In Reply to: BUT!.....if they are linked to the same posted by BaliBoundCouple on Wednesday, 28. February 2007 at 17:46 Bali Time:
this is all getting a little confusing (I certainly am), but the main point has been missed, I'm possibly just not that good at explaining myself.
My suggestion to travellers who say about charges on C/Cs is
1. Apply for a completely separate C/C with another company who offers a completely fee free card, they do exist ( search Wizard Clear Mastercard). You do notneed to relinquish or change anything about your current banking arrangements.
2. Prior to travelling place funds into your new card, probably coming from your savings acc. As you then have a credit balance in your new C/C you are free to withdraw from it o/seas with no interest charges or fees whatsoever. All you need to do is notify the card company prior that you will be placing credit funds into it.
3. For the sceptics, I can only speak from my humble experiences. That is, I have been doing this on all trips for about the past 4 years with no problems, as I will be again in June. As I have become more proficient and comfortable with technology, I now do everything online.
Of course, usual precautions apply - photocopy cards etc, take backup card, cash etc.
4. I haven't crossed all the i's or dotted the t's!! (couple too many merlots for that), but all I can finish on is that those who are paying continuos fees for currency exchange are using the wrong methods/products.
Hope that this may help someone sometime somewhere. I know that several previous posts on this matter have.
The End
Cheers and selamat jalan.