Britons to be charged ‘millions’ for credit cards abroad
Britons are to face a collective total of £355 million in credit card charges when they use their cards overseas this year, according to new research.
Data from uSwitch reveals that UK travellers will be levvied £204 million on credit card purchases and £151 million on withdrawing money from machines when overseas.
Fees charged include exchange-rate loading fees, which average at 2.59 per cent in Europe, as well as transaction fees for customers at certain high-street banks.
Nick White, director of financial services at uSwitch, commented: “Your existing debit and credit cards may not always offer the best deals for overseas cash withdrawals and purchases, so some forward planning could avoid these charges altogether.
“In the long-term, it may end up being more sensible for some consumers to have two separate credit cards - one for UK use and one for overseas.”
Of the major providers, uSwitch found that only Nationwide and the Post Office do not charge any exchange-rate loading fees.
The news comes amid calls from Which? for greater transparency on credit cards, following investigations revealing misunderstanding over their charges.
Consumers seeking an affordable way of repaying their debts might wish to take out a debt consolidation loan.
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