Best US debit card to use in the UK? (Scotland, England, credit card)

[katzpaw]

Our 20-something son, no credit card, will be travelling in the UK this year. What is the best way for him to handle expenses? We are thinking of a debit card to access a US bank account but are unsure what bank machine networks are supported (Plus, Pulse, Cirrus..?) and what fees to expect. Is any US bank better than others and have lower foreign transaction fees?

[Chava61]

TD Bank offers no foreign transaction fees on its debit cards although there is a small out of network ATM fee (which would be same even if the card was used at a non-TD Bank ATM within the USA). Their checking account requires a min. balance of just $100 for free checking. I used a TD Bank debit card in the UK several years ago without any problems.

[young92]

We use our debit card when traveling. As long as it's a Visa or MC then you won't have a problem. I usually hit an ATM with a major bank to pull out a couple hundred in cash then pay as much as I can with cash. My bank charges a $3 transaction fee and the ATM charges a few dollars. Using cash limits an opportunity for fraud. Make sure you tell your bank that you are traveling and where. I alerted my bank last time we traveled but somehow the notice didn't go through. Luckily it was only one lunch when I found out and I had another, functioning credit card. The problem was easily solved with a phone call. (There is another topic - using your phone abroad!) I heard one travel horror story of someone who told their bank they were traveling to the UK. Their debit card was ok in England but when they used it in Scotland the ATM confiscated it. Evidently, the system didn't think Scotland was part of the UK! It was a Sunday and they couldn't get their card back until Monday. Luckily they had a second debit card to use. What a hassle!

[ace587]

i use my BoA for Global ATM alliance banks like Barclays