Dukey1

I am in Europe now, have used my CC in Italy, Switzerland, France, and Germany and have yet to be asked for a pin...the old swiped card has been accepted everywhere.

As to ATM use...some people will spend a billion to save 20 cents.

Mimar

Spend a billion! Where? How? Will they charge you to transfer out your money?

If you do your banking at a credit union, no need to ever spend a billion or even a million. They're non-profit. I do almost all my banking online, pay my bills online, have rarely been in a credit union office. So I spend very little on gas also. Or stamps.

Mimar

Oh, by the way, you can do automatic deposits in a credit union account, no problem.

richardcoleman

Foreign transaction fees (FTF) depend on your specific card. There is a BoA card (see http://promotions.bankofamerica.com/...mericard/)with zero FTF, but it requires a $70/year fee unless you have a substantial account at BoA or Merrill Lynch. The card has a chip-and-pin, so is very handy in Europe. BoA has agreements with Deutsch Bank, BNP Paribus, Scotia Bank and Barclays (plus one Asian bank, Westpac). These agreements only apply in the HOME COUNTRY, and allow zero swipe fees IN THE HOME COUNTRY, e.g., BNP Paribus in France only.

richardcoleman

For my last post, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_ATM_Alliance:
The list has recently been increased to:
Bank of America (United States)
Barclays (United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, Pakistan, Gibraltar, Ghana, Kenya, and other countries in Africa)
BNP Paribas (France)
BNP Paribas Fortis (Belgium)
BNL d'Italia (Italy)
Deutsche Bank (Germany, Poland, Belgium, India, Spain and Portugal)
China Construction Bank (China - Mainland Only)
Scotiabank (Canada, Caribbean, Peru, Chile and Mexico)
Westpac (Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Vanuatu, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands)
Westpac Banking Corporation (Australia, Fiji, Cook Islands, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu)
Westpac New Zealand Limited (New Zealand)
Westpac Bank - PNG - Limited (Papua New Guinea)
Westpac Bank Samoa Limited (Samoa)
Westpac Bank of Tonga (Tonga)
ABSA (South Africa)
UkrSibbank (Ukraine)

Michael

Barclays (United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, Pakistan, Gibraltar, Ghana, Kenya, and other countries in Africa)
BNP Paribas (France)
BNP Paribas Fortis (Belgium)
BNL d'Italia (Italy)
Deutsche Bank (Germany, Poland, Belgium, India, Spain and Portugal)

However, it used to be that the fee was charged when withdrawing from a partner bank outside its original jurisdiction. In other words, withdrawing from a
Deutsche Bank ATM outside Germany would incur the $5 charge. One needs to check to see if this rule still applies.