WEB SHOPPING PILLAR: January 2018

There's nowt more fun than neutering a credit card. Don't worry, this isn't a cruel sport, it's just a way to stop 'em from being debt cards and instead turn them into the perfect way to pay, with powerful perks at no cost.

And neutering one is easy. Just set up a direct debit to pay the card off IN FULL (listen to that in its full glory) each month, so there's no interest. Then use it for spending, and it's effectively a debit card, as long as you don't bust the credit limit.

Things have just improved for credit card users

On 13 Jan new rules stopped retailers levying extra fees for those paying with personal credit cards. While a few still naughtily haven't changed, most charges are now consigned to history. Some firms have frustratingly replaced them with a charge for all, but even then it means there's no longer a premium to pay via credit card.

So here are my 7 current top IN FULL perks followed by a Q&A...

Some deals require you to spend on the card, to trigger the freebie. So just use it for normal spending (not an excuse to spend more), repay in full, then it's at no cost to you.

1. Ends TODAY: Free £50+ M&S vouchers. Accepted new cardholders (use our eligibility calc to see your acceptance chances) who apply via our M&S Bank* link by 11.59pm Wed get a free £50+ to spend in its stores on almost anything (incl clothes and food). It's split into three...

(i) £20 in M&S pts. Just spend anything anywhere within 90 days to get this.
(ii) £30 M&S vch. Spend £100+ anywhere by 31 Mar.
(iii) Extra £5 M&S vch. You're sent a coupon with the card. Scan it when you buy almost anything at M&S and you're due another £5 of points.

So in a nutshell, spend £100 anywhere and you get £50; spend any of that at M&S and you can get £55. Just ensure you never withdraw cash and repay the card IN FULL to avoid the 18.9% rep APR interest. If you don't want the ongoing M&S pts, get the vouchers then cancel it. More help and options in Credit Card Rewards (APR Examples).

2. Free £100 Amazon voucher or British Airways Europe return flight + 2 airport lounge passes. Spend £2,000+ in the first 3mths on the Amex Rewards Gold* (use our eligibility calc to see your acceptance chances) to get freebies. It sounds a lot, but £700/mth isn't that big for many families.

You get 20,000 bonus Membership Rewards pts - redeemable for a £100 Amazon/Boots/M&S gift card or convertible to enough Avios points for a European BA return (though you pay taxes and charges). You also get two free worldwide airport lounge visits per year (and ongoing points).

This card is a charge card, not a credit card, meaning you MUST pay IN FULL... Missed repayments cost £12 and mean a credit file black mark.

WARNING: There's a £140 annual fee after the first year - remember to cancel if you don't want to pay it.

If you won't spend that much, the Amex Rewards* credit card (eligibility calc) gives 10,000 bonus pts (equiv to a £50 vch) for a lower £1,000+ spend in 3mths. If you don't repay IN FULL every month, it's 22.9% rep APR.

3. Earn 5% cashback on all spending, 'I get £200-£300/yr'. Rather than one-off perks, cashback credit cards pay you every time you spend on them. So use one for all spending, repaying IN FULL, replacing cash, cheques and debit cards - and you earn (never withdraw cash though).

Some make big bucks, incl Christine: "@MartinSLewis £200-£300 per year cashback for the last 15yrs or so with Amex #happybunny."

The no-fee Amex Everyday* (eligibility calc) gives accepted new cardholders 5% cashback (max £100) for 3mths then up to 1% after. You must spend at least £3k/yr to get any cashback. If you'll spend £9,000+ a year, the Amex Platinum* (eligibility calc) pays slightly more, even after its £25 annual fee. Always be sure to repay IN FULL, or you'll pay the 22.9% rep APR which'll dwarf the cashback gain.

The easier-to-get Aqua Reward* Mastercard (use our eligibility calc to see your acceptance chances) pays 0.5% cashback on all spending (max £100/yr) and is accepted in more places (it's also good for spending overseas - as in point 5). Always pay IN FULL to avoid the horrible 34.9% rep APR. Full info and options in Top Cashback Cards (APR Examples).

