More than a third of the GB population (35%) plan to take more spending money on their holidays this year than last, according to new online research by YouGov commissioned for BreadFX Prepaid Euro MasterCard®. With another 43% planning to spend the same and only 13% planning to spend less, most people seem relatively undaunted by the economic outlook, at least when it comes to their holidays.
There are around 42 million holiday and business trips to Euro zone countries by UK residents each year and they spend some £18bn worth of Euros as cited by BreadFX. The research showed that 30% of GB adults either buy currency at the airport or at their destination or use their UK debit or credit card.

“Travellers could save money and give themselves extra spending power by looking at newer, alternative ways of buying their foreign currency.” said Paul Swinton, CEO of BreadFX. “Exchanging at the airport or abroad or using other payment methods usually will not give you the best deal. Typically our prepaid MasterCard would give up to 10 percent more Euros for your pounds than you would get at an airport currency exchange. For a couple with holiday spending of about £800, it means they could get up to an additional £80 worth of Euros to spend.”

Mr Swinton maintains that BreadFX could save the typical holiday maker between 3% and 10% of the costs of their Euros, compared to many High Street or airport currency exchange bureaux. The card is free, there is no commission to pay and no fees for normal use*. It is widely accepted and a convenient alternative to travellers’ cheques.
The BreadFX MasterCard can be ordered online [www.breadfx.com]. When your card is delivered you can then email or text to exchange Sterling from your bank account to Euros on the card. BreadFX publish their daily exchange rates on their website so that you can compare with other ways of obtaining Euros.

The card is accepted at some 30 million outlets worldwide where the MasterCard Acceptance Mark is displayed. It can also be used to draw cash from an ATM. As with any other MasterCard card, the card holder has a unique PIN, so it can be considered a secure alternative to carrying large amounts of cash, or hiding money in a hotel room. BreadFX advise that you should keep the card as secure as cash and never disclose the PIN.