Credit Card charges

[keasden]

Ok, I now I have started another thread on the best place to purchase tickets but I kind of need a quick reply to this one, hence the new thread.

If I buy my park tickets from the US, say TicketMania, what charges if any will be imposed on my credit card for the transaction?

I have seen mention on another thread of someone being charged 2.5% commission for doing this, is this common? Because if it is it will pretty much wipe out any savings to be made over a UK seller.

Also, what exchange rate do the credit cards use. Obvioulsy it will be the prevailing rate at the time but is this closer to the 'tourist rate' as found on sites such as Marks and Spencers, or the bank exchange rate as featured on the currency converters generally found on t'internet.

I will give an illustration of the importance of knowing this, this morning a purchase price of $1736 from TicketMania converts to £1008 to using exchangerate.com while the same figure converts to £1043 using marks and spencers travel money site.

A considerable difference of £35 dependant on exchange rate.

Add on 2.5 % of around £26 and the lowest possible price of £1008 could end up as high as £1069 dependant on exchange rate and commision charged.

I know many people on here recommend Ticket Mania, can someone please advise me of the exchange rate applied and any commission charged from personal experience.


HELP !

 

[keasden]

A quick check on the back of my last cc statement (doh) reveals that 2.5% commission will be charged on overseas purchases. That coupled with DQ being included on UK 7 Day Hoppers only has swung it to Attraction Tickets Direct, and they are ordered.

I used to be indecisive, now I'm just not so sure any more.

 

[BruTamUK]

I have a Nationwide Credit Card which doesn't charge any commission on overseas purchases.
I have purchased thing from the US before and found the exchange rate to be approx $0.06 above the tourist rate.

eg. $1.64 tourist rate - $1.70 credit card exchange rate.

Tickets should work out cheaper when using a Credit Card if you are not charged commission.
Try www.mapleleaftickets.com
They seem to be cheaper than ticketmania.

Regards,
Bruce.

 

[steve_rob]

I got home from Orlando about a month and a half ago and have just got my credit card statement with all my spending on it

Looking down the conversions Barclaycard have made, their exchange rate at the time was about $1.682, but once you take into account their 2.75% commission, it was more like $1.637. However, considering I bought my dollars just before I went at $1.635, that works out about right.

So if you are buying anything like tickets before you leave, I'd convert it back into pounds using the tourist rate rather than the 'official' exchange rate as you'll get a lot more accurate figure that way. The quickest way to do that, it to check the rates on Travelex's website (whether you're buying your currency with them or not) as they are normally a fairly good guidline.

http://www.travelex.co.uk/personal/rateslist.asp?content=rtl

 

[Red-Snapper]

Had never seen this before until I got home and saw my statement after our trip in August.

I rang Barclays and was told they have always had a charge included for using a credit card overseas but didnt in the past show the charge separately. They have been told they now have to do this so everyone knows what they are being charged.

It has made me think about how/what I spend next time as it seems to wipe out a large part of the difference of the cc card companies using the business rate to convert.

 

[paulh]

Most cards use the interbank rate which at the moment it is $1.72 to the pound but they then charge you a transaction fee of about 2.75% which will bring it down to $1.67 but as BruTamUK says if you have a Nationwide Credit Card which doesn't charge any commission on overseas purchases you will save on your transactions. If you have a Nationwide Credit Card just watch the Pound/dollar rate and if the pound ids going up against the dollar don’t buy travellers checks or as many so as to take advantage of the card but as soon as the pound starts to slide buy plenty of travellers checks as the pound may be lower when you get to the states but if you take the view of soros and buffet the dollar is over valued the Nationwide CC looks a good bet and makes Florida better value for us brits

 

[Sweeney Todd]

We have just opened a Nationwide flexAccount.
We do not have the CC but do have the Debit/Visa cards. Are these also Commission free. It is not quite clear from the t&c we have.

Regards,

Sweeney <a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/15/15_4_111.gif' border=0></a>