4. New York City business-class return (big spenders only). I wrote this £500 for 2 biz-class tickets to NYC blog in 2010, and while of course prices have since risen, the principle of huge savings still stands. It's all about credit cards where you earn frequent flyer miles for spending, and it can be far more lucrative than cashback cards - getting bigger spenders who collect over a few years high-end flights worldwide.

The no-fee BA Amex* (eligibility calc) gives 1 Avios point per £1 spent, plus 5,000 extra when you spend £1,000+ within the first 3mths. For big spenders, put £20,000+ on it (great if you pay then reclaim expenses) and you get a 'free' companion ticket, meaning whatever ticket you redeem in points, even first-class, you get a second 'free' (you still pay taxes). You've one year to claim the flight. Of course, do repay IN FULL each month to avoid the 22.9% rep APR.

Or, if you'll definitely use it for biz/first-class, then for a £195 annual fee, the BA Premium Plus Amex* (eligibility calc) gives a higher 1.5 Avios per £1 spent, plus 25,000 extra if you spend £3,000+ within the first 3mths. Most importantly it also offers a 'free' companion ticket but at a much lower £10,000+ spending trigger (and you've 2yrs to claim the flight). Fail to repay IN FULL and it's 22.9% interest (not including the £195 fee).

Warning: Flights at the right time can be tricky to find, so it's best for those with flexibility to travel when flights are available.

Virgin has similar cards but they're not available to new cardholders at the moment. Full info in Airline Credit Cards (APR Examples).

5. Near-perfect exchange rates in every country + £20 cashback. A few specialist credit cards give near-perfect exchange rates when you spend on them abroad. So provided you pay off (you guessed it) IN FULL, it's the no-hassle way to save big bucks on your, er, big bucks (and euros, colons etc).

And right now one of the top cards, Halifax Clarity* (use our eligibility calc to see if you'll be accepted) gives newbies £20 if they spend in a foreign currency by 31 Mar (incl online, eg, hotel bookings). Again, repay IN FULL to avoid 18.9% rep APR. For more on this see our Top Travel Cards guide.

6. Get paid £40 to (re)build your creditworthiness. To get credit you need to have a history of being a good credit citizen. If yours is bad, or doesn't exist, a credit (re)builder card can help.

Just do £50-£100/mth of normal spending on one, repay on time IN FULL and within 6mths to 1yr your score should improve. To see which you've the best acceptance chances for, use our eligibility calculator.

Apply by 7 Feb and new Barclaycard Initial* custs will get £10 credited to their account every 3mths for a year (so max £40). You need to spend on it at least once within those periods, repay at least the min each month, and stay within your credit limit. There's 3mths 0% on spending, but it's a horrid 34.9% rep APR after that if you fail to repay IN FULL.

7. ALL CREDIT CARDS: Free Section 75 protection. Pay on a credit card (not debit cards, not cash, not charge cards - see pt 2, not cheques) for an item costing £100 to £30,000 and it's normally covered by Section 75 laws, meaning the card firm's JOINTLY liable with the retailer if something goes wrong.

The obvious benefit is if you order something and the retailer goes bust, you can get your money back from the card firm. But actually the joint liability means anything you can complain to a retailer about, you can choose instead to go to the card firm about.

Eg, if you bought a posh handbag in New York, and discover a fault, you can ask the card firm to sort rather than 'going back' to the shop.

Plus, staggeringly, the card provider's liable for the ENTIRE amount, even if you just pay 1p on the card. See 'I got £23k back on my kitchen after paying £200 credit card deposit'. That's why I do all major purchases on a credit card. Full S75 help.

The things I always get asked about credit card perks

Q. Does this hurt my credit score? Every credit application leaves a mark on your credit report for a year. Not a biggie unless you do lots in a short time. Yet if you're about to make an important credit application within the next few months (eg, for a mortgage), I'd hold off. Full help in the free MSE Credit Club.

