Cash or card in Iceland: Which is the best way to pay?
Should you pay with cash or card in Iceland? A handy guide including cash etiquette, Icelandic ATMs and using your UK card.
Planning an overseas trip? Whether it’s a work trip, beach holiday, city break or even a honeymoon, you’ll need to know how to use your phone outside the UK
In this guide, we’ll be taking a close look at using Lyca Mobile abroad. So read on if this is your network, or you’re thinking of joining Lyca. Below, we’ll explain how international roaming works with Lyca Mobile, and whether there are any charges you need to know about.
And while you’re making your holiday preparations, make sure you check out the Wise card from the money services provider Wise.
It could save you money on holiday spending, letting you pay and withdraw cash like a local in 150+ countries - and all for low fees* and great mid-market exchange rates.
Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees.
You can use Lyca Mobile abroad, as the network does permit international roaming. So if you’re a Lyca customer in the UK, you can carry on using your phone and plan as normal when you go on holiday.
However, there may be roaming charges or the need to buy a roaming add-on package, depending on your destination.
You don’t need to tell Lyca Mobile that you’ll be going abroad. But you will need to run through this quick checklist:
Lyca Mobile offers free roaming in Europe, so you can use the call, text and data allowances on your UK plan in included countries.
Most EU and EEA countries are covered, including popular holiday destinations like France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece and Cyprus.¹
If you’re on an unlimited data plan with Lyca Mobile, it’s useful to know that there’s a ‘fair use’ cap of 35GB a month while roaming.¹
If you’re travelling outside the EU/EEA, roaming isn’t free.
You can buy a roaming add-on for data, which varies in price depending on destination and the duration of your trip.
For example, you can buy the following data add-ons from Lyca Mobile:²
If you don’t buy a roaming add-on or you’re a PAYG customer with Lyca Mobile, there are charges for roaming outside of the EU. These may also apply in the EU if you exceed the fair usage cap.
Charges for international roaming with Lyca Mobile vary by destination.
To give you an idea of what to expect, here are the roaming charges for calls and texts for a few popular holiday destinations:²
Destination | Making calls (local or to the UK) | Receiving calls | Sending texts | Data |
---|---|---|---|---|
USA | £0.80/min | £0.25/min | £0.48/text | Roaming add-on needed |
Turkey | £1.70/min | £0.60/min | £0.48/text | Roaming add-on needed |
Australia | £0.80/min | £0.25/min | £0.48/text | Roaming add-on needed |
Thailand | £1.70/min | £0.60/min | £0.48/text | Roaming add-on needed |
Tunisia | £1.70/min | £0.60/min | £0.48/text | Roaming add-on needed |
Now that you’re all clued up on roaming with Lyca Mobile, it’s time to think about how you’ll spend on everything else during your trip.
The Wise card is the ideal travel companion, as it lets you spend and withdraw in the local currency in 150+ countries.
Your pounds are automatically converted at the mid-market exchange rate whenever you spend, without any margins or mark-ups. You’ll just pay a small conversion fee, or no fee* if you already have the currency in your Wise account.
Open a Wise account online and you can order your own Wise card for a one-time cost of just £7.
Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees.
And that’s it - our handy guide to using Lyca Mobile abroad. We’ve covered it all, including where you can roam for free, roaming add-ons and the network’s international roaming charges.
Worried about racking up high bills with accidental roaming? If you’re travelling outside of the free roaming zone, you might want to turn data roaming off in your phone’s settings before you travel.
Sources used for this article:
Sources checked on 22-Oct-2024.
*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.
We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
Should you pay with cash or card in Iceland? A handy guide including cash etiquette, Icelandic ATMs and using your UK card.
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