Guide to Malaga recently raised its profile with an appearance and mention on BBC News evening news. The report was broadcast in the UK on Tuesday 17 July 2018 and featured Joanna Styles, owner and creator of Guide to Malaga. She was interviewed by personal financial correspondent, Simon Gompertz, during a visit to Malaga.
Simon and his camera team came to Malaga to glean local insight into commission charged by banks for card payments made in Spain. He contacted Joanna after searching for information about Malaga on Google.
Showcasing Malaga
Although the main topic of the BBC News report was financial, Joanna didn’t want to miss the opportunity to showcase Malaga. So, she suggested meeting in Muelle Uno, home to several of Malaga’s most iconic sights including the multi-coloured Pompidou Centre cube and the Pergola.
The interview with Simon took place at one of the cafés on Muelle Uno with stunning views of the harbour and city skyline. Simon and Joanna were then filmed as they walked towards Muelle Uno from under the Pergola. The footage below introduces Joanna’s feature in the report.
Simon’s report also included a few other scenes from Malaga. Tourists were interviewed as they travelled the open-top tourist bus taking in the city sights. Simon and crew also popped along to La Malagueta beach and the city centre.
Saving money in Malaga
Simon was keen to get Joanna’s thoughts on the commission on card payments in Spain. He mentioned that UK banks make around £1 billion a year from British tourists using their cards abroad.
And when you add up the commission they charge you can easily see why it comes to this massive amount. According to Simon, banks charge between 2.5 and 3% commission on each card transaction. Put into numbers, if you’re using a UK bank card and buy something for €100 in Malaga you pay €2.50-€3 on top. Spend a few days in Malaga and this really starts to add up.
As the article based on the report said, “Joanna Styles, who runs a tourist website guidetomalaga.com, said, “I know for a fact that in Malaga you could have several good meals out for the amount that you have effectively given to the bank”.
There are, of course, ways around this. One of them is using a pre-paid card such as the one recommended on our Useful Things to Know in Malaga post. Or you can ask your bank for a non-commission card.