Q. How many cards can I have? Each lender scores differently, but over time many good credit scorers do have 5, 6 or 7 credit cards. Just ensure you spread out applications, and with this number it's probably (this is art not science) worth cancelling old unused cards. See Should you cancel old credit cards?

Q. I don't trust myself, should I do this? No. Credit cards are like fire - used right they're a great tool, used wrong they burn. If you may not pay off in full, it isn't worth it, play safe.

Q. Why IN FULL, why not just 'most of it'? If you pay off credit card spending in full, there's no interest. If you miss even just 1p, you pay interest on the WHOLE amount (not just what's left) for the month.

Q. What if I forget to make a repayment? You'll usually be given a charge, and have a mark on your credit report. Hence why I say set up a direct debit to repay in full.

Q. Can I get extra cashback from cashback sites? Sometimes, yes - see our Top Cashback Sites guide for full info.

'£40,000 PPI back' and how to do a weekly shop for £2
The Martin Lewis Money Show, ITV, 8pm Monday night

"An amazing 3.8m watched my 'Help to Buy ISA v LISA' show on Monday (watch again online or the Sun morning ITV repeat) - thank you. Next Mon: 1) How to check if you're owed PPI, including the new rule that means even millions who were rejected are now owed. 2) How to do a weekly shop for £2/person. Do watch or set your Betamax."

Saved cash? Shout it from the rooftops.

If this email's ever helped you, please forward it to friends and suggest they get it via moneysavingexpert.com/tips

MSE Big Energy Collective Switch 9 - only 9 days left
THE BATTLE IS ON: Which will you pick?
14mth lock-in, saving c. £270/yr with MSE enhanced 90% 'great' service...
... or TWO-winter lock-in, saving c. £200/yr with a big name you know

You always tell us you want to switch energy and save, but don't know who to trust. So we've done the work for you. We've run an auction where providers bid to offer special exclusive tariffs, analysed the savings, picked the winners and checked out the customer service.

Being straight, these aren't the market's very cheapest, as we won't put our stamp of approval on new tiddler suppliers with no track record and an inability to cope with big switch volumes (though of course we will show you these providers when you compare). Yet most will still save large and get peace of mind.

Someone with typical dual-fuel use pays £1,132/yr on a Big 6 standard tariff on avg. Compare the prices below with that.

BIG SWITCH WINNER 1: CHEAP '1yr' fix, no exit fees, 90% 'great' service + MSE enhanced service. The MSE Octopus 14M Fixed tariff costs a typical £862/yr including £25 MSE cashback, and your rate is locked in for 14mths.
Octopus is a small to mid-sized firm, with a 90% 'great' service rating, which has agreed to MSE enhanced customer service including dedicated contact details and special service briefings. Tristan's already nailed it: "See you later British Gas, just switched to Octopus, saved £297/yr. Thanks."

See how it compares: Use our special 'Superb service' comparison, which uses our filters to exclude firms getting less than a c. 70% 'great' rating (min 50 votes) in our service polls (or compare with the whole market).
BIG SWITCH WINNER 2: CHEAPEST 2yr fix + it's from a Big 6 firm + existing custs can get it. The EDF Simply Fixed Mar20 tariff costs a typical £928/yr including MSE cashback. It lets you lock in a cheap rate and forget about it till 31 March 2020 - great if you don't switch that often. It's proved so popular we've got another 10,000 tariffs.

See how it compares: Do a 'Big Name' comparison, which shows only companies you're likely to know, and then use the 18 months or more tariff filter to narrow down to long fixes (or compare with the whole of market).

For full help, see our general switching FAQs or the MSE collective switch FAQs. Sadly, the deals above aren't available in Northern Ireland or on prepay.

PS: If you wonder if we get paid for this - we do. But we give you roughly half what we get via cashback, which you don't get applying direct. The rest goes to paying our costs, and hopefully making a little bit of profit.

30% off bedding, eg, £8ish Silentnight pillow pair (norm £12). MSE Blagged. Incl free delivery, ends Fri. Sleepy People

New. Passport prices to rise in March - here's how to beat 'em. See beat passport hike.

