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STOP paying to pay when abroad: 9 travel money must-knows to avoid rip-offs

Whether you're planning to eat out with your colón in Costa Rica, phone home with your ringgits in Malaysia or do whatever you like with your dong in Vietnam, the big summer getaway is only a few weeks away.

Many of the best ways to get travel money take time to sort - so do 'em now to save big bucks.

1. Urgent. Apply NOW for a top overseas credit or debit card. The easiest and cheapest way to spend abroad is on the right plastic, but cards can take a couple of weeks to arrive, so early planning is essential.

Normally, spend abroad on plastic and it adds a 'non-sterling exchange fee' of 3%-ish, meaning £100 of euros costs £103, plus it'll charge cash withdrawal fees on top. Specialist cards don't do that.

All these cards are Mastercards, so can be used anywhere that takes Mastercard. And remember with the credit cards (not Starling), only do this if you pay off IN FULL each month, or the interest dwarfs the exchange rate gain.
These are not the only good cards, though we think they're best for most. If you already have another specialist card, it's probably not worth switching. For a full rundown of all the top cards and more help, see Top Travel Credit and Debit Cards.

2. Want cash? TravelMoneyMax compares 30+ bureaux in seconds. Who's cheapest depends on what currency you want and how much, and changes by the hour. So our TravelMoneyMax comparison tool tells you. It quickly compares 30+ bureaux to find you the best rate for delivery or col lection.

3. Warning. Your holiday could cost £150 more if you spend the wrong way. Many end up paying for paying - make sure you don't. To show you the difference, here's a comparison of rates (done on Mon).

The cost of €1,000 (5 x €100 at ATMs, rest spent in 20 transactions)
- Top specialist credit/debit card repaid in full: £890
- Cash, via TMM's cheapest bureau (must pick up in London): £893
- Cash from M&S on the high st (non-cardholders): £916
- Using a debit card from hell (Santander in this case - see more below): £946
- Changing cash at airport (not pre-ordered): £1,046
As you can see, airport rates are the worst. If you've left it that late, at least order on your way to the airport - NEVER just walk up and buy cash.

4. I'm not going away till later in the summer. With all the Brexit stuff going on, should I buy my euros/dollars etc now? Lots of you are asking that and the answer's complicated, so read Martin's new Buy holiday money now? blog.

5. Top prepaid card - if you want one. We used to go big on prepaid travel cards because they don't require a credit check. But now Starling doesn't require a credit check, its rates are hot and you get the rate on the day you spend. Whereas with some prepaid cards you can get the rate on the day you load up the card. Which is better depends on the way exchange rates move. So if you want it for rate protection, here's our top prepaid card pick...

Revolut* lets you lock in perfect rates for 23 currencies (though there's a 0.5%-1% exchange fee at weekends) and lets you withdraw £200/mth for free (2% after). The card's FREE for newbies via our link (£5 direct). Full details and more options in Cheap Prepaid Travel Cards.

6. Don't buy cash or load a prepaid card with a credit card. Most credit card providers count buying foreign currency as a cash withdrawal - and they usually charge a fee for those, and interest even if you repay in full. Some (incl Santander and Virgin Money) do the same when loading up prepaid cards. So it's better to pay on a debit card, as they can't charge fees for it. See Don't buy travel cash with a credit card.

7. Will withdrawing cash abroad on a credit card hurt my credit file? On the right card it's cheap, but there's a possible minor impact on your creditworthiness - full info in Credit card ATM withdrawals abroad.

8. Beware the DEBIT CARDS FROM HELL - is yours one? Not only do they add around 3% to the exchange rate and an ATM fee, some also charge up to £1.50 every time you use them to spend overseas.

GOT ONE OF THESE DEBIT CARDS FROM HELL?
Bank of Scotland | Halifax | Lloyds | Santander | TSB | IF |
Clydesdale/Yorkshire | NatWest/RBS (though spending fees waived till Sep)

ANY other card, including a credit card (if repaid IN FULL), is cheaper to spend on than these. See full Beware the debit cards from hell info.

9. And finally... when using plastic abroad, if you're asked 'Do you want to pay in pounds or euros?', what do you say? Euros. For why, see Martin's Pay in euros? blog.