Hi stedan and welcome to HT!

Yes you will defintely save on commission by using your N/W card as you get the interbank rate, which you will see on your statement when you get home, and there is no transaction fee.

Always check the ATM to ensure there are no skimming devices on it, as you should at home, and cover the keypad when you are entering your pin.

When you put your card in it will ask you which language you want, press English. It will also ask which account you want to withdraw from, I think it's Checking Account or something similar you should select. If it asks you where you want the transaction in euros or sterling, make sure you select euros.

HTH

luci

What is the difference with being charged in euros or sterling?

if using a nationwide debit card choose euro you get better rate

You're welcome

The bank the ATM is with will "load" the rate if you select sterling, giving you a poorer exchange rate.

luci

Your confusing me Luci, in the first post you sed choose sterling an now you sed euro? I know i'm a pain haha

We got 1.473 euro's to the GBP using our N/W card. There is no commission or loading with nationwide. If the ATM asks if you want to be charged in GBP or euro's select euro's or you will get the interbank rate which is the same as the cash rate in the resort which was 1.40 euro's to the GBP.

My apologies, I meant to put euros and I have edited the post above to correct this. I was replying quickly at work.

Yes it's defintely euros you should select.

luci

Thanks everyone for your replies

Not sure if you are using your card for the first time or just the first time abroad. We opened Nationwide accounts for the specific purpose of using them abroad. I took a cash card and a credit card. I phoned up beforehand to activate the card using the telephone number on my letter and also advised that I would be using them in Majorca between such and such date. I also changed the pin numbers at my local branch before going.

There was no problem with the cash card and certainly as has already been said you will be pleasantly surprised by the exchange rate. However when I tried to use the credit card at the airport it was denied. Luckily I had my HBOS card with me and it went through no problem.

When I returned I phoned customer services who told me that my card had not been "properly" activated and said it was not their fault because the use an "agency" to activate their cards.!!! It was on their records that the card had tried to be activated as she gave me the date and time but obviously they made no attempt to contact me.

This is probably an isolated incident but if you haven't used your cards before I would use them in this country first to make sure they are working properly. I am not sure if you should phone customer services and tell them your dates or not. Perhaps more experienced users can advise. I was a bit concerned that I gave my holiday dates to someone in an outside agency when I thought I was talking to someone in Nationwide.
Maybe you should take another card as a back up.

Just one point about using ATM cards abroad , if the ATM for any reaso (fault , blip , power cut , scratch on card etc) retains your card you will be stuck without access to your cash so do take a backup of funds .
I do use them abroad but tend to take a spread of funds to ensure I am not stuck.

just got back from puerto pollensa, used my Nationwide card several times at bank in square (where u can lock yourself in the booth-so no one is stood next to you)
No probs whatsoever!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Stedan

Good luck with the use of the card, but would agree with Black Cat - don't put all your eggs in one basket.

It's all very well for these people saying you'll get a fantastic rate, but what use is that if your card gets swallowed up by a rogue machine, you lose it, or an "admin" problem arises. We had a power cut for about 6 hours last week - ATM machines not a lot if use then. The truth is the improved rate is maybe 1 or 2 cents a pound, hardly a fortune. Take it and use it by all means, but take more than 200 euros in cash.

The rate on the street is normally pretty good here, so take a bit of spare Sterling, that way if you don't use it, you'll have no commission to pay changing it back.

Enjoy your holiday.

PS Never keep all your cash / cards in one place. We had a guy leave his wallet behind in our bar last week, and it was crammed with cards, cash etc. Fortunately for him we were honest and he got it back in full, but his holiday was shot if he hadn't been so lucky

We got back from Puerto Pollensa on Saturday. We only took 200 euros with us and used our Nationwide card for the rest of the holiday. Absolutely no problems and no charge!

i've also got a nationwide card for holidays and this will be the first time i will use it.i've never used the atm with my normal card so this is a real first time for me! when you have selected language and which a/c do put the amount you want in euros e.g withdraw 100 euros so you dont actually know what you have withdrawn in english until you get your statement?( hope that makes sense)
thanks

Yes choose € and then say 100, 200 etc You should know roughly what you are withdrawing. I usually multipy by 7 ie €100 = £70 I do this when shopping as well. If something is priced say €5, 5x7=35 ie £3.50

When you get home the €100 withdrawal will show on your statement with the exchange rate which is then converted into sterling.

In August we went away and used only the nationwide flex cards (apart from about 90 euros I already had)
We got on average 1.48 to the pound when around town they were offering 1.40.
Now when you add it all up you get a lot more, for example if you take out £1000,
1000x1.4 = 1400 euros
1000x 1.48 = 1480 euros

so an extra 80 euros which is about 40 pints!!!

Obviously always have another card or two incase of loss!

got to say this is the best card by far,i don;t matter what people say you cannot get a better card than this,in know you don;t get interest on it.but its very good for rates.

like someone did say. if its your 1st time.use it in uk 1st.

forget the rest this is the best bit of plastic you can carry.just make sure you have enough in your account.