Travel Cash card
Feb 25, 2016, 1:58 pm
#46
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 124
No. There are no minimal transfer to the card.
And it can be that ATM´s are not able to get the fee because this is an on-line cash card and can not be charged (to avoid an overcharge) at a later time.
Also be aware that because of that, you can NOT use this card in an off-line terminal environment (like on board an airplane).
And it can be that ATM´s are not able to get the fee because this is an on-line cash card and can not be charged (to avoid an overcharge) at a later time.
Also be aware that because of that, you can NOT use this card in an off-line terminal environment (like on board an airplane).
Feb 25, 2016, 9:46 pm
#47
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: CPH
Programs: UAMP S, TK M&S E (*G), Marriott LTP, IHG P, SK EBG
Posts: 11,075
If you want fee free atm - open an account with DKB. It's a German bank that allows Scandinavians to open an account. I tried it once in the US and they refunded us the fee when we showed them that we paid.
Tried it in Thailand and the ATMs don't accept it (will ask them when we get back). I didn't have time to load the SK travel cards so I used my Santander card from Sweden 0 fee from Santander and 0 forex fee except the 200baht fee the Thai ATM charges.
Please report back if anyone has used it in Thailand.
Tried it in Thailand and the ATMs don't accept it (will ask them when we get back). I didn't have time to load the SK travel cards so I used my Santander card from Sweden 0 fee from Santander and 0 forex fee except the 200baht fee the Thai ATM charges.
Please report back if anyone has used it in Thailand.
Feb 26, 2016, 2:10 am
#49
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: AGH
Posts: 5,961
Ing-DiBa has the same but usually this means your bank doesn't charge you for use of an foreign ATM. The ATM fee from the foreign bank is a different thing and will normally not be reimbursed.
Mar 1, 2016, 5:41 am
#50
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: CPH
Programs: UAMP S, TK M&S E (*G), Marriott LTP, IHG P, SK EBG
Posts: 11,075
DKB does, check their website. Mr. reconfirmed it a week ago and we got our $5 US ATM fee reimbursed by them.
Mar 2, 2016, 1:18 am
#52
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: CPH
Programs: UAMP S, TK M&S E (*G), Marriott LTP, IHG P, SK EBG
Posts: 11,075
Mar 2, 2016, 4:00 am
#54
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 60
Not as much as the Dutch shops...? In the previous years, I have easily been able to use my credit cards in Germany - at Edeka, REWE, Rossmann and so on (although some smaller and larger restaurants let me down).
Where as in The Netherlands I have been puzzled how resistant they are to international cards (and thus tourists). Even in larger cities as Den Haag, Albert Heijn featured numerous card only register lines, only to decline anything but Dutch issued Maestro cards. I even got this SAS Travel Cash card but alas, while it's MasterCard Debet, it's no good at most locations in The Netherlands (unless that place accepts the normal MasterCard with credit).
Did anyone have luck cancelling their Travel Cash card through customer care and get a return transfer to their bank account without incurring the normal fee?
Where as in The Netherlands I have been puzzled how resistant they are to international cards (and thus tourists). Even in larger cities as Den Haag, Albert Heijn featured numerous card only register lines, only to decline anything but Dutch issued Maestro cards. I even got this SAS Travel Cash card but alas, while it's MasterCard Debet, it's no good at most locations in The Netherlands (unless that place accepts the normal MasterCard with credit).
Did anyone have luck cancelling their Travel Cash card through customer care and get a return transfer to their bank account without incurring the normal fee?
Mar 2, 2016, 4:38 am
#55
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: CPH
Programs: UAMP S, TK M&S E (*G), Marriott LTP, IHG P, SK EBG
Posts: 11,075
Try using a CC in Denmark without fee.
The only reason we applied for the DKB account was the EC card, back in 2011 you need that everywhere.
Mar 2, 2016, 4:45 am
#56
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: AGH
Posts: 5,961
I was in Düsseldorf and Essen for a huge international trade show some weeks ago with customers and colleagues from all over the world - and guess what... I had to pay the train tickets since the German Railways ticket machines do not take credit cards but just EC or cash. That is just wrong in so many ways.
True, it is getting better but when you live here you will find that there are still a lot of places which do not take cards. And even if they do like a lot of restaurants or taxis they do not like it and being native German you immediately notice in the small comments or facial expression.
Cash (or at least electronic cash) rules Germany. And Austria... That's it.
Funny enough most vendors claim that the costs of CC processing is too high(*) but never ever looked at the cost of handling cash. Getting coins and bills as change from the bank, secure storage, secure transport, making sure the employees hand out the right amounts, counterfeit money...
