• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Paying your maintenance fees - exchange rate

ACP

TUG Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2013
Messages
188
Reaction score
35
Points
238
Location
Cotswolds UK
Like everybody else we have just received our maintenance invoices - we own 2 weeks in the USA, plus Destination points and 5 weeks in Europe, we live in the UK. So we end up paying $ for our US and Destination Points and Euro for our European Weeks. We use our Marriott Credit Card as you would expect to max out on MRP (Although we get nowhere near the benefits that are received using the Marriott Credit Card from the USA). However the exchange rate used by the Credit Card is lousy and we end up paying extra for having to convert to £.

Does anybody know a cheaper way to pay Marriott money in $ and Euro - I obviously would loose a fair amount of MRP by not using the MRC, but to me Cash in more important than points at the moment.

Be interested if anybody has any thoughts, especially those in Europe that may have the same issue every year.

Many Thanks
 

bogey21

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2005
Messages
9,455
Reaction score
4,662
Points
649
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
How much will it cost you to get a check in US Dollars from your UK Bank?
Back when I used to owned race horses in Austrailia I found it reasonable to buy a check in Aussie Dollars and mail it.

George
 

Sunbum

TUG Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2006
Messages
475
Reaction score
22
Points
378
The Canadian Marriott Credit Card does not charge an exchange fee, only the true exchange rate. This is very rare for a credit card company and makes it great for charging foreign amounts to. I am not sure is the US or UK cards have this same benefit.
 

Bogeygirl

TUG Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2008
Messages
231
Reaction score
2
Points
228
Location
Niagara Falls, Ontario
My Canadian bank also issues a US dollar VISA card that does not charge the conversion fee. Thats what I'll be using - the exchange rate this year is painful.
 

MALC9990

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2010
Messages
1,796
Reaction score
29
Points
259
Location
Hampshire, United Kingdom
Like everybody else we have just received our maintenance invoices - we own 2 weeks in the USA, plus Destination points and 5 weeks in Europe, we live in the UK. So we end up paying $ for our US and Destination Points and Euro for our European Weeks. We use our Marriott Credit Card as you would expect to max out on MRP (Although we get nowhere near the benefits that are received using the Marriott Credit Card from the USA). However the exchange rate used by the Credit Card is lousy and we end up paying extra for having to convert to £.

Does anybody know a cheaper way to pay Marriott money in $ and Euro - I obviously would loose a fair amount of MRP by not using the MRC, but to me Cash in more important than points at the moment.

Be interested if anybody has any thoughts, especially those in Europe that may have the same issue every year.

Many Thanks

The UK Marriott Card charges 2.99% for foreign Currency transactions. The exchange rate used should be the daily Mastercard rate. So the rate itself is standard but the 2.99% uplift is what is adding to the bill.

The 2,99% is also pretty standard across most UK credit cards although there are a few that do not charge this. However those cards do not give any benefits like MRPs.
 

bazzap

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2009
Messages
4,423
Reaction score
1,240
Points
399
Location
Cirencester UK
Like everybody else we have just received our maintenance invoices - we own 2 weeks in the USA, plus Destination points and 5 weeks in Europe, we live in the UK. So we end up paying $ for our US and Destination Points and Euro for our European Weeks. We use our Marriott Credit Card as you would expect to max out on MRP (Although we get nowhere near the benefits that are received using the Marriott Credit Card from the USA). However the exchange rate used by the Credit Card is lousy and we end up paying extra for having to convert to £.

Does anybody know a cheaper way to pay Marriott money in $ and Euro - I obviously would loose a fair amount of MRP by not using the MRC, but to me Cash in more important than points at the moment.

Be interested if anybody has any thoughts, especially those in Europe that may have the same issue every year.

Many Thanks
We pay some of our MFs with the UK Marriott Mastercard for the albeit limited, as you say, benefits compared to the US Marriott credit card options.
And yes, we reluctantly have to take the 2.99% hit on the foreign currency transaction charge.
The rest of our MFs we pay with our BA Amex card to earn Avios and 241 companion voucher. This also has a similar foreign currency transaction charge though.
 

ACP

TUG Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2013
Messages
188
Reaction score
35
Points
238
Location
Cotswolds UK
Thanks All. Looks like us European owners are having to pay extra yet again. It's bad enough that for every week we own we have to pay a $34.50 International Fee. Bah Humbug
 

bazzap

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2009
Messages
4,423
Reaction score
1,240
Points
399
Location
Cirencester UK
Thanks All. Looks like us European owners are having to pay extra yet again. It's bad enough that for every week we own we have to pay a $34.50 International Fee. Bah Humbug
And don't forget the Spanish VAT we have to pay too - Bah bah humbug!
 
Top