Getting UK pension directly paid in France

[DominicBest]

I don't know if it is relevant but Banque Populaire now use Wise for heir exchanges. I only ever transfer pounds to euros via Wise so it doesn't affect my transactions but I wonder if I used my BP card in the UK I would get a decent rate for the exchange.
When I do move pounds to euros through Wise the money arrives in my BP account in seconds.

[beejay]

Mme LAF has her state pension in quids sent to her own personal UK bank a/c where it remains, untouched since inception, & is known as her 'running away fund'.

[beejay]

No way a debit card exchange gives as good a rate as a transfer via a FX company unless you are using a pretty crappy FX company.

Nationwide FlexPlus debit card has no charges on foreign purchase transactions or ATM withdrawals. However, it charges £13 month which includes breakdown in the UK and abroad, travel insurance and phone/computer cover. Not useful for a resident of France perhaps.

Nationwide standard Flex account charges 2.99% fee on the actual purchase price or ATM withdrawal.

Nationwide credit card has no fee for purchases abroad.

All cards convert at "bank rate".

Edit: my Credit card transaction for my ATMB autoroute tag on 27/12/23 was @ 1.1502 if anyone wants to compare rates.

[Wilbro]

@beejay and
No it wouldn't be for me as I live in France.

[widge]

Used revolut since 2016, we both have cards, my wife upgraded hers so we are not limited to £1000/month. We like to control when we transfer money and how much, we still use premium bonds to store any surplus money, easy access and better that any lotterey for paying out.

[MAD87]

I have a NW flex account which I use for Amazon.fr. The exchange rate seems good. I too keep my PB winnings in there, and OH's as he didn't have any UK account when Barclays closed us down. One of the Brexit benefits I suppose.

[beejay]

No way a debit card exchange gives as good a rate as a transfer via a FX company unless you are using a pretty crappy FX company.

Nationwide FlexPlus debit card has no charges on foreign purchase transactions or ATM withdrawals. However, it charges £13 month which includes breakdown in the UK and abroad, travel insurance and phone and computer cover.

It's been £18 month for some time. I stopped using it as the travel insurance loading for age/existing illness is very expensive and I don't need phone/devices cover.

[widge]

I have a NW flex account which I use for Amazon.fr. The exchange rate seems good. I too keep my PB winnings in there, and OH's as he didn't have any UK account when Barclays closed us down. One of the Brexit benefits I suppose.

We have been lucky, I am with Nat West, Jane is with TSB, both have been happy to continue accounts, although the t's and c's are quite different if you wanted to open a new account. But this is also why we find Revolut good, not only do you get good exchange rates, you effectivly have different accounts depending on the currency, the euro account has a french IBAN number, the GBP account has a account number and sort code as per a UK bank account, if for some reason we lost the Natwest or TSB acounts we could still give an account number and sort code for pensions to be paid in, in GBP.

For premium bonds you do need a UK bank, I am presuming that having an account number and sort code on the revolut card would be good enough, but I am not sure.

[Niftyons]

Mme LAF has her state pension in quids sent to her own personal UK bank a/c where it remains, untouched since inception, & is known as her 'running away fund'.

I have a running away fund. Talk about liquid gold.
It’s initial value is draining away at an alarmingly increasing rate.

[Sparkle]

"For premium bonds you do need a UK bank, I am presuming that having an account number and sort code on the revolut card would be good enough, but I am not sure."

According to this article it seems you can use revolut as long as the address on the card matches the address on NS&I but I guess it has to be a UK address.

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/exp ... ished.html