A finance expert has issued an urgent credit card warning to Brits on holiday. Martin Lewis revealed why it could be risky to withdraw cash using this card.
It can be difficult to know what is the best way to spend money abroad. Some countries are still very much cash-first, while others are keen to accept card and phone payments.
And when it comes to some destinations, such as Morocco, you can’t get the currency from the UK ahead of your journey, making things slightly more complicated. But wherever you are travelling to, Martin Lewis advised against using your credit card to withdraw cash.
Writing on his website Money Saving Expert, he explained more. Martin said: “Withdrawing cash on a credit card abroad?”
He stated that this could have a negative impact on your credit rating. “It could impact your credit rating,” he continued.
“We get this question a lot, as we warn against credit card ATM withdrawals in the UK, as it risks high interest and many lenders see it as a debt-problem indicator.”
Doing this every now and then is not usually a problem, though. He said: “Yet if you only do it occasionally abroad on a specialist card, it’s not a biggie, just don’t overdo it and pay it off in full”
However, he added that in a few countries, using a UK card can be a “bit trickier”.
This includes:
- In Japan, you may need special ATMs to use international cards
- In China, hotels take cards, but elsewhere Alipay is easier
- In India, some shops & restaurants won’t take international cards
On top of this, Martin told people not to use a credit card to buy cash or load a prepaid card.
He added: “You’ll likely pay fees and interest.
“Most credit-card providers count these as a cash transaction – so charge withdrawal fees and interest. It’s always better to use a debit card if you can.”
If you want to get currency before you go away, you can use the MSE’s online travel money comparison tool here.