UK Tour - Cash or Credit Card
I will be soon travelling to London and I wanted to get a bit of advise from those who have been there already. Would you guys prefer using credit / debit card in café and shopping malls or should we be using cash? I assume for every card transaction I make there will be an international transaction fee because I will be using my Australian credit / debit card. Whereas cash transaction will only be for the price of purchase. Any other relevant advise related to finance and spending would be awesome. Thanks heaps in advance.
Best Answer
For the last 15 years of travel, I have largely relied getting cash from ATMs, and using credit cards for things like hotel bills and car rentals.
In the UK, some smaller places might not accept cards, but in most cases cards or cash are acceptable. Amex/Diners cards have much lower acceptance than Visa/Mastercard.
It is an unwelcome fact that wherever/however you spend your money abroad, you will have to pay a fee along the way. Do your research on what fees apply and in what cases, but here is what I have found in general:
- If you buy foreign currency before you leave, you will have to guess how much you will need, pay a fee and then carry around great wads of cash with you.
- If you do card transactions at checkouts, your bank/credit card company will probably charge you a fee.
- If you use an ATM to get cash, your bank/credit card company will probably charge you a fee. The ATM company might also charge you a separate fee (most bank ATMs are free, but some ATMs in convenience shops and bars charge a fee of up to £2).
- I've not used one, but if you bring a pre-paid currency card, there is probably still a fee somewhere in the process. Anyway, make sure it it backed by Visa or Mastercard and you have a reliable way to top it up.
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Is it better to travel with cash or card?
While credit cards are easy to carry and more secure than cash, you should always have some local cash on you when traveling. It's just good sense. Besides the fact that some local shops and vendors won't accept credit cards, having some cash provides a safety net in case your bank shuts off your card for any reason.Do I need cash in the UK?
In the UK, people can even pay their taxes and electricity bills with a debit card. Cash machines, or ATMs are everywhere. Most village high streets will have a selection of automated teller machines. They're available at petrol (gas) stations, in cinemas, at banks and in some shops.Is it cheaper to use a credit card or cash?
But when you pay in full with cash, you typically won't face any fees or interest. When you want to keep credit use low. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) says experts recommend keeping your credit utilization below 30%. So if you find yourself going above that, you could consider using cash on hand.Do Brits use credit cards?
Credit cards, debit cards and contactless payment types are widely used throughout Britain and are the easiest way to pay for things. Visa and Mastercard are the most common type of cards, while American Express and Diners Club cards are less commonly accepted but still facilitated.Visitor's Guide to Money in London 💷(skip the currency exchanges)
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Answer 2
You really need to look at the terms on your card. The advantage of getting cash is that you can spread a fixed per-transaction fee across a bunch of purchases. The downside is that card issuers often charge extra for cash withdrawls. If you have a fairly ordinary card then your best bet is probablly to use cash for small transactions.
If you are going to use London public transport for more than a day or so and you don't have a travel card with no per-transaction fees then you probablly want to get an oyster card. Contactless travel on london public transport is billled on a daily basis, so fees can quickly build up on foreign cards.
Answer 3
You should investigate the Australian market looking for cards which are intended for travelers. There are some marketed to UK residents which have no foreign currency charge and reasonable exchange rate conversions when used outside UK.
Answer 4
I use cash for small purchases and credit card for large payments. Check your credit card transaction fees and whether you need to declare you'll be out of the country. Some credit card apps allow you to schedule trips. MasterCard claims that I don't need to but I ran into issues when I went to Paris. Check to see if your bank has a connection with UK banks for cheap or no fee ATM transactions. For me, it was Barclays.
Answer 5
You should note that the UK’s smallest denomination bank note is £5. I prefer to use card when visiting if only to avoid coins especially for smaller purchases. My bank charges a fixed percentage for foreign transactions so it might be different if a fixed amount per transaction is charged. .
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.