Nationwide Flex a/c

We are non residents & have a Nationwide Flex current account which we only use to withdraw funds in Spain via ATMs that have the Visa sign. Using this method we don't get charged anything & we get superb rates. I thought you would be interested to know how we did. Before we left the UK on Dec 14th we put a certain amount of cash into the Flex a/c & drew out as follows.

Each time we withdrew 300 euros. All just below the Sky currency bank rate.  

17/12 rate 1.396

18/12 rate 1.402

 20/12 rate 1.389

29/12 rate 1.353

An ideal way to get euros in Spain for hols.

Ditto Morerosado,

I have a N/Wide flex account and to date I havn't found a better deal?

Hi Mike, great to "see" you again. Trust you had a good Christmas & New Year. We were in Spain from Dec 14th till 6th Jan & had a wonderful time.

It's amazing though, getting back to the Nationwide account, how many people still don't seem to take advantage of our great finds & then still continue to go on about rates etc. It's the same with using a UK mobile in Spain rather than buying a Spanish SIM card for your UK mobile or, better still, a Spanish mobile. If you're going to ask for advice please take it or what are we all doing here ?

I'm poorly so slightly grumpy & feel a vent or 20 coming on.

I don't know about cc's Saznaz (we haven't a N/wide cc) though Simmo in this thread said the cc doesn't incur charges if you use it to buy services, not take cash out though. 

We use Saga Visa in Spain for services, we bought some furniture. Saga Visa don't charge the 2.75% or whatever others tend to charge. ENSURE you use a machine with the VISA logo on it or you WILL be charged. Take out euros too not sterling. One we used was Cajamurcia bank.   Machines give instructions in English & my OH found it very simple.  

thanks v much Remmy will look into that - my hubby used his MBNA card whilst we were out in Feb - the rate here was 1.34 and they gave us 1.21 - daylight robbery

so will use nationwide card in future

ta

Hi More

Glad you are having a good time. We aplied for our Flex account last week, so hope to be hearing soon .

Mark

I have been using Nationwide Credit & Debit cards all over the world for years for buying goods with the Credit card and cash with the debit card, as far as I know this has always been the best way of doing my transactions. The other benefit is by setting up for on line banking as well you can easily monitor your spending on the net whilst away. Other banks have similar deals but none as far as I know have offered this so consistently for so long. I do most of my banking with Nationwide wish they has branches in Spain. Nationwide offshore Euro account based in Isle of Man is worth a look as well.

Phil

Hi Carol & Richard. This is exactly why I began a new thread just for Nationwide as other info on it gets lost in other threads & the info is far too ace for that.

People often say "it can't be possible for you to get those rates so easily" &, until they bother to open a Flex a/c & use the Debit card to find out for themselves, they're not convinced. Often I feel people just say (like my OH did to me when I suggested opening an a/c) "Not another bank a/c ??" (He really did need convincing.

Thanks for posting about your experience with your debit card.

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Hey, we suddenly have more smileys to play with, about time too.

Saw great one for the big agents ........  & what most would like to do to them

Thanks EOS Team.