American Express office in Copenhagen - still there?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 121
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
American Express office in Copenhagen - still there?
Hi there,
I'm hoping someone will have been to Copenhagen recently (or lives there!) and will be able to tell me if there's an American Express office? My search at Americanexpress.com brought up nothing. Other sources online say there's an AmEx office at Amagertorv 17, a few minutes' walk from the university.
Can anyone confirm?
Thanks!
I'm hoping someone will have been to Copenhagen recently (or lives there!) and will be able to tell me if there's an American Express office? My search at Americanexpress.com brought up nothing. Other sources online say there's an AmEx office at Amagertorv 17, a few minutes' walk from the university.
Can anyone confirm?
Thanks!
#4
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 9,017
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Amex has closed down those offices in Europe and has other banks handle that business for them. If you still have TCs, that may really be bad for you. There may be one or two offices left but none in Germany or Denmark. If you call Amex, they'll tell you, which bank handles their business now.
Can it be, tell'll go out of business soon anyway??
Can it be, tell'll go out of business soon anyway??
#6
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 9,017
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Citibank has vanished too, btw. Its business has been taken over by Crédit Mutuel. Up to now, they kept the brand name alive. Opel cars wil be separated from GM this week. Either will become Russian or be part of Fiat.
Times change at an unbelievable speed.
Times change at an unbelievable speed.
#7
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 45,322
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
No I don't have any of their TC's, but I hadn't heard Amex has closed down their European offices. I am confused, is it just in Germany and Denmark that all the Amex offices have been closed up. Is that true also in Italy or do you know? Thank you.
Just a side note, NWA has been taken over by Delta. To continue to get FF miles with Delta one must switch from the US Bank credit card (which provided FF miles with NWA) to the Delta Amex card. So I don't "think" Amex is going out of business but what do I know, more strange things have happened during our economic mess.
Just a side note, NWA has been taken over by Delta. To continue to get FF miles with Delta one must switch from the US Bank credit card (which provided FF miles with NWA) to the Delta Amex card. So I don't "think" Amex is going out of business but what do I know, more strange things have happened during our economic mess.
#8
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 9,017
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I noticed NWA is Dela now flying NWA this week. The in seat entertaiment was Delta, the plane said NWA. Too bad NWA was much better than Delta. Amex has closed its operations in Europe, however I don't know if all their offices are closed. In Germany (and Denmark) at least they are.
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 121
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks! Fate is clearly conspiring against my using TCs on this trip -- I ordered some AmEx TCs in Danish currency, but the bank called back to say they were misinformed and they can't get me DKK after all.
Wondering if we should be just putting the $$ into our credit card account and drawing it from an ATM?
Wondering if we should be just putting the $$ into our credit card account and drawing it from an ATM?
#10
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,541
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Jaysfan,
You'd have to check with your credit card company to make sure they don't charge you interest on your own money if you try that plan... why not just use a debit card from your bank account?
Regarding Amex... I doubt they are in danger of folding it's just that Travellers Checks are now a relic of the last century...
Rob
You'd have to check with your credit card company to make sure they don't charge you interest on your own money if you try that plan... why not just use a debit card from your bank account?
Regarding Amex... I doubt they are in danger of folding it's just that Travellers Checks are now a relic of the last century...
Rob
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 121
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We've checked with both credit cards re: paying to carry a credit balance and it should be fine. The credit card is likely much cheaper than the debit card.
But, our best bet may be to have a bank draft made out to ourselves and/or to buy the cash here and use a money belt until we get to the ship (and thus the safe).
But, our best bet may be to have a bank draft made out to ourselves and/or to buy the cash here and use a money belt until we get to the ship (and thus the safe).
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 121
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
FWIW, we ended up buying Danish and Norwegian Kronor here, and using a money belt. We had to order a day ahead, no problem. We found that much easier than worrying about whether credit cards or debit cards would work. We didn't go with a debit card because of the large fees charged by our bank for overseas transactions (they have *no* fees for everyday banking)
#13
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,568
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I see from your profile that you live in Canada, and just want to alert US residents that what works in one country may not be the best for another.