Beat BT's Jan hike, eg, 'I'm saving £600+'. BT raised prices on 7 Jan by up to £36/yr. But don't take it lying down, especially as non-promo fibre b'band & line alone can hit £50/mth, yet the cheapest is £20/mth. If out of contract, use our Broadband Unbundled tool to find your cheapest so you can save like Suzanne: "Always been with BT, paid £71 for fibre & line in Dec [likely includes calls or add-ons], switched to Vodafone £20/mth, no-brainer. Thanks MSE." Don't want to switch? Use the tool's results as a basis for haggling.

How to spend £10+ at Sainsbury's and get £1-£25 of extra Nectar points. This weekend only - here's how.

1,000 FREE £15ish radiator heat reflector packs. Helps make up to four radiators more efficient, hopefully saving money. Pimp your rads

Petrol prices hit 3yr high - how to find the cheapest in YOUR area. The AA says unleaded now averages 122.16p/litre, up from 114.7p in July. But you can keep costs down with a nifty way to find cheaper fuel.

BLAGGED FOR MSE

- 30% off bedding code, eg, £8ish pillow pair Ends Fri
- £40 cashback on £400 'robo-investment' 1,000 available
- £6 for 7 daylily plants (norm £20) Ends Sun
- £10 for £30 of meal ingredients Ends 1 Apr 2018

DID YOU MISS?

- 'I paid 67p for a £41 shop'
- Update - 'Student loan interest 6.1% - panic or pay it off?'
- Don't know when your MOT is due? Get a FREE reminder
- Play the bank bribe bonanza game & earn £1,000+
- EXTRA 10% off 'best before' ending groceries

Can changing your email cut your car insurance costs?

It's a bizarre world. Adding your mum, changing job title, going comprehensive may all save you cash

With car insurance prices increasing by nearly 10% a year, every little helps. Last week insurer Admiral admitted to us that your email domain name (eg, Gmail) can affect the quotes it gives. Hotmail didn't fare well in The Sun's original story on how prices differ depending on your email, but we've tested and found no rhyme or reason to it. Welcome to the counter-logical world of car insurance. Here are our 'doesn't always make sense but try it anyway' tips to slash costs - there's full help in Cheap Car Insurance.

Fully comp can beat third-party cover. Even though it's stronger cover, selecting comprehensive means some insurers see you as a lower risk. See comprehensive vs third party.
NEVER auto-renew or you'll likely be stung by your insurer. The quickest way to find lots of quotes quickly is via a comparison site but as they don't all search the same insurers, use as many as possible. Our current order's Confused.com*, MoneySupermarket*, Gocompare* and Compare The Market* (why? See comparison order).
Also try big insurers and hot deals comparisons miss. Some major names aren't on 'em. Try Aviva* and Direct Line* which can be competitive + the hot deals not on comparisons.
Being on the electoral roll can drive down costs. Insurers do ID checks, mainly using the electoral roll. If they can't identify you, cover may cost more. See why being on the electoral roll matters and how to get on it.
Legitimately alter your job title. Don't claim to be a waiter if you're a footballer, but tweaks can make you seem less risky. Ratatatat did: "Went from accountant to auditor - I'm both. Saved £60." Our Job Picker tool is old but gives ideas.
Not at renewal? You can still cut costs. Some insurers give quotes valid for 60 days, eg, Aviva* and LV*. But you don't have to use 'em if you find cheaper - see insurers with lock-in quotes. If more than 60 days from your policy's end, see point 2 to find a new policy, and if cheaper than your current cover, and you haven't claimed, for a £50ish fee you can usually cancel your policy and get a pro-rata refund. See full switching mid-policy info.
Try adding a responsible additional driver, eg, mum, dad or aunt Dot. Insurers may see it as reducing the risk of claiming, especially useful for young drivers who often face huge costs. @t0mking tweeted: "Your named driver tip saved me £700. Gobsmacked." For the full rules see adding 2nd drivers.
Don't overestimate your mileage, or risk higher prices. See how to estimate your mileage.
More than one car in the home? Try multi-car policies. Some insurers offer special discounts if you have more than one car, which you won't find on comparison sites.

