ATM Usage?
 

When I called my bank, they put a note in the system and told me I could use my ATM card at any Star ATM location in Italy.
My card does not have the Star insignia on it, will it still work? I mentioned this, and the girl said it was fine, but she didn't seem like a stellar problem solver, if you know what I mean.

It has the Visa logo, but no Cirrus or Star or any other ATM company logos on the back.

Has anyone used a card like that abroad?

I seem to remember some post about that, but I don't think Star is a very common network in Europe, so I'm not sure that helps even if it works. IN fact, I'm not sure it exists in Italy at all. I don't think the machine knows whether your card has a logo on it or not, that is just a help to the customer so they know what machines to use.

I think you have a bad bank if they give you a card that doesn't even indicate on it what network it can be used on. Did they say Star is the only network it can use?

Hmm, it's Bank of America, so it's not like it's an obscure bank!

They told me I could use any Star ATM and then she pulled up all the locations in Rome and said just in that city there were too many to list. She told me I could look online at the list, I'll have my husband pull it up since I don't have all our banking passwords.

carla1183,
I think your evaluation of the girl you talked to was right on.

This is from http://www.star.com/cfm/?go=atmLocator.start
Does STAR have overseas locations?
The STAR network primarily serves financial institutions in the United States. For international ATM locations, please check the back of your ATM/debit card, or ask your financial institution, to find out if your card can be used at ATMs displaying other symbols.

Your bank must use another network to access your account in Italy.

Henry

I wondered when I scoured the Star website and found nothing international. I'll call the bank again right now, that irritates me!!

I was happy I got a customer service rep who spoke the appropriate amount of english, but turned out she was useless anyway! :(

From the Bank of America website:

<<Bank of America customers can withdraw cash with their Bank of America Check Card or ATM Card without a fee at nearly 16,500 Bank of America ATMs in the United States and at over 12,000 international ATMs operated by members of the Global ATM Alliance. Bank of America may assess a fee for some transactions performed at ATMs operated by others and the ATM operator may charge an additional fee for cash withdrawals.>>

Thanks, but that still doesn't tell me what ATM I should look for. How do I know if there members of Global ATM alliance?

I just called again and talked to someone even less intelligent. She told me she didn't even know how to find the answer to my question or who to transfer me to. She literally told me goodbye because she didn't know what to do.

I'll just go to my bank tomorrow and talk to a manager or banker and see what they can tell me.

I am not BoA account holder, but there are millions of Americans who are and they use their ATM cards worldwide every day. You should have no trouble accessing cash in Italy. If the first ATM you try does not work for you, go to another.
I have no idea what insignia are on my ATM cards and I don't look for symbols on the ATMs I use -- card in, Euros out. Except in one or two rare instances--network down, out of cash, I don't care, I just go to another ATM to obtain the cash.

Thanks all. I'm sure I'm worried for nothing.

the other problem with BofA is that the fees they charge are high. They commonly charge up to 3% to do a foreign transaction with one of their cards, plus they add on a $5 extra charge if the ATM is not one of their "Partner" banks.

I still have a couple of accounts with them, but would not use their card overseas except in an emergency. I think they are bandits.

I'd get a different card, were I you.

:-(

You mnetioned that yoru ATM card has the Visa logo - do you also use the card as a credit card? If so you might have a problem in Italy. I have a Visa card which I use for ATM at home becuase I have the "withdraw from which account" option - so just say chequing or savings - Option does not exist in, for example, UK so I ended up taking a cash advance on my Visa - not a porblem beucase I did internet banking and transferred money to cover it.

I've only used it as a debit card or ATM, never a credit card. My BoA credit card is separate.

I have an open Wells Fargo account, would their fees be any better? We can transfer some money over there today or tomorrow.

I just checked, Wells Fargo is also 3% and $5 fee. We leave Thursday, so I won't have time to go for a Capital One debit card or anything. Our credit card is Capital One, so we'll just use it as much as possible, and take out Euros only two or three times during our 9 day stay.

Some debit cards charge 3% when used at the point of sale for purchases, but only 1% for cash withdrawals from ATMs. Did your bank clearly say that 3% applies to both types of transactions? Do not expect many US bank employees to know the answer to this question.

I have B of A Debit card and it has a Visa logo, so it uses Visa for ATM cash withdrawal (not CC cash advance.)

On B of A web site, they list Global Alliance members: it is not easy to find, I recall. They do not have any alliance bank in Italy, so as nukesafe said, you pay 3% plus $5 per tranaction: very high.

I don't use my B of A Debit card in Italy for this reason. I use another debit card that charges only 1% passed on by Visa.

However, since Frankfurt is usually my transit airport to Italy, and Deusche Bank is a Global Alliance Bank, I use my B of A Debit card at FRT airport on my way to Italy to stock up on Euro, but the B of A Debit card stays in my moneybelt until I exit Italy.

Although this may not answer carla's Q, the following site might be very helpful in answering the Q's of others trying to determine the better credit/debit/ATM cards to use abroad:

http://tinyurl.com/2uqurp

Yes, I have a Bank of America ATM card (it does have a PLUS logo on the back though). I never bothered to look what kind of ATM I was using in Europe or hunt for a special one, as long as it was a normal one associated with a regular bank. Five trips later, no problem. I do get dinged $5 a pop by BoA for the transaction.

I just called Bank of America and they said the transaction fee is avoided if you go to one of their global alliance banks in Italy, which include the following:

Antonveneta (Banco Antoniana Popolare Veneta)

Cariplo Bank

Deutsche Bank

Cassa di Risparmio di Padova e Rovigo

Banca Nazionale del Lavoro

adels1283: Nope - at least for Deutche Bank. ATM usage is only free for BofA customers when they use Deutche Bank <u>inside Germany</u>. It isn't applicable in Italy.

Don't know about the other banks you mention -- but if the folks you spoke w/ are clueless about Deutche Bank, my guess they are wrong about at least some of the others.

There are several BofA clients who post here all the time and may see your message to verify re those other banks.