staying for about 6 months), and would like to know
which is the best card / bank to use to save overall

eg) atm charges,

uk bank charges and fees etc.

Any advice I would be grateful for, as at current i have
a Natwest Debit card, and i read that its pretty poor

Cheers

ps..sorry if this question has previously been asked

 

[palermochica]

Hsbc premier but fx conversion is a bit cr*p. Very useful is the emergency cash advance (up to US$2000) which is time consuming but really handy if you need to pay rent.

Haven't ever been charged the cash machine operator charge mentioned below.


http://www.hsbc.co.uk/1/2/personal/hsbc-premier/overview/worldwide-support/travel-benefits

Use your HSBC Premier International Debit Card at cash machines worldwide without any ATM transaction fee from HSBC*. Withdraw up to £1,000 per day.
Some cash machine operators may apply a direct charge for withdrawals from their cash machines. This will be advised on screen at the time of withdrawal.
* Any foreign currency debit card payments (including cash withdrawals) are converted to sterling by VISA or MasterCard (as appropriate) using wholesale market rates applying on the day the conversion is made. These transactions are subject to our foreign exchange charge of 2.75%. We will deduct the payment from your account once we receive details of the payment from the card scheme, at the latest the next working day. Details of the current wholesale market rates can be obtained by calling us on the usual telephone numbers.

 

[elhombresinnombre]

I can't argue with Palermochica because I've never used an HSBC Premier account in Bs As. I have tried to use an ordinary HSBC card and failed - even inside an HSBC branch. Maybe I went to the wrong branch.

My recommendation would be the Nationwide FlexAccount. This used to be free but now they charge a 1% fee which is still a lot lower than most. The exchange rate is the Visa Forex rate which again is lower than many banks who set their own rates. Beware of UK supermarket banks which, it has recently been revealed, use their own exchange rates which bear no relation to anything else..

I've had no difficulty using my FlexAccount card in any machines in Bs As but some of them do try to charge the local machine fee. The Rio Santander branch in Villa Devoto doesn't charge and neither does the machine at... (fx: quickly shuffles through wallet for machine receipts) 629 Corrientes in the city - which I think is Banco Patagonia.

 

[tangobob]

You need to decide how often you will be withdrawing cash. There is a charge every time you withdraw with Natwest (was $6 when I was with them) There is a monthly charge of £12.95 for the HSBC premier account,
If you use a credit card you not only pay the withdrawal charge but also interest from the moment you withdraw.
On a credit card you get a better exchange rate but the charges eat away any advantage.
NEVER EVER use travelers cheques, not only do you get ripped off at both ends but you will have trouble cashing them in BsAs.
The cheapest option is to bring money with you, you can bring the equivelent of $10,000 but of course there are risks involed in this strategy. If you are staying somewhere safe and use a remis from the airport you should be OK. The banks will give you the best rates, Thomas Cook and the post office offer no commision but their spread is such that this is accedemic.
All in all the best strategy, for me, is to bring as much as I feel safe with and then use my HSBC premier account.
You must, of course make your own choices, based on any information given here.

 

[jago25_98]

afaik no uk bank refunds the 16 peso charge leviied by the argentine banking network, unlike some us banks.

Cards not charging abroad include norwich and peterbourgh debit card and metrobank london for cash.

A preloaded halifax clarity credit card also has no charge or low charge if early repay.

Santander zero is zero fee credit card but massive cash fees as usual.

most the above are mastercard which is often not accepted here i'm finding for being too expensive. So i've gone for the n&p debit instead for next time. Not sure about metro

The old nationwide one is discontinued btw.

 

[elhombresinnombre]

The old nationwide one is discontinued btw.

As I said above, it works for me. Are you referring to the old zero percent transaction charge which is replaced by a one percent charge? Or has something else changed that I ought to get to know about?

TIA

 

[nedders]

is there the option of bringing over a sum of money, and putting it in a local bank to avoid the load fee and cash withdrawal fee?

for example..santander, as i am a member of them in uk.

or is not possiblé

 

[palermochica]

You need to decide how often you will be withdrawing cash. There is a charge every time you withdraw with Natwest (was $6 when I was with them) There is a monthly charge of £12.95 for the HSBC premier account,

I believe there is only a charge if you don't meet the criteria for the account.

 

[jenh]

HSBC premier is free of monthly charges if you maintain the minimum balance. That differs depending on what country you open an account in. They do not charge at ATMs and refund on the first of the month any charges levied by Banelco or similar (around 4 usd each time you withdraw).

HSBC may also let you open an account here as a foreigner if you have Premier. There is no charge to wire or transfer between premier accounts, so you would then have the ability to move money to pesos and use your local debit card.

As a crazy idea, you have 90 days to achieve the minimum balance.. I wonder if one could open an account, then open one in Argentina as premier, then tell HSBC in the UK you don't want to be premier after 90 days, but use the intervening period to get set up in Argentina. I bet the bank here would never figure out that you were no longer premier in the UK.

 

[palermochica]

HSBC may also let you open an account here as a foreigner if you have Premier. There is no charge to wire or transfer between premier accounts, so you would then have the ability to move money to pesos and use your local debit card.

I tried this with their international relocation people. It didn't work, namely because I didn't have a DNI. They also couldn't perform their usual "we'll set everything up before you get there so there's no hassle" account opening due to local regulation that you have to be physically present in the country to open an account.