If you are an individual that travels quite frequently, it is wise to take into account the many award points programmes that are available. The reason for this is that there are so many options to capitalize on the travel that one does for business or pleasure. To this end, it is best to research which particular programmes are relevant to your upcoming travels. One very popular method to benefit from travel is to utilize travel credit cards that provide incentives for travelling excessively. When trying to decide which travel credit card reward programme is best for you to benefit from in the UK, it is wise to contemplate the list outlined below:
The Best UK Credit Cards to Utilise Whilst Travelling
It is wise to shop around for the best UK credit card to utilise for travel. Here are some of the ten best to utilise when trying to spend your GBP on your upcoming holiday:
- Halifax Clarity: The Halifax Clarity card is one of the best ranked credit cards in the UK for travel. The reason for this is that the card is issued by Mastercard, which is known for having some of the best currency conversion rates in comparison to American Express and Visa. The nice part about this card is that there are no ATM fees when withdrawing cash. The ideal rate to get on this card is 18.9% APR and if you are able to be approved for this rate, you will pay a minimal interest rate on every amount that you withdraw. For example, if you withdraw 100GBP in cash, you will only be charged 1,50GBP per month. There is a potential to receive 20GBP cash back when purchasing with a foreign currency, making this card quite appealing for international use.
- Aqua Reward Mastercard: For those that have lower credit scores, the Aqua Reward Mastercard has become one of the most competitive travel cards. On all currency spent abroad, there is a 0,5% cash back offer of up to 100GBP. For this card, the credit limits are quite low (between 250GBP to 1200GBP). This is precisely why this card is a good value for the money for the customer that is trying to travel and rebuild their credit at the same time.
- BarclayCard Platinum Travel Credit Card: BarclayCard Platinum Travel Credit Card currently has a promotion going on until August of 2022 that has no fees on spending or cash withdrawals. So long as you pay the card off in full each month, you will not be charged interest, which is a major perk compared to the interest rates of other cards in this industry that charge daily.
- Santander Zero: Santander Zero offers no bank fees to their clients. This is precisely why it is a great card to consider for travellers. In terms of APR and Cash Withdrawals, it is a flat rate of 18.9% interest for both transactions. Santander Zero is delightful to use in that it provides consistent and reliable rates to its customers.
- Creation Everyday: Creation Everyday is one of the best travel cards from the UK as well because it has the advantage of being a Mastercard for exchange rates and also charges no ATM fees for withdrawing cash. In terms of cash withdrawal interest rates, the rates are quite low because they are ranging between 12.9% to 21.9%, which is substantially lower than their competition for those who qualify.
- Saga Platinum: Saga Premium is another wonderful card that the UK offers. The card does have an ATM of 2GBP or 2%. That said, the card has no interest on cash withdrawals and an APR range of 11.9% to 19.6% percent, which is quite competitive in the market for travel credit cards.
- Lloyds Avios Rewards: Lloyds Avios Rewards is one of the higher interest rate cards on this list; however, their travel credit card has loyalty and respect from its citizens. In terms of interest rates, there is an 18.9% to 25.9% interest rate on cash withdrawals and a 23.7% including fee and 18.95% APR on spending. In terms of ATM fees, Lloyds Avios Rewards has a 3GBP or 3% charge on every withdrawal abroad.
- B Credit Card: B Credit Card is a Mastercard that has 27.9% interest rate on cash withdrawals and an astounding 9.9% APR rate. This card is ideal for individuals that do not have many cash withdrawals, yet want to pay off the balance incurred abroad over time.
- British Airways Premium Plus Card: British Airways Premium Plus Card is issued by American Express; however, it provides 18,000 miles if an individual spends more than 3,000GBP within the first three months. Additionally, customers can earn additional miles with purchases such as: 3 miles on British Airways purchases and 1.5 miles on purchases incurred elsewhere.
- Hilton HHonors Platinum Visa: This visa is issued by Barclaycard and offers regular promotional bonuses for joining. In addition to the lucrative promotional bonuses that are typically seasonal and include free hotel stays, there is also a benefit of earning 3 points on Hilton purchases and 2 points everywhere else. It is quite easy to be promoted to higher tiers such as Silver and Gold to benefit from more hotel promotions within the first year of membership.
Concluding Remarks on the Subject
What is remarkable is that there are many travel-friendly credit cards in the UK. These cards range between being effective to use at ATM’s abroad and low currency conversion/interest rates to having airline and hotel benefits. The key when shopping for the proper card is to ascertain what is the most important to your travel experience. Upon doing so, you will be able to find the right credit card in the UK that meets your travel ambitions and eligibility in terms of credit score. You can also try different kind of global credit cards, like the famous American credit card – American Express, or other Canadian travel credit cards with no fees. That said, it is essential to browse the various travel cards available and you will amazed at the wealth of options available to you in the UK.