(*) even with the new limits
True, it is getting better but when you live here you will find that there are still a lot of places which do not take cards. And even if they do like a lot of restaurants or taxis they do not like it and being native German you immediately notice in the small comments or facial expression.
Cash (or at least electronic cash) rules Germany. And Austria... That's it.
Funny enough most vendors claim that the costs of CC processing is too high(*) but never ever looked at the cost of handling cash. Getting coins and bills as change from the bank, secure storage, secure transport, making sure the employees hand out the right amounts, counterfeit money...
(*) even with the new limits
Mar 3, 2016, 9:39 am
#57
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,132
DKB issues you with a Visa and 'EC' card. Because they don't have any branches, using the Visa (not the 'EC') to pick up money at ATMs anywhere is fee free. Chase in the US often asks you to allow a 5$ charge on top, which is added to the total amount withdrawn. If you contact DKB via the contact form, they refund it immediately. Some ATMs worldwide have an issue with Visa cash advance, so you can't use the ATMs with the DKB Visa. DKB usually asks for details, but nothing really happens (In my case I asked for a refund of the extra charges I had (about 7€) because I couldn't use the DKB card, they declined)
Mar 4, 2016, 1:51 am
#58
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: CPH
Programs: UAMP S, TK M&S E (*G), Marriott LTP, IHG P, SK EBG
Posts: 11,075
DKB issues you with a Visa and 'EC' card. Because they don't have any branches, using the Visa (not the 'EC') to pick up money at ATMs anywhere is fee free. Chase in the US often asks you to allow a 5$ charge on top, which is added to the total amount withdrawn. If you contact DKB via the contact form, they refund it immediately. Some ATMs worldwide have an issue with Visa cash advance, so you can't use the ATMs with the DKB Visa. DKB usually asks for details, but nothing really happens (In my case I asked for a refund of the extra charges I had (about 7€) because I couldn't use the DKB card, they declined)
It might have been the problem why we can't use our DKB card in Thailand to draw cash (it kept saying insufficient fund which is definitely not true). I used my MC debit and it worked to draw cash.
Mar 23, 2016, 9:31 am
#59
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 1
Exchange rate commission EXPENSIVE, a bad joke SAS!
Have just used Eurobonus travelcashcard in Thailand. ATM accepted it and added its 200THB to withdrawal amount THB10.000 thus appears on statement in app as a THB10.200 withdrawal. 2 foreign withdrawals per calendar month are fee free.
The exchange rate spread is really bad - about 7% on top of MasterCards official rate as seen on MasterCard.com/global/currencyconversion/
It thus feels like 7% extra+ 3% mastercards standard spread = 10% on the mid market rates you see with various apps and xe.com. So every time you use the card you've lost 10% on mid market rates (many can get a card with no forex fee% thus getting closer to mid market rates).
I feel a roughly 7% on top of the MasterCard spread is a bad joke and a shame SAS would lower itself to earning money in this way - a weird way to 'award' gold and diamond members.
It truly is equivalent to buying expensive foreign cash in Scandinavia eg THB and taking it with you.
I don't think many people will use the time to calculate the cost of using the card and I wonder really if the extra costs (approx 7-10%) make the "earned" (actually, paid for) points you get by using the card make it worthwhile.
The exchange rate spread is really bad - about 7% on top of MasterCards official rate as seen on MasterCard.com/global/currencyconversion/
It thus feels like 7% extra+ 3% mastercards standard spread = 10% on the mid market rates you see with various apps and xe.com. So every time you use the card you've lost 10% on mid market rates (many can get a card with no forex fee% thus getting closer to mid market rates).
I feel a roughly 7% on top of the MasterCard spread is a bad joke and a shame SAS would lower itself to earning money in this way - a weird way to 'award' gold and diamond members.
It truly is equivalent to buying expensive foreign cash in Scandinavia eg THB and taking it with you.
I don't think many people will use the time to calculate the cost of using the card and I wonder really if the extra costs (approx 7-10%) make the "earned" (actually, paid for) points you get by using the card make it worthwhile.
Last edited by flying.fox; Mar 23, 2016 at 9:32 am Reason: Grammatical
Jul 6, 2016, 5:23 pm
#60
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 1
Travel cash use in Norway
Hei, I live and work in Norway. Do you think if I transfer NOK from my bank account to my travel cash card and use this card instead for my everyday transactions will worth it? Just for the earning points? Because I have an unactivated travel cash card since last year so I try to find a way to use it without "losing" money from the exchage rates.