ATM limit in France ??
 

I just spoke with the representatives at my bank TDBanknorth to notify them of my traveling dates. The Rep took the info and told me that there is a limit of $65 per ATM transaction in France according to US Federal law. She said it was a federal law and not something the bank had any control over. I haven't traveled to France in 2 years but she said this law was put into effect in Feb of 2008. She also said we could make multiple withdrawals with no transaction fee so we could still withdraw to our own chosen limit.

I've never seen this discussed here, and I've never heard of anything like this, has anyone encountered this limit?

Never

Not even close.

We just returned this week, and no, we did not see a limit like that at all. The most we took out at one time was 200 euro, but that was just a personal preference. I know on our last trip 2 years ago, we took out 300 euro several times.

That'was my experience, but our last trip to France was July 2006.

I knew if there was something goofy like that going on I would have read about it here.

Thanks for easing my mind.

what a bunch of you know what. The limit is set by your card. I have one card with a limit of $1000, I think, and I withdrew 600 euro at an ATM at CDG last Fall with it.

A US$65 limit is really absurd, actually, it is so low.

Maybe your bank sets that limit and maybe that rep was told that story by the supervisor as a way to lie to make customers think it isn't the bank doing it.

Balderdash. The one place you should NEVER go for information about overseas banking is your bank.

So far, I have broken this law 4 times this month alone. Luckily I have not yet been arrested.

If your bank is using either the Cirrus or Plus networks for ATM withdrawals (and I would bet more than a box of rocks that it is), Cirrus/Pulse takes a 1% currency conversion fee on all international ATM transactions.

I thought it had to be false, it is such a ridiculously small amount. But then again, there was always the posibility that some US Representative, who was angry at France, slipped an addendum unoticed into a bill in the House, stranger things have happened.

That's ridiculous. The limit is set by your own home bank. Most people's are around $300USD/day.

I'm glad people who have had experience using ATM's in France are replying so I know the real deal.

Thanks everyone.

Hi CH,

>She said it was a federal law and not something the bank had any control over. <

Nonsense. The bank sets your daily limit.

A few months ago, I discovered that my bank had changed my daily limit from $300/week to $6000 per day. (I think that that is a mite high.)

((I))

Does anyone know what the current cash withdrawal per day amount is for Bank of America / BNP Paribas ATMs in France? THANKS!

maxmox - I think you should call your bank and ask them. It is possible that they do not give everyone the same daily limit.

Last October my credit union's limit was $300 per day, but I figured I might need more than that, so they very kindly raised my limit temporarily to $500 per day for the period that I was in Europe. It worked out well. (I needed cash for hotel stays of several days each.) (Don't forget that you can sometimes get a discount for paying cash instead of using a credit card. Just ask.)

I have posted it before: the kids answering the phones in customer service have no idea about overseas travel. In many cases, even the persons manning the 'international desk' are clueless. The first hand knowledge of most any experienced traveler is worth a dozen fresh out of college know nothings.
(Gosh, didn't mean to sound so strident.)

maxmox,

The daily limit is YOUR limit, not the limit of the ATM. You can have your bank set the daily limit to what you want. If not, there are other banks who will provide you with proper service.

There is a limit per transation at an ATM but you need only remove your card and do another transaction. I have done 3 from the same ATM in France. In the event this does not work, unless you are in a very small town, it's usually only a couple of minutes walk to an ATM... if it's even that far.

To address the original question and the bizarre bank employee who thinks there's a 65 dollar a day limit... one wonders how this idiot would imagine an American in Europe could survive nowadays... I have removed much more than 65 dollars a day from my BoA account the last 3 trips to Europe. A last minute trip is once again in the cards so I will be able to test the 65 dollar law in Paris as of Sunday June 28! ;^)

Rob

Maxmox, my BOA daily limit was $400/day when I was in Paris last month.

<i>StCirq on Jun 26, 09 at 05:28 PM
Balderdash. The one place you should NEVER go for information about overseas banking is your bank.</i>

Well said, StCirq! One bank <b>twice</b> gave me incorrect ino re overseas ATMs- once linking my ATM card to a savings account instead of a checking account (which Italian banks didn't recognize a few years ago - don't know if that has now changed.)

And previous to that, issuing an ATM card which only worked domestically and assuring me it would work overseas as well.

I now search Fodors for my financial info questions.

I went to France in July 2007 and did not have a problem. The daily limit was set by my bank in the United States. $65 is not very much money.