Heading off on holiday soon? If you’re travelling outside of the UK, you’ll want to know whether you can use your existing credit card during your trip.
In this guide, we’ll focus on using the Nationwide credit card abroad - so read on if you’re a Nationwide customer or are thinking of signing up. We’ll run through everything you need to know, including fees, security and exchange rates.
Also, consider checking out the Wise card from the money services provider Wise. While it’s not a credit card, it’s a convenient international debit card designed for travellers looking to save money while spending abroad.
Learn more about the Wise card 💳
Can you use your Nationwide credit card abroad?
Yes, you can use your Nationwide credit card abroad. All of the building society’s credit cards can be used abroad, including the Member Credit Card.
You should be able to use it anywhere that Visa and Mastercard are accepted, and use the contactless feature of your card anywhere you see the contactless symbol.
This means you can use your card for spending in shops, restaurants, bars and to pay for transport during your trip. You can also use it to withdraw cash from overseas ATMs, but there are charges for this. We’ll look at this in more detail in just a moment.
Do you need to let Nationwide know you’re going abroad?
You shouldn’t need to tell Nationwide that you’re going on holiday. You can simply use your card as normal, and the building society’s anti-fraud team will keep on monitoring your account.
One important thing to do before you travel though is to make sure that Nationwide has your current correct mobile number linked to your account. If a transaction is flagged as potential fraud and your card is blocked, they’ll need to contact you to verify the payment and unblock your card.
Nationwide credit card security features abroad
Safety will always be a concern when using a UK credit card abroad, so it’s good to check the security features before you travel.
Here’s what you need to know about the Nationwide Member Credit Card’s security features:
- Section 75 protection on purchases between £100 and £30,000. If something goes wrong with a purchase (i.e. it’s faulty or you don’t receive the goods or service), this protection allows you to make a claim for reimbursem*nt.¹
- Free text alerts to help you keep on top of spending - and watch out for potentially fraudulent transactions.¹
- Report lost or stolen credit cards in just a few taps in the app.² The Nationwide mobile banking app also lets you freeze and unfreeze Nationwide debit cards if you’ve lost them, but it isn’t clear whether this feature also works for credit cards.
Travel perks
The Nationwide credit card doesn’t offer a long list of travel perks, such as cashback on holiday spending or discounts on hotels etc.
But it is great for travellers, thanks to one important benefit - it offers worldwide commission-free purchases.
This means that Nationwide doesn’t charge fees for spending abroad, although remember that individual retailers and merchants may have their own commission fees for credit card payments.
| 📚 Read more: Best UK Credit Cards for Travel |
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Charges for using Nationwide credit cards abroad
Now we come to the important part - how much it costs to use your credit card outside of the UK.
The first thing to know about Nationwide credit card charges abroad is that there aren’t any fees for spending.³ You can use your card just like you would at home in the UK, and there won’t be any foreign transaction fees (sometimes called ‘non-Sterling transaction fees’).
However, you will still need to pay interest as usual on your balance.
There are also fees for withdrawing cash with your Nationwide credit card. This is common with credit cards, as they aren’t really designed for cash.
If you withdraw money in a foreign currency either in or outside of the UK, you’ll pay a fee of 2.5% of the transaction amount. This fee will be a minimum of £3. Interest will also start accruing immediately.³
You should also bear in mind that some ATM operators charge their own fees.
Also, withdrawing or exchanging money at a Bureau de Change using your credit card counts as a cash transaction, so the same fees may apply.³
What’s the exchange rate for credit cards Nationwide uses to convert currency abroad?
Nationwide uses the Visa exchange rate for converting currency when you spend or withdraw cash abroad. This is usually very competitive, and close to the mid-market exchange rate. You can check it at any time here.
An important thing to remember when spending abroad is to always pay in the local currency, rather than your home currency (GBP). This will mean that your card provider or bank does the currency conversion, so you’ll know what exchange rate will be used.
| 📚 Read more: Credit cards with best currency exchange rates |
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Are there any transaction limits?
You should be able to spend on your Nationwide credit card as much as you like, in line with your personal credit card limit. You should also remember that different contactless spending limits may apply in different countries.
For cash withdrawals, you can withdraw up to £300 a day with your credit card. The minimum withdrawal amount is £10.⁴
A great alternative for low-cost spending abroad - the Wise card
The Wise card is the ideal travel companion, as it lets you spend and withdraw in the local currency in 150+ countries.
This clever international debit card automatically converts your pounds into the local currency using the mid-market exchange rate, only adding a small, transparent currency conversion fee. Or it’s free if you already have the foreign currency in your Wise account.
Open a Wise account online and you can order your own Wise card for a one-time cost of just £7.
Sign up with Wise today 💰
After reading this, you should be all set to use your Nationwide credit card abroad. We’ve covered fees, exchange rates, security and everything else you need to know.
Sources used:
Sources last checked on date: 13-May-2024
*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information. This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional. We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
