ATM (Cashpoint) Machines at Heathrow

According to LINK (UK ATM network) Terminal 5 is a choice of Travelex or TTT Moneycorp. Just decline the DCC option and you should be fine.

You could buy the Oyster with a credit card.

Okay. Thanks very much for your reply.

Thanks for your reply, Dick.

I think I agree with you. I'm scared of getting tricked with an ATM at Heathrow that is a rip-off and from everything I've read online, it looks as though Travelex has the market cornered in Heathrow now.

I've decided to wait until I get into London and use a reputable bank ATM.

Hmmm...I'm with a credit union also. I'll have to check on that with them. Thanks for the advice.

Dave, you mention the fee but did you compare the exchange rate from your credit union? That exchange at your credit union will likely cost you much more than $5 but the extra costs will be buried in the bad exchange rate. Most banks give you a worse rate when you buy notes than you get on a card transactions. For example, at my bank the exchange rate is about 5% worse than the rate Visa uses for exchanges ... but this is not obvious to the consumer unless they actually compare.

You can check the rates that visa uses here:
http://usa.visa.com/personal/card-benefits/travel/exchange-rate-calculator.jsp

If it were a pay to use ATM then it would need to clearly display the fact to comply with LINKs rules. According to LINK itself, the Travelex machines at Heathrow have no charge. Withdrawal of anything other than GBP though would be a forex transaction.

Additional - this page http://loyaltylobby.com/2012/02/08/withdrawing-money-from-the-atms-at-the-london-heathrow-airport-dont-fall-on-the-travelex-currency-conversion-scam/ gives an example of the DCC screen and the all important 'continue without conversion' option. They may have been changed a bit since this but the principle will be similar.

Thanks Laura for the valuable advice!

Marco, I just don't trust the cash machines you mentioned at Heathrow. I've got nothing to base my thoughts on except for what I've read online, but it just seems too easy to make a mistake (especially after a long flight) for me. :)

It is easy to end up not declining simply because it seems the more obscure option.

However, much of what is said about the behaviour of the likes of Travelex machines may be valid in other parts of Europe but not the UK.

The link you provided is the same one Marco posted earlier, Dick. It's easy to see how people could easily make the mistake.

It pays to do your research before you leave home. Since this is my first trip to the U.K. and also to Europe, and I'll be traveling solo, I've done lots of planning and research in the hope of minimizing any expensive surprises. Forums like this are an invaluable planning tool!

Thanks for everyone's input!

Happy Travels!