Reply To: Best credit card for spend abroad

[Froggee]

Harrier25 wrote:

With so many better cards available these days, I can’t believe that people are still popping up on a points promoting forum saying that they’re still using Halifax Clarity.

It was a good card…a decade ago.

There is no wrong/right answer here (well I guess there is wrong if you use a random debit card that charges 3% FX) but generally if I can’t believe something, I stop and check that I’m not doing something suboptimal.

Anyway, Rob now uses the Currensea card which many on here can’t believe but he rightly makes the point that for the sort of spend he is talking about, he can’t be bothered faffing about with a separate card.

I still have Curve but, like many on here, I stopped using it after Creationgate. Recent reports sound like customer service with Curve has declined also. So I also use Halifax Clarity outside Europe when I want s75. (Virgin is great for Europe). I use Revolut Metal for day to day spending so 1% cash back and Mrs Froggee has Chase so 1% cash back.

Everyone is different – you might think I’m wasting my money on the Revolut metal fee but I’m thinking it actually has a negative cost to me as I’m saving money on my FT subscription!

Some people think s75 is unnecessary. I’ve used it once and it saved a lot of hassle on £700 as one phone call to the card issuer solved my problem. @JDB (who I respect so much I have an I❤️@JDB tattoo on my left buttock) values s75 immensely and happily uses his Amex gold to ensure he gets in when he wants despite happily still using Curve.

I’m a miser so on my pending US trip, the only substantial US$ expense is a Villa in Orlando and it was booked with Halifax Clarity for s75 reasons. As a sweetener they have a current promotion for me that offers 0.5% cash back. Our internal flight was booked with United in GBP (which weirdly was at better than spot). Our one egregiously overpriced night at a Universal hotel was booked with and billed by Amex in GBP. Car hire with BA in GBP. Airport hotel will be paid on checkout in a mixture of Hyatt gift vouchers and Revolut.

Curve will stay home.

So in conclusion many different answers which work for many different people.