Your debit card is supposed to be your friend. It is meant to be a responsible alternative to credit cards and safer than carrying around wads of cash. But use your debit card abroad and it could give your current account a case of Montezuma’s Revenge.

Brits holidaying in Europe could find themselves paying an extra 12 percent if they use a high street bank’s debit card. HBOS and Barclays customers would spend £189.13 to make 10 €25 purchases while a Nationwide Building Society debit card holder would only pay £169.47 for the same transactions – a difference of almost £20, or 12 percent. Figures from price comparison website moneysupermarket.com show that Nationwide customers pay no charges or conversion fees. HSBC customers pay a relatively low fee compared with the rest of the big banks, which are cashing in on holidaying customers.

“ It is disappointing to see how much some high street banks are charging when compared with Nationwide and HSBC,” says Rob Kenley of moneysupermarket.com. “Nationwide doesn’t levy a purchase fee or a currency conversion fee, which is the way it should be. It seems quite unjust for five major banks to be hitting holidaymakers with a 2.75 percent currency conversion fee and a purchase fee of between £1 and £1.50 per purchase. It should be Britons enjoying their holidays, not the banks enjoying our holidays at our expense. Anyone having a European break this summer should take a good look at our table and wonder if they need a more holiday-friendly debit car.”

Make sure that you’re getting the best credit card deal
People with these expensive debit cards should also consider other products such as credit cards, foreign currency or prepaid cards for the best travel money deals available. Nationwide, again, and the Post Office came out on top with their credit cards, while Travelex offers some of the best foreign currency, travellers checks and prepaid card deals.

Article from yahoo.co.uk.