Christmas travellers urged to watch out for credit card fees

UK holidaymakers looking to combine their Christmas shopping with a holiday abroad have been warned to watch out for stealth charges while using their credit card overseas.

According to data from the Post Office, with typical commission fees of 2.75 per cent levied by some card companies, travellers could find themselves facing a significantly larger bill than they had expected.

The warning comes as thousands of Britons are once again expected to flock to New York this winter for Christmas shopping to take advantage of a favourable dollar exchange rate.

Gary Fitton, director of lending at the Post Office, said: "For many people, going abroad for Christmas is a great way to relax and not have to worry about cooking Christmas dinner.

"However, with 49 per cent of UK holidaymakers planning to use their credit card when shopping abroad many people could be returning from their Christmas break with a lot more than just ‘memories and mementoes' due to hidden card charges."

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