mp413

I have been hearing that the only way to get cash in Mozambique is w/ a Visa card. Does anyone know if this can be a debit card, or does it have to be a credit card? Thanks!

Patty

What are the other countries you're inquiring about?

sandi

The last thing you want to do is take out cash using a Credit Card, as they start charging interest as soon as you do. Even is your Visa account is paid off each month, the finance charges accrue immediately upon withdrawal.

Have you checked the Lonely Planet Thorntree site, where you may get more information for traveling in the manner you will be. On a budget with no set schedule, preplans, etc.

mp413

Thanks everyone for responding. Sandi, that's precisely why I'm asking. Mozguide (which seems to be the only site with info. about Mozambique) says the only way to take out cash is against a Visa credit card - I think the author might not mean "credit" per se, just a card w/ Visa on it, but I'm not sure. I would obviously much prefer to get a Visa debit card. I was just hoping someone could tell me if they've tried that and it actually works!

Patty I haven't read this specifically about anywhere else but I imagine if Mozambique only likes Visa neighboring countries like Malawi, Tanzania, or Rwanda might be the same.

Patty

In Tanzania, there are bank ATMs that accept either Visa or Mastercard affiliated debit/ATM cards. However, both of the ATMs I could locate at Dar Es Salaam airport only accepted Visa, so perhaps Visa is more common there. There was no need for the card to be a credit card.

sandi

I also believe the writer is interchanging the words Credit Card and ATM Card. Both (as well as a debit card) can have a Visa logo.

An ATM card w/ Visa logo would be your best option. Use of debit cards for ATM withdrawals has some negatives vs a strict ATM card attached to your checking account. There are any number of threads about this on the European board which may provide clarification for you.

It's also a good idea to have more than one ATM card/account, just in case the card is damaged, eaten by the machine or lost.

Patty

Sandi brought up a very good point about the greater risk of a debit card vs an ATM only card since a debit card also has a "credit" feature which means it can be used by someone else without your PIN number in the event your card (or card number) is stolen.

If you decide to go with a debit card, I would use it only for ATM withdrawals and never for purchases. I'd make sure that no one else has physical access to this card or the number. For purchases I'd use a separate credit card which is not affiliated with your bank account and I'd bring another back up credit card. Or you could just use cash.

I've had my credit card number stolen twice (just the number, not the card itself) and used for fraudulent charges while in Kenya, so be prepared for the possibility of having to deal with this if you use plastic and have multiple sources of $ available.

mp413

Hey guys, this is really helpful! I definitely understand the difference b/w credit and debit...but not b/w debit and ATM! I thought debit/ATM were the same thing. I currently have a Mastercard attached to a checking account, which I am assuming is a debit card? Sorry if this is old news to people.

So what I should do is ask my bank for a Visa ATM-only card?

Thanks!

mp413

kerikeri

i went through this last year en route to uganda.

what everyone means is that you must make sure that one of the logos on your ATM CARD is visa. the same way you have "cirrus" and "plus" "VISA" is a logo and that way you will be assured of access to the bank network of barclays, which was the case in uganda, and kenya (where it was maybe standard and chartered).

it has nothing to do with your credit card.

kerikeri

Patty

Yes, the Mastercard you have is a debit card. If that's what your bank issued, then they probably don't issue Visa affiliated debit or ATM cards. If not, you'll need to open a checking account at a bank which does.

Debit cards have an actual Visa or Mastercard logo on them and can be used either as debit (with a PIN) or credit (without a PIN). Have you ever used it to purchase something and the cashier asks you debit or credit? That's what they mean.

ATM only cards do not have Visa or Mastercard logos but rather have something like Plus or Cirrus/Maestro on it. In this case, Plus = Visa and Cirrus/Maestro = Mastercard. So to use your ATM card on the Visa network, you need to make sure it has the Plus logo. It does not have to have a Visa logo for you to be able to use it at an ATM. Same goes for Cirrus/Maestro and Mastercard.

The sites below will tell you where you can find ATMs from each network:

http://visa.via.infonow.net/locator/global/


http://www.mastercard.com/us/persona...ons/index.html

Patty

How up to date is the info on Mozguide? At least, according to the Mastercard site, there are compatible ATMs in Mozambique.

mp413

Hi Patty, I'm pretty sure Mozguide is up-to-date...Mike, the guy who runs it is on Thorn Tree constantly and he has news updates all the time. He also responded to my query on Thorn Treet that Visa as opposed to Mastercard is better...so I'm a little confused. You said that in Dar the ATMs only accepted visa - did you mean Visa on the front of the card or cards with the "Visa" logo on the back?

Patty

If that's his response, he probably just means it's more common to find a Visa vs a Mastercard network ATM.

The ATMs at DAR <i>airport</i> would accept any Visa affiliated card (Visa or Plus logo, front or back of card). There were ATMs in the city of Dar Es Salaam which accepted Mastercard or Cirrus/Maestro logo'd cards.