Cards like the Halifax Clarity (R.I.P.)

Having owned and operated Halifax as a sub-brand since 2009, Lloyds Banking Group has decided it’s time to consign Halifax to the history books. That means you can’t apply for new Halifax accounts.

The Clarity Card was the best known UK credit card for avoiding foreign transaction fees, with 12,000 Brits per month Googling it by name. Plenty of other banks, building societies and fintechs copied it – coming out with their own travel cards charging no foreign transaction fees and no annual/monthly account fees. Great news for consumers. In fact, competition became fierce enough that the card issuers started adding perks on top – like cashback. Even better news for consumers!

Lloyds’ own Ultra Credit Card is a natural successor to the Halifax Clarity and charges no foreign transaction fees and no annual/monthly account fees but does pay cashback. As a former Clarity user myself, I didn’t want to wait and see how my account would be handled, and chose to jump across to the Ultra. You can read my review to see how I got on with the Ultra (spoiler alert: it’s overwhelmingly positive).

Cards like Halifax’s Clarity, Lloyds’ Ultra and NatWest’s Travel Reward Credit Card 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

These cards offer fee-free spending overseas, and don’t come with an annual/monthly fee (and aren’t tied to a current account with an annual/monthly fee).

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Finder Score	Foreign usage charge	Foreign cash transaction fee	Interest-free days on foreign transactions	Interest-free days on foreign cash transactions	Incentive	Representative example
6.2Standard Royal Bank of Scotland Credit Card	6.2Standard	0%	3%	Up to 56 days	0 days	Representative example: Representative 12.9% APR variable. Based on assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 12.9% p.a. (variable).	More info Compare product selection Compare	loading
6.2Standard NatWest Credit Card	6.2Standard	0%	3%	Up to 56 days	0 days	Representative example: Representative 12.9% APR variable. Based on assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 12.9% p.a. (variable).	More info Compare product selection Compare	loading
6.2Standard Ulster Bank Credit Card	6.2Standard	0%	3%	Up to 56 days	0 days	Representative example: Representative 12.9% APR variable. Based on assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 12.9% p.a. (variable).	More info Compare product selection Compare	loading
9Excellent Lloyds Bank Ultra Credit Card	9Excellent	0%	0%	Up to 56 days	0 days	Earn 1% cashback for 12 months (then 0.25%) on transactions at home and overseas.	Representative example: Representative 18.9% APR variable. Based on assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 18.94% p.a. (variable).	More info Compare product selection Compare	loading
Not yet rated Santander Rewards Credit Card	Not yet rated	0%	3%	Up to 56 days	0 days	Representative example: Representative 24.9% APR variable. Based on assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 24.9% p.a. (variable).	More info Compare product selection Compare	loading
5.9Standard Virgin Money Travel Credit Card Finder Award	5.9Standard	0%	3%	Up to 50 days	0 days	Enjoy exclusive offers and rewards on the Virgin Red app.	Representative example: Representative 24.9% APR variable. Based on assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 24.9% p.a. (variable).	More info Compare product selection Compare	loading
9.4Excellent NatWest Travel Reward Credit Card	9.4Excellent	0%	3%	Up to 56 days	0 days	Earn 1% in Rewards on eligible travel spending and up to 15% on monthly offers from chosen partner retailers. Earn 0.1% everywhere else. Rewards can be converted into money and transferred to a current account, exchanged for e-codes with some retailers worth more than the cash or converted into money and donated to one of the RBS Group chosen charities.	Representative example: Representative 27.9% APR variable. Based on assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 27.9% p.a. (variable).	More info Compare product selection Compare	loading
Not yet rated Virgin Money Travel Credit Card	Not yet rated	0%	3%	Up to 50 days	0 days	Representative example: Representative 27.9% APR variable. Based on assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 27.9% p.a. (variable).	More info Compare product selection Compare	loading

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Looking for other options? Check out these similar products.

How we picked these

Finder Score for credit cards

To make comparing even easier we came up with the Finder Score. Costs, perks and suitability across 120+ cards are all weighted and scaled to produce a score out of 10. The higher the score the better the card – simple.

Read the full methodology

Further options

You don’t have to opt for a credit card to swerve non-sterling fees.

Revolut and Starling have made names for themselves by supporting travellers with their prepaid/debit cards. We’ve built out a comparison of debit card options to avoid foreign transaction charges.

Curve, although a paid product, lets you 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.

Written by

Chris Lilly

Head of publishing

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Chris Lilly is Head of publishing at finder.com. He's a specialist in personal finance, from day-to-day banking to investing to borrowing, and is passionate about helping UK consumers make informed decisions about their money. In his spare time Chris likes forcing his kids to exercise more. See full bio

Chris's expertise

Chris has written 499 Finder guides across topics including:

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