FREE Valentine's Day card via iPhone/iPad app. New customers only, incl free delivery. How to get the card

Get £40 cashback on £400 'robo-investment' (1,000 avail). MSE Blagged. If you plan to 'robo-invest', this Wealthify deal is equiv to a 9.55% head start after fees. Full explanation, plus pros and cons, in robo-investing cashback.

Argos eBay outlet 10% off code, incl £45 Fitbit Flex (norm £50) & £252 Nintendo Switch (norm £280). Min spend £40 with a max discount of £75. Ends Thu. Argos eBay outlet code

12 ways to STOP wasting food & drink, incl what really needs to go in the fridge. Plus recipe-finders for leftovers and much more in avoid food waste.

£6 for seven daylily plants (norm £20). MSE Blagged. Each a different colour, ends Sun. Get some summer garden colour.

Do you 'need' to install a smart meter? A Big 6 energy firm is telling customers they do. See your Smart meter rights.

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS

Longest 0%: MBNA* up to 38mths 0%, 1.44% fee (19.9% rep APR)
No-fee 0%: Halifax* up to 29mths 0%, no fee (19.9% rep APR)

Get comparison site quotes in this order:

Then check insurers they miss:
Direct Line*
Aviva*

Cheapest for £5,000-£7,499: Admiral* 3.3% rep APR
Cheapest £7.5k-£15k: M&S Bank* 2.8% rep APR (1-7yrs)

Standard b'band & line rent: Sky equiv £14.67/mth
Fibre b'band & line rent: Vodafone £20/mth

£150 to switch + £50 if you stay a year: HSBC
5% interest fixed for a year: Nationwide FlexDirect

Top easy-access: Post Office 1.3%, min £1
Top one-year fix: Atom Bank 1.95%, min £50

Pound's 19mth dollar high, now £1 = $1.41 (& a steady €1.13)

If you're looking to lock in these rates for your holiday, make sure you maximise every penny, cent etc

Anyone who tells you they know what'll happen to currency rates is a liar, not least with Brexit uncertainty. While it's tailed off a tad this week, £1 bought you more US dollars last week than at any time since the Brexit vote, and even now will get you lots more than in recent months, though it could yet get stronger or weaker. With many asking if they should buy now, wait, or hedge, here's our travel money tutorial...

If you're nervous, hedge your bets. You could buy roughly half at today's best rate, locking that in, and the rest at the best rate when you travel (top ways to do each below). If you're really nervous, ask: "Would I be content with today's rate?" If so and your real fear is rates diving, making a holiday unaffordable, play safe and buy more now.
How to grab the best rates NOW. If you want cash, use our TravelMoneyMax Holiday Money Comparison tool which compares 30+ bureaux to find the cheapest. Don't want cash? Anyone over 18 can get a prepaid card. Many let you load 'em with cash, locking in a top rate on that day, and spend on them later. For full details and top picks see Prepaid Travel Cards.
How to grab the best rates when you go - and get near-perfect rates EVERY time overseas. One of the best ways to spend abroad is with a specialist credit or debit card. Most ordinary debit and credit cards add a 3%-ish exchange fee for spending and ATM withdrawals abroad, so £100 of euros costs £103. Yet specialist overseas cards - which can take a couple of weeks to arrive - don't charge it. They give the near-perfect rates banks get on the day the payment's processed, usually beating cash.

- Get £20 cashback. As mentioned earlier, Halifax Clarity (eligibility calc / apply*) gives newbies £20 if they spend on it in a foreign currency by 31 Mar (incl online, eg, hotel bookings). It has 18.9% rep APR interest but that's waived if you only spend on the card and pay it off IN FULL each month. There's a small charge for withdrawals as there's daily interest till it's paid off (about 5p per £100 per day) so pay that off immediately to minimise costs.

