Cards like Halifax Clarity

The Halifax Clarity card is almost synonymous with fee-free spending overseas, but there are plenty of good alternatives.

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By

Chris Lilly

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Despite what the folks at Halifax would have you believe, the Clarity card, with its representative APR of 23.9%, isn’t the only credit card offering 0% fees for non-sterling transactions.

Cards like Halifax’s Clarity are especially popular as “secondary” credit cards – you might have a card for day-to-day use and another that you use when you’re outside of the country. Just remember that if you take out one of these cards (or indeed the Clarity), when you use it abroad, decline dynamic currency conversion (DCC) – that’s when a merchant offers to charge you in pounds rather than the local currency. If the merchant’s bank converts the currency for you, it’ll be their fee structure and exchange rates that’ll apply.

Alternatives to the Halifax Clarity for overseas spending

Table: sorted by representative APR, promoted deals first
Updated daily
Name Product Finder score Finder score Foreign usage charge (EU) Foreign usage charge (rest of world) Purchases Annual/monthly fees Representative APR Link Incentive Representative example
The Royal Bank Credit Card
The Royal Bank Credit Card
4.5
★★★★★
★★★★★
Expert analysis
0%
0%
12.9%
£0
12.9% APR (variable)
Go to site
Read review
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 12.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 12.9% APR (variable).
NatWest Credit Card
NatWest Credit Card
4.5
★★★★★
★★★★★
Expert analysis
0%
0%
12.9%
£0
12.9% APR (variable)
Go to site
Read review
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 12.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 12.9% APR (variable).
Santander All in One Credit Card
Santander All in One Credit Card
4.5
★★★★★
★★★★★
Expert analysis
0%
0%
0% for 15 months reverting to 23.9%
£3 per month
29.8% APR (variable)
Check eligibility
Read review
0.5% after £1 of monthly spend. Maximum of £10 cashback paid per month. Cashback paid Monthly into Card Account. Maximum spend for cashback purposes is limited to credit limit.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 23.9% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £3 per month, your representative rate is 29.8% APR (variable).
118 118 Money Guaranteed Rate Card
118 118 Money Guaranteed Rate Card
3.5
★★★★★
★★★★★
Expert analysis
0%
0%
34%
£0
34% APR (variable)
Check eligibility
Read review
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 34% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 34% APR (variable).
NatWest Reward Black Credit Card
NatWest Reward Black Credit Card
4.0
★★★★★
★★★★★
Expert analysis
0%
0%
21.9%
£84 per annum. Reward Black Current Account holders: Year 2 onwards - £0 per annum
40.7% APR (variable)
Go to site
Read review
You'll earn 1% back at supermarkets and 0.5% back everywhere else, including supermarket petrol stations. At selected retailers, you could earn 1-15% back.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 21.9% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £84 per annum. Reward Black Current Account holders: Year 2 onwards - £0 per annum, your representative rate is 40.7% APR (variable).
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Further options

A small number of digital-only banks like Curve and Revolut offer alternative ways to get around fees when spending abroad.

With Curve, you can combine multiple bank cards into one – controlled through your Curve card and app. Even if your card issuer charges exchange fees, Curve will convert the currency for you at the standard Mastercard exchange rate. Just be aware that restrictions and limitations do apply – you can read our full guide to Curve to find out if it could be right for you.

Curve

Download Curve and save on bank fees

  • All your cards in one Curve Card
  • Curve works in all the countries that support Mastercard
  • Eliminate hidden bank fees when spending abroad
  • Get 1% instant cashback from a choice of retailers
Go to site
More Info
Promoted
We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.

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