UKC

Does anyone know if the ATMs at Gatwick give you the option to withdraw Euros. I would like to use my Halifax Clarify Master Card as it gives almost 10 Euros more per £200 than anything else.

Al

In reply to GridNorth:

Yes they do - or at least the ones in Gatwick train station do - but you'll get stung by the ATM's exchange rate from pounds to euros.

In reply to GridNorth:
I don't think that will work. I have the same card for the same reason but I wait until the destination where the 'native' currency of the machine is the one I want. I think if you use a travellex machine at Gatwick it will charge your card in GBP at the travellex exchange rate. To get the Halifax rate you need to make sure the card is charged in Euros

In reply to Bob Hughes:

That's unfortunate. When I use it abroad there is no charge.

Al

In reply to GridNorth:

It's not a charge, see my post above

In reply to Oujmik:
I would but I'm going to Sicily and I don't know if I can depend on the machines working. When I was last in Sardinia I had lots of issues. Charge, fee, interest whatever if I pay off the debt straight away it's essentially just a cash withdrawal in Euros.

Al

In reply to GridNorth:
They have US/Euro/£ ATMs but as it has been mentioned already you will get absolutely skinned on the exchange rate.

Put it this way, I was at Gatwick last week and needed 200 euros, the spot rate would have cost me £155, what they offered was 200 euro at a cost of £185. Basically anybody who uses airport based FX services need their head examined.

In reply to GridNorth:

The problem is it's not a cash withdrawal in euros unless you use a euro machine, if you use a Travellex machine it's exactly the same as withdrawing £200 cash and taking it to the desk to change for euros. For the same reason if you use the card to buy things abroad and you are given the choice to pay in GBP or EUR you should choose EUR or you'll pay the vendor's exchange rate and not the Halifax rate.

In reply to GridNorth:

I was hoping that they were Euro machines i.e. as you would find abroad.

Thanks for the help. I am aware of these issues and looked into it before getting the Halifax card.

Al

In reply to GridNorth:

Use a debit card abroad, but only withdraw decent amounts, eg 200 Euro, then the local exchange rate plus your banks foreign exchange surcharge will still be better than getting euros in the UK. The airport machines give a lousy rate of exchange.