Hitting the slopes? Make sure your credit card bill doesn’t send you off piste!

Confused.com is reminding those planning a winter sports or sun holiday this New Year to make their money go further by thinking about how they will pay for the trip, as well as how best to spend when they’re away. The comparison site has revealed that savvy spenders could in fact pocket £67.50 by paying for their trip using the right card, enough to pay for some après ski drinks and dinner. Chris Griffiths, head of credit cards at Confused.com reveals his three top tips below: 1. Booking the holiday Chris says “A credit card can be a great way to cover the cost of your holiday. Whether you’re looking to spread the cost of the repayments with a 0% interest card or even if you’ve been saving hard and have the cash ready to pay for your holiday it’s worth considering using a reward credit card to earn yourself some additional cashback or airmiles towards another holiday. A one week skiing holiday for two in Courcheval, France for example, could earn £67.50 in cashback. Also, any purchase where the total cost exceeds £100 is covered under section 75 of the consumer credit act, meaning the credit card company is jointly liable should anything go wrong with the booking – i.e. you’ll get your money back from the credit card company and they’ll chase the travel agent.” Rewards Credit Cards: Based on 2 people spending a week skiing/snowboarding in Courchevel, France1 Correct as at January 11 2011 2. Spending money once you’re in resort Chris says: “It’s important to think about how you will pay for things once you arrive at your holiday destination. The card you used to book the holiday might not be the best one for use abroad, and the fees and charges can vary greatly, for example spending £500 on a credit card not designed for use abroad could end up costing an extra £13.75 in charges.” Top credit cards to use abroad and those which incur greater charges Correct as at 11 Jan 2011 3. Which currency to pay in Chris says: “It might sound silly but it’s important to know what currency to pay in when you’re on holiday. Many retailers, restaurants and even cash machines will now give you the option to use sterling as well as the local currency i.e. Euros. By paying in sterling you are allowing that retailer or bank to handle the conversion from the local currency and you won’t know what exchange rate they’re offering or whether there are any fees or charges until you’re back home and the bill lands on your doormat. Always opt to pay or transact in the local currency to ensure any charges are those from your own bank at home which you already know about. If you’re not offered a choice on the receipt refuse to pay and ask them to bring you another bill in the local currency.” “These may only seem like little things but over the course of the week they can really add up. Credit and debit cards do change their terms and conditions for use abroad so check out what yours will be in plenty of time to allow you to apply for a new card if necessary. For those concerned about making applications which could affect their credit rating Confused.com has a credit checker tool, allowing you to find out the likelihood of being accepted for a particular card before making a full application.” Ends For further information: Confused.com press office pressoffice@confused.com tel: 02920 494393 Notes to editors: 1 From Confused.com travel (as at 7 January 2010) http://travel.confused.com/holidays# 7 nights B&B for 2 adults, departing 29 Jan for Courchevel, France staying at 3* Hotel Seizena is £679 pp £1358 (from Gatwick with Thomas Cook airlines) 5 day ski pass for the 3 valleys area, for one adult is 221 each http://www.courchevel.com/pass_forfait.php?Rub=207&flag_recherche=1&pass_forfait=9 ski-hire ‘silver standard’ ski/board and boots for a week 127 euros per person http://www.finlayski.com/courchevel/facts_hire.htm About Confused.com Confused.com is one of the UK’s biggest and most popular price comparison services. Launched in 2002, it generates over one million quotes per month. It has expanded its range of comparison products over the last couple of years to include home insurance, travel insurance, pet insurance, van insurance, motorbike insurance, breakdown cover and energy, as well as financial services products including credit cards, loans, mortgages and life insurance. Confused.com is not a supplier, insurance company or broker. It provides a free, objective and unbiased comparison service. By using cutting-edge technology, it has developed a series of intelligent web-based solutions that evaluate a number of risk factors to help customers with their decision-making, subsequently finding them great deals on a wide-range of insurance products, financial services, utilities and more. Confused.com’s service is based on the most up-to-date information provided by UK suppliers and industry regulators. Confused.com is owned by the Admiral Group plc. Admiral listed on the London Stock Exchange in September 2004. Confused.com is regulated by the FSA.