ATMs and Phone Cards in Ireland
 

I just went through my search of the forum on this info but once I got back to 2001 I thought I would try and get some recent, updated answers.

1. I know my ATM card, which is a MasterCard debit card from Citizens Bank, will work at most ATMs in Ireland. What I do not know is how steep the ATM fee is. Has anyone used their US-based card at an ATM in Ireland recently that can share what kind of fee they had to pay?

2. I will be making only a few calls (I hope) and plan to get an Eircom phone card when I arrive. It seems they are convenient and the phones that take them are common. Is this correct? Will I see these Eircom public phones fairly frequently? Also, can those Eircom cards be used from hotels?

Thanks for the help. As more questions come up, I will keep searching the forum and trying to consolidate them into one post if I can. Your help is greatly appreciated! =)

The ATM fee is charged by your bank so the best place to ask is there - watch out for minimum charges BTW as that can make small withdrawals VERY expensive

The Eircom phone card I used in 2005 was designed to be inserted in public phones. If you want to make a call from your hotel, buy an international calling card with a PIN. It can be used anywhere.

ATM charges were about 2 Euro last summer. Also, the phone cards I bought had pin numbers so could be used from anywhere. The best way to make phone calls, however, was from some of the internet cafes which had VOIP and were much cheaper for international calls.

We were in Ireland last fall. ATMs did not charge for their use. The charges are imposed by YOUR bank. Check with your bank for the fees to use out-of-network ATMs--that is likely a flat fee. You will also likely pay a conversion fee. Your bank can also tell you the percentage.

I am just posting a follow up on this for those who read it via a search.

I contacted my bank (Citizens Bank) and got some good info.

- They do not charge a fee for me to use an ATM in Ireland. If the bank I go to in Ireland does, that would be different, but Citizens Bank will not charge me a fee (they say).
- If I am going to get money at an ATM it needs to be in my checking account. I will not have access to my savings account outside the country.
- They gave me a 24 international number for customer service.
- They urged me to contact customer service and let them know the dates I will be out of the country. To protect their clients, they often flag overseas transactions. As long as I notify them I will be traveling with my card they will make a note and nobody will place a hold on my account.
- I can use my debit card but MasterCard will charge a fee of .08% on the purchase for their processing.
- They still recommend having a back-up money source such as travelers checks or credit card, just in case. 8)

Hopefully that helps others searching this in the future. Thanks again for the help!