An post mastercard for travelling yes/no?

revoke12

Hi all,

thinking of getting the an post mastercard where you can load the money on to the card and use it over when on holidays? has any one used one would you reccommend? I dont fancy taking heaps of cash and think this card would be handy.

TheUnderfaker

Download Revolut on your phone. You will get a physical mastercard that you can top up instantly using the app. You can also convert your Euro's into a whole heap of foreign currencies at bank to bank exchange rates. It's fee free up to a certain amount of monthly use too.

coylemj

You can preload any credit card with cash and withdraw it from an ATM without incurring interest.

schemingbohemia

coylemj wrote: »

You can preload any credit card with cash and withdraw it from an ATM without incurring interest.

Yes, but if you lose it you don't have any cover for the credit on it. So if you've put a grand on it and it gets lost and used that grand isn't covered.

We used Revolut recently, very easy to top up every day on the app, as you go along so you can limit the amount "at risk". Particularly useful for foreign currency transactions, wouldn't bother using it when in euro zone.

zilog_jones

Revolut is so much easier to use than PostFX (which has an awful website for checking balance, etc.), the exchange rates are better and transaction fees are lower (in particular, no fees for ATM withdrawals up to €200/month). And it works anywhere with any currency. You probably want to have some sort of roaming data or easily accessible wifi when travelling though, so you can use the app (need it to top up, etc.).

revoke12

thanks all sounds better revoult. dont have a credit card myself so il go with the revolut probably sounds better

zilog_jones

I'd still highly recommend a credit card for hotel and car rental payments. Pre-authorisation and other nonsense with debit cards can be a pain.

padmcv

Used both An Post and Revolut when I was in the states in May. Both worked great with no major issues.

Had a couple of minor delays with Revolut transactions in some shops - not sure if it was an issue with their scanners or the Card but the cashiers were able to enter the card number to complete the payments.

Revolut's app is much better and gives you a notification after a transaction.

I transferred the money left on the An Post Card over to the Revolut Card when I got back for a better rate changing back to Euro.

revoke12

thanks everyone is there alot of charges etc with revoult. i find the cards will be easier as im unsure with carrying over 2000 or more in cash when im travelling to a few places

zilog_jones

https://www.revolut.com/ie/fee-schedule

The only things you'll really encounter are the 2% ATM fees once you go over €200 in a month (still less than any Irish bank), and the fiver to get the physical card.

revoke12

sounds good to me better than carrying too much cash

TheMilkyPirate

Why do people not just load all of their holiday money onto the Revolut before they leave instead of topping up the app every day? Seems pointless.

ted1

TheMilkyPirate wrote: »

Why do people not just load all of their holiday money onto the Revolut before they leave instead of topping up the app every day? Seems pointless.

Stops you spending it all the first day. And prevents people emptying your account if they skim the card etc

zilog_jones

If it gets lost, stolen or doesn't work somewhere then that money's no good to you, whereas if it's still in your normal current account you can still use your normal debit card. Don't put all your eggs in one basket.