- Top for cash withdrawals. The Barclaycard Platinum Travel card (apply) charges no interest on overseas withdrawals and spending if cleared IN FULL each month - otherwise it's 19.9% rep APR on spending, 27.9% interest on cash. Full help and more options in Top Overseas Credit Cards (APR Examples).

- Top debit card. If you're OK to open a current account, app-based newcomer Starling Bank unusually has no fees for spending or cash withdrawals overseas.

For far more tips and tricks and answers to questions such as "Do I pay in pounds or euros abroad?", see our 18 Travel Money Tips guide.

Pay £10 for £30 of meal ingredients, incl curries and casseroles (3x meals for two). MSE Blagged. Via subscription, but you can cancel any time. Cheap nosh

ALL personal independence payment benefit claims under review. 1.6m claims for the disability & chronic illness benefit are to be checked over fears some of the assessments are discriminatory - some may be due £100s. Huge PIP review

SUCCESS OF THE WEEK: 'WE GOT £450 BACK AFTER FLIGHT DELAY'
"We had a 5-hour flight delay due to a technical fault. I read up on my flight delay rights while waiting and sent a letter using your template while there. We got £450 - thanks for the really useful info."
(Send us yours on this or any topic.)

Our Coupon Kid's Kryptonite... Crohn's Disease: Why MSE's Jordon Cox has gone quiet. See what's happened to Jordon. And if you've missed him (as we have), how about this for a recap of one of his great feats: it's two years since his epic Sheffield to Brentwood via Berlin journey, which ridiculously was cheaper than going by train.

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK

Have you been hit by unfair care home fees after a loved one's death? The Competition and Markets Authority is worried about unfair care home fees charged after a resident has died. Please help by taking its quick survey to share your experience.

THIS WEEK'S POLL

Do you have a will? If not, why not? If you want to say where your assets go when you die, you need a will. Die without one and on top of the grief, it can cause a financial nightmare for the people you care about. A will can be made cheaply, and sometimes for nothing (see our Cheap Wills guide). So do you have a will and if not, why not?

The younger you are, the more data greedy you are. Last week, we asked how much mobile data you use in a typical month and received 7,000+ responses. From the results, younger people are more likely to gobble up lots of data. In stark contrast, just 3% of those aged 65+ use over 10GB - with the vast majority using less than 1GB. See full mobile data results.

MONEYSAVING NEWS

- Top story: New code of practice for parking firms to be introduced - but some will be able to swerve it
- Santander to scrap unarranged overdraft fees on 123 accounts
- Is it worth paying a monthly membership to get cheap energy?
- Household bills continue to rise, MSE Bills Tracker shows
- Pothole breakdowns jump more than 10%

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

Should I pay a dealer for fixing the faulty car he sold me? I bought a second-hand car and got the dealer to knock £200 off. After two days, I realised it had a major fault which he agreed to fix for £200. Should I pay him? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I pay a dealer for fixing the faulty car he sold me? | Suggest an MMD | View past MMDs

THE QUICKIES

- Debt-Free Wannabe chat of the week: Make up to £10 a day challenge
- Competitions thread of the week: 43" LG TV, sound bar, iPad, Now TV box
- Old-Style board thread of the week: Rule of 3 decluttering challenge
- Family, marriage, relationships chat: Childcare after separation
- Discussion of the week: How much should a 20-30-year-old have in savings?

Tesco Direct - codes get £5-£20 off electricals and gaming
Debenhams - Free beauty samples, eg, £9ish Rituals shower gel
Xbox Live Gold - 3-month subscription, buy one get one free
London theatre - last chance £10-£40 tickets. Ends 9 Feb
Toys R Us - up to 30% off in 25 stores closing down

Beefeater - 33% off food bill
Prezzo - 40% off food bill
Carluccio's - main courses 2for1 for £1
Papa John's - 50% off £15+ pizza spend
Just Eat - 20%-30% off selected takeaways

Yellow stickers - reductions in places you might not expect
Primark £1 false nails - are they any good and do they last?
Zero-plastic aisles? - is it cheaper to buy loose or packaged veg?
Free outdoor gyms - could you save £100s a year?
Reusable cup discounts - get up to 50p off at Pret, Starbucks etc

Two 'free' Uncle Ben's rice bowls via £3.60 spend. Have a rice day
15% off £20 Pizza Express gift card at Tesco. Save some dough
£89 of Lancome make-up & skincare for £32. Lan-come & get it

MSE TEAM BLOG

- Would you PAY to book your sunbed by the pool in advance?

