Icmeler Online Holiday Forum & Reviews - Turkey

Hi, we are taking sterling travellers cheques with us in 4 weeks, was wondering if you can use your Debit Card (not credit card) for paying for extras, e.g. can you pay for excursions with ICR using Debit Card in resort, want to do a couple of trips, just want to see how the boys are with the heat, get used to it before we book. Hoping Hubby will buy a little diamond, well keeping fingers crossed Really for those things you don't know you want until you see them. Thanks for any advice.

Hi

most of the larger shops will allow you to pay by debit card if your card shows visa/mastercard.Be carefull as there have been reports of cards being copied and money taken from accounts.

Some shops will ask if you would like the transaction in £ or Lira always best in £ you know how much you have spent then.

It may also be worth checking with your own bank as some charge for using your card abroad.

Most of the ATM cash machine will allow you to withdraw in £ which may give you a option of haggling on price as you will be paying in cash.

ICR did not accept debit cards in the resort but you could always book your trips on line with them and pay by pay pal in the uk.

Hope this helps

Steve

Advice from which and from moneysavingexpert advise you to buy in the local currency when using a card. We tried it once just to compare and when the bill arrived it was higher. So when you use your card check what their exchange rate is before deciding on sterling or lira.

If you're taking the debit card with you anyhow, I would really recommend you use it to withdraw sterling from an atm. You'll get a one of charge from your bank - check with them, on our accounts it varies from £1.50 to £3. This will be more than compensated for with the better exchange rate you can get for your cash, or to get a better deal paying with sterling.

Check what your bank exchange rate is likely to be if you do want to use your card and pay in lira, it's often quite poor, so as well as a transaction charge, you could be losing out quite a bit if you're planning to use it a lot. We bought diamonds in May and asked what was the best way to pay, whilst they were very happy to take whatever means we had, sterling cash was better. BTW, if you want good diamonds from a great jeweller, try Vidat at More Jewellery next to Avlu 1 - tell him Andy and Nicola sent you

On the advice of Martin Lewis I got a Halifax Clarity Card before I went and used it recently to withdraw cash and make purchases. They do not charge for using card for purchases but charge interest for cash. I withdrew £400 and paid as soon as I got home - interest £1.14, which is much less than bank charges I have incurred in previous years.
A word of advice re. ATM's - this year they are not all dispensing £'s and the main two seem to be the Turkiye Bank at crossroads between old village and square and Garant bank heading towards Tansas. Hope this info. is helpful. .

Thank you for all the advice, it has been very useful, appreciate your time x

Just a quick question regarding withdrawing cash from ATM's.

Is there a 'best one' for withdrawing sterling i.e. should I head for the HSBC in preference to a Turkish Bank?

Thanks

Patsiej

Not sure at all about that, but I used the Garanti bank to withdraw ££££s - it's opposite Avlu1
I chose to draw out sterling rather than Lira cos 1) I'd get a better exchange rate in the supermarkets than the bank would have given me 2) I wouldn't have to worry about losing money if I had to change TL back to Sterling when I got home

Also, at the risk of stating the obvious, don't forget to let your bank know that you're likely to use your cards abroad - or you may find they put a block on them while you're away

Thanks Fanny. Will make sure I let them know.

I also use Garanti, there is another atm in the square next to Prince apartments now too. I have a basic bank account with an electron card I use for holiday spends, they only charge £1.50 per withdrawal so it works out the cheapest way all round

Also best check with your bank about whether you need you card activated for use abroad otherwise it won't work out here. Ours asks for our dates we are abroad for security reasons.
Enjoy your holiday & SPENDING!!

Thanks everybody. Banks have been duly notified - even the ones I don't intend using. Emergency contact numbers listed. All that remains is to get to Icmeler on Monday!

have a marvellous time Patsiej!!!

Thanks Fanny.