Is there any such thing...

[trikster]

Just wondered if there were any credit card providers that offer:-

1. Safety feathures such as:

• protection against fraud by keeping an eye on my account. So if they notice something that seems out of the ordinary, they would call me immeadiately to check;
• Offer online security;
• protect identity and if someone steals the credit card or personal information i.e. offer some type of identity protection or financial reimbursement.

I realise that in the UK, credit cards are regulated by the Consumer Credit Act 1974 (amended 2006). This provides a number of protections and requirements but not sure if all of the above features are covered by the act.

1. No over the limit fees.
2. No credit card fees.
3. Low or no charges for usage abroad and foreign exchange fees i.e allows cash withdrawals at a reasonable rate from a foreign ATM.

Currently I have a Visa credit card and am happy with the service. However i'm looking for a second credit card to take on holiday just incase. I pay my account in full and on time, therefore APR doesn't seem important. I've searched on the net but most websites appear to concentrate on low APR and good or bad credit ratings.

I've got a Barclaycard Mastercard and, only last week, was contacted because of something out of the ordinary on my account. It turned out to be a fraudulent transaction, I was reimbursed, they halted the card, sent me a new one and all is now fine. I don't pay anything for this service, it appears to be automatic. Identity fraud insurance is available but it's at a price.

For your overseas trip I can highly recommend a pre-paid foreign currency card such as FairFX. They offer very good rates. You load it up with credit before you travel and, because you are then spending in the local currency, you don't have to suffer poor exchange rates on the day. There is a charge for cash-machine withdrawals (about ?1,50 from memory) but not for ordinary transactions. I have a Euro one and can top it up via my mobile if I have to. As it is pre-paid, APR isn't relevant.

Thanks for the suggestion Chil. I'll look into the prepaid cards. Any idea where i can apply for such cards?

Try moneysupermarket.com and 'prepaid Euro/Dollar cards'.