DEALS HUNTER BLOG

- Coupon Kid's Kryptonite... Crohn's Disease: Why MSE's Jordon Cox has suddenly gone quiet

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 31 JAN ONWARDS)

Thu 1 Feb - Good Morning Britain, ITV, Deals of the Week, 7.40am
Fri 2 Feb - This Morning, ITV, Martin's Quick Deals, from 10.30am. See previous
Mon 5 Feb - This Morning, ITV, from 10.30am
Mon 5 Feb - BBC Radio 5 Live, Lunch Money Martin, 12.30pm. Listen again
Mon 5 Feb - The Martin Lewis Money Show, ITV, 8pm. See previous

MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (MOST SUBJECTS TBC)

Wed 31 Jan - BBC Cumbria, Money Talks with Ben Maeder, from 6pm
Fri 2 Feb - BBC South West stations, Good Morning with Joe Lemer, from 5am, currency tips
Mon 5 Feb - TalkRadio, Breakfast with Julia Hartley-Brewer, 9.30am
Tue 6 Feb - BBC Radio Cambridgeshire with Jeremy Sallis, 2.20pm

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Q: Do you still pay credit card charges if you use your card abroad following the card charge ban? Raj, via email.

MSE Karl's A: The ban that came into force on 13 Jan doesn't cover the 3%-ish fee charged by banks and building societies when you use most credit and debit cards abroad - essentially a currency exchange fee.

Instead it refers to the fees charged by retailers when you use a card to buy something online, in person or over the phone, which could be levied at home or abroad. These are now banned throughout the EU on virtually all personal plastic.

So to answer your question, yes, you can still be hit with exchange fees for using your card abroad - which is why we always suggest you get a specialist card that doesn't charge such fees. See our Top Travel Cards guide for help choosing one.

Please suggest a question of the week (we can't reply to individual emails).

A 1996 CHICKEN STIR-FRY KIT... TOP KITCHEN CUPBOARD SURPRISES

That's all for this week, but before we go... what's the biggest shock you've had when looking in your kitchen cupboards? When a MoneySaver shared with us a tin of rice pudding he found with a 2014 best-before date (over social media, not, er, over dinner), we were flooded with other finds such as a 2013 Christmas pudding, and even a 1996 chicken stir-fry kit - which is older than Kylie Jenner. Share your hidden gems on the Cupboard Surprises forum thread.

We hope you save some money,
The MSE team

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What you need to know

This info does not constitute financial advice, always do your own research on top to ensure it's right for your specific circumstances - and remember we focus on rates not service.

We don't as a general policy investigate the solvency of companies mentioned, how likely they are to go bust, but there is a risk any company can struggle and it's rarely made public until it's too late (see the Section 75 guide for protection tips).

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More about MoneySavingExpert and Martin Lewis

What is MoneySavingExpert.com?
Founded in February 2003, it's now the UK's biggest consumer help website with more than 12 million people getting this email and about 13 million using the site every month. In September 2012 it became part of the MoneySupermarket Group PLC. Its focus is simple: saving cash and fighting for financial justice on anything and everything. The site has over 80 full time staff, more than a third of whom are editorial - researching, analysing and writing to continually find ways to save money. More info: See About MSE.

Who is Martin Lewis?
Martin set up and is chairman of MSE. He's an ultra-focused money-saving journalist and consumer campaigner with his own ITV prime-time show The Martin Lewis Money Show and weekly slots on Radio 5 Live, This Morning and Good Morning Britain, among others. He's a columnist for publications including the Telegraph, Sunday Mirror and Woman magazine. More info: See Martin Lewis' biography.

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Tuesday, January 30, 2018

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