Prepaid cards can offset travel costs

By UK CreditCards.com

For loved ones travelling during the holiday, the gift of a prepaid card for Christmas can help with travel costs, suggests prepaid card provider Caxton FX.

Currency cards are "pre-loaded" with credit in the same way as a pay-as-you-go mobile phone. They commonly charge lower fees for transactions and cash withdrawals than the typical credit card. Exchange rates can also be fixed by prepaid card customers, so that the user always knows how much their foreign purchases are worth in sterling.

Providers currently offering the products include Caxton FX, FairFX and Travelex.

Mainstream credit cards such as the Santander Zero and the Post Office Platinum also offer fee-free foreign transactions.

"If a friend or relative is planning a holiday, you could give them a prepaid currency card," Caxton FX added.

"This is a present that keeps on giving, long after you've exchanged that fetching jumper from Great Aunt Mildred."

Published: 8 December 2009

Weak pound increases ski trip costs

By UK CreditCards.com

Credit card customers have been warned that the cost of ski holidays has increased over the past year.

Santander Cards said that the weak pound is a major factor behind the typical winter sports package costing £686, the highest since the beginning of the decade.

Ski destinations in the eurozone were found to cost up to 15% more for UK travellers than they did last season.

The firm advised customers to take out a credit card that does not charge extra fees on overseas transactions in order to mitigate these price increases.

Figures from Snowsports cited by the report indicated that the number of people going on a winter sports break fell by 6% last season.

Emma Roberts, director at Santander Cards, said: "Winter sports enthusiasts may well be tempted to try somewhere new this year because of the impact of the weak pound on prices for premium European skiing destinations."

Foreign exchange fee-free products currently on the market include the Santander Zero card and the Post Office Platinum card.