ATM question for Paris
 

When You use an ATM machine in Paris do the funds come out of your savings or checking account? Or is there a choice? Clueless here. Just need to know where to have my funds. Thank you.

When we visited Paris in February all the ATM's we used took it out of our primary account which is our checking account. Usually if the ATM does not specify, it will take it from your checking. Hope that helps. Enjoy Paris!!

The ATM machine will take it out of whatever credit card you have.

If you have a mastercard, it will take it out of that card as a cash advance.

If you have a VISA check card, it will take it out of your checking account.

We were there in February also, and both cards worked as stated above. It was a miracle? No, it was technology at its best.

Enjoy Paris -- we did!!

Unless you make arrangements with your bank ahead of time, the norm is for it to come out of your checking account. You can ask your bank to alter that arrangement or to have funds from more than one account be available, in which case the ATM machine usually asks you which one you want to withdraw from. But to keep it simple, just use your checking account.

If you have a bank debit type card or you currently use your credit card in this manner from which you can withdraw funds from either your savings or checking (not a cash advance) it will work the same way in Europe as it does here. Usually you'll get an English language screen which asks you from which account the funds are to be drawn.

Many ATM's will only accept a four digit password. If yours is more, change it before you go.

The part about this post which confuses me is the question about being out of your "savings" account. Do people really still have "savings" accounts in banks??????

Thank you for all of the quick advice! And yes Patrick some of us do!

Just curious. I found Patrick's comment odd in that I would have never thought of people NOT having savings accounts.

I guess I'm still living in the Stone Age, but just to satisfy my own curiosity, where do you save your money, Patrick? I have a savings account strictly for my trip planning and don't know where else to put it...besides under my mattress.

What do people w/o savings accounts do with their savings? I live in a very small country which only just received it's first ATM, but I honestly didn't think I was THAT behind the times in having a savings account.

Yes, Patrick, what are you talking about?

We have a savings account-Puzzled that some do not! Of course there are all kinds of ways to save money, but savings accounts are still good.

We stay on the Left Bank in Paris and the ATMs on Blvd St Germain give you choices of where you are taking the money out..we use the checking acct.

Remember there are limits for each day:)

I understand what Patrick is saying. With interest rates in the basement, a bank is the last place I would put our money. Although our credit union is not that great either, it certainly yields a higher rate of interest than a bank.

When interest rates were higher, it always astounded me that banks charged astronomical rates on their credit cards, but gave miserly interest on savings! I guess greed is good.

True that one should not keep all their savings in a savings account in their bank, but there are many reasons for keeping funds in savings accounts for short term..