clevelandbrown

victoria reynolds,

ATMs in Europe have a transaction limit that is unrelated to your daily limit. If the ATM owner has set the transaction limit at 200 euro, that is the most you can get in a single transaction (although the ones I have used will let you do a second transaction, if it won't exceed your daily limit.

I think the "other" option is for people who want to get some bills other than those usually issued; i.e., if you ask for 75 euro, you will get, probably, a few tens and a five, which is what some people want.

I'm pretty sure that is what happened to you; its unfortunate that the ATM explanation was not more informative.

Neopolitan

Thanks for the explanation, Cleveland Brown.

alan64

Interesting, NYSE & Love Italy. I guess I was hoping to use my credit union debit card to draw from my savings (no checking acount w/ them) in Spain next month. If that doesn't work then I'll have to use my Wells Fargo checking ATM card.

I was hoping to avoid the higher fees but it's not worth opening a second checking account.

Barb

I have two checking accounts. My regular/primary one for paying bills, etc., and a travel checking acccount. I also have a travel savings account. I put money into the travel savings every pay day, tax refunds, extra $$ etc. Before each trip, I transfer the funds in the savings account into my travel checking account. So, I have two ATM debit cards, one for each checking account. While traveling, I use my travel checking account ATM card, but if it was lost, stolen or eaten, I still have the primary checking account ATM card and I can call or do an online transfer of the funds from my travel checking account into my primary account if needed. It's nice to have the travel account separate and also not as much chance of having my primary checking account emptied in case of a stolen card.

metalmd

I just got back from Italy, and my ATM card would not work. I contacted my bank (Washington Mutual) while there, and they told me there is no reason for it not to work.

But it didn't!

I tried it in many different ATM machines, different hours of the day and days of the week and varying dollar (euro) amounts to no avail.

I made sure that the machines all had the Cirrus emblem also, but still it didn't work.

My bank did email me today, after I wrote them to try and get a better explanation, and they stated that it would only work where there is a Star emblem, which is the other emblem on the back of my card.

There were no ATM's in Italy that referred to the Star emblem that I noticed.

It is not a debit card, but rather just an ATM card that is linked to my checking account (not savings).

Can anybody shed some light on why it didn't work?

Is it possible that it would only work with a Star emblem, even though the Cirrus emblem is also displayed on the back of my card?

earl30

see your other post on the same topic. the problem is that it was an atm only card and not an atm/debit card that made it not work in some banks.