Having owned and operated Halifax as a sub-brand since 2009, Lloyds Banking Group has decided it\u2019s time to consign Halifax to the history books. That means you can\u2019t apply for new Halifax accounts.<\/p>
The Clarity Card<\/a> was the best known UK credit card for avoiding foreign transaction fees<\/a>, with 12,000 Brits per month Googling it by name. Plenty of other banks, building societies and fintechs copied it \u2013 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 \u2013 like cashback. Even better news for consumers!<\/p> Lloyds\u2019 own Ultra Credit Card<\/a> is a natural successor to the Halifax Clarity and charges no foreign transaction fees and no annual\/monthly account fees but does<\/u> pay cashback. As a former Clarity user myself, I didn\u2019t want to wait and see how my account would be handled, and chose to jump across to the Ultra. You can read my review<\/a> to see how I got on with the Ultra (spoiler alert: it\u2019s overwhelmingly positive).<\/p> Cards like Halifax\u2019s Clarity, Lloyds\u2019 Ultra and NatWest\u2019s Travel Reward Credit Card are especially popular as \u201csecondary\u201d credit cards \u2013 you might have a card for day-to-day use and another that you use when you\u2019re 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) \u2013 that\u2019s when a merchant offers to charge you in pounds rather than the local currency. If the merchant\u2019s bank converts the currency for you, it\u2019ll be their fee structure and exchange rates that\u2019ll apply.<\/p> These cards offer fee-free spending overseas, and don\u2019t come with an annual\/monthly fee (and aren\u2019t tied to a current account with an annual\/monthly fee).<\/p>Alternatives to the Halifax Clarity for overseas spending<\/h3>