I used Cap One last fall in PAris and it was great.

It is getting quite a workout right now in Paris, too!

I don't think you can do better. I guess a few credit unions do not charge the fee.

Cap One is the way to go til someone comes along with something better!!

ML does offer a VISA card and I have always found their conversion rates to be excellent.

Because I am annoyed about the 3% PLUS $3 per charge that Chase charges for overseas ATM use, I visited a Capital One bank this morning to inquire about their ATM fees. The person in the bank, a Senior Client Rep, "did not have the information" about foreign ATM fees.


When I suggested that she place a call to someone who might know, she agreed. That person had no idea, either. Told me to call again in a few days and they would "try" to get the information for me. As I was walking out, the Rep did give me some excellent new information: They use a different currency in Europe!!! They DO NOT take US dollars!!! The ATM does not give out US dollars!!!

Pass it along!

oops - meant

ekscrunchy, that's hysterical, but at least your bank knew that ATMs in Europe won't dispense US dollars. At my bank once the teller told me if I was worried about the exchange costs to just "tell the machine" I wanted my cash in dollars and not "French or Italian money".

ekscrunchy, I will be using a CapOne debit card next week and so can report back on what I was charged. Based on the fee disclosure, I expect to be charged 0% for foreign transactions and possibly $1.50* for out-of-network ATM fee. (* from memory, could be slightly different).

I can't believe the number of people who really seem to be missing the point here (including the original poster). If this was recent (and the poster indicates "just returning&quot then it has nothing to do with getting taken by Capital One, but getting some wonderful mistaken bonus from Merril Lynch who made a major mistake in your favor!

ignore my previous post, I see that all that has already been covered, somehow I scrolled past it all. Sorry.

Travelnut: Thanks..please let us know. Honestly the people in that branch seem so clueless (and this is in midtown Manhattan!) that I might hesitate even opening an account with the bank. Has no one ever walked into that branch and asked about foreign exchange fees? Crazy!

I made 3 ATM withdrawals using my Capital One Debit card.

I'll try to make a little 'chart'; the daily rates were taken from Oanda.com (actual $amt is what showed on my statement)

Trans---W/D---Interbank---Calc'd---Actual
date-----Amt--------Rate------$amt-----$amt

4/28---200€---1.5632---$312.64---$312.00
5/01---150€---1.5570---$233.55---$232.63
5/05---250€---1.5429---$385.72---$385.71

So, no additional % for foreign conversion. There was a $1.50 charge per transaction for the ATM usage.