US debit/ATM cards used to withdraw local currency abroad will be cheaper than buying that foreign currency in the US, even if the US bank charges $3-5 per ATM transaction (unless you do lots of $50 withdrawals) : there's no fee from the foreign bank and the exchange rate is typically within 1% of the "official" reported rate. The most widely used US debit and credit cards (Visa and MC logos) are also accepted everywhere in Europe, and even the banks that add an fee only take 3%, still better than the 6-10% it usually costs to purchase foreign currency in the US.
US debit/ATM cards used to withdraw local currency abroad will be cheaper than buying that foreign currency in the US, even if the US bank charges $3-5 per ATM transaction (unless you do lots of $50 withdrawals) : there's no fee from the foreign bank and the exchange rate is typically within 1% of the "official" reported rate. The most widely used US debit and credit cards (Visa and MC logos) are also accepted everywhere in Europe, and even the banks that add an fee only take 3%, still better than the 6-10% it usually costs to purchase foreign currency in the US.
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 121
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Good point about the different banking systems/charges.
For us, the bank would charge a $5 out of system ATM fee, possibly a foreign bank fee, and a 2.5% fee (which essentially just reduces the exchange rate by that much). For a withdrawl equivalent of $2,000 Cdn from a bank machine in Denmark, we'd have paid at least $55Cdn in fees. But, purchasing that much Kroner in cash at the currency exchange gave us a more favourable exchange rate, no service fee and a guaranteed "mid-market" exchange rate if we had any foreign cash left over. (We splurged on $40 worth of candies and chocolates in the duty free instead, but it's a nice perk in theory!)
My Dad has a credit union account, and his fees work similarly to the US system you've described. He pays a $2 flat fee per ATM withdrawl when he's out of the country, and the exchange rate isn't affected.
I'm thinking of reviving my credit union account and putting our travel savings in there. We'll stick with our bank for daily banking (no fees, discounts at store, etc), but could benefit from the lower fees abroad.
For us, the bank would charge a $5 out of system ATM fee, possibly a foreign bank fee, and a 2.5% fee (which essentially just reduces the exchange rate by that much). For a withdrawl equivalent of $2,000 Cdn from a bank machine in Denmark, we'd have paid at least $55Cdn in fees. But, purchasing that much Kroner in cash at the currency exchange gave us a more favourable exchange rate, no service fee and a guaranteed "mid-market" exchange rate if we had any foreign cash left over. (We splurged on $40 worth of candies and chocolates in the duty free instead, but it's a nice perk in theory!)
My Dad has a credit union account, and his fees work similarly to the US system you've described. He pays a $2 flat fee per ATM withdrawl when he's out of the country, and the exchange rate isn't affected.
I'm thinking of reviving my credit union account and putting our travel savings in there. We'll stick with our bank for daily banking (no fees, discounts at store, etc), but could benefit from the lower fees abroad.
#15
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 26,778
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You brought cash to Denmark? Honestly, can't see why. ATMs are everywhere, and all take the usual global cards. Indeed, even the old "I need money for the cab" isn't applicable, since virtually all Danish cabs take credit cards. The only thing to watch out for is that restaurants charge the card service fee on foreign cards.
FWIW - I would assume that Danske Bank (the largest bank in Denmark) would cash AMEX TC's, since they VERY aggressively market AMEX products to their customers.
FWIW - I would assume that Danske Bank (the largest bank in Denmark) would cash AMEX TC's, since they VERY aggressively market AMEX products to their customers.
#16
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 121
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We needed cash for our private apartment rental, and a money belt +buying cash here was much cheaper and easier than using ATMs (fees as above) or banks (fees of $4-5 *per traveler's cheque*, and we would have had to cash a bunch to get the equivalent of $2,000). Not to mention that travelers' cheques would have been impossible to get in Danish Kroner here, and using US ones would have meant double exchange fees/rates (Cdn$ to US cheques to Danish$). It made things a lot easier on our travel day too -- ship to apt, without having to stop at the bank or an ATM for instance.
Honestly it was easier and cheaper for us to just get the Danish cash at home. And, we ordered Norwegian cash at the same time so that got taken care of at the same time (no fussing about with finding ATMs or paying fees when we were ashore).
Honestly it was easier and cheaper for us to just get the Danish cash at home. And, we ordered Norwegian cash at the same time so that got taken care of at the same time (no fussing about with finding ATMs or paying fees when we were ashore).