'£20bn' to eliminate credit card debt from holidays
'£20bn' to eliminate credit card debt from holidays
- Monday, 8 June 2009The UK Cards Association and ABTA - The Travel Association have issued guidance for consumers on how to
manage debt when using credit cards overseas.
Figures from the groups show it would take almost £20 billion to
eliminate credit card debt run up through holiday spending made on plastic in 2008.
The £19.9 billion total includes spending on debit cards, which may have less of an impact on individuals' ability to
manage debt.
However, it does not include the £7.9 billion withdrawn from cash machines by holidaymakers over the course of the year.
More than three per cent of all card transactions made by UK cardholders took place outside of the country in 2008 - reaching 317 million purchases or withdrawals in all.
And Sandra Quinn, director of communications at The UK Cards Association, adds that the fees sometimes charged for overseas transactions could make it even harder to
eliminate credit card debt on returning to the UK.
The UK Cards Association is a relatively new organisation, having been formed in April as a successor of payment processing group Apacs.

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