viaggio_sempre

My DW's Credit Union DOES NOT give us a break for cash withdrawals in Italy.

Our BofA check/debit card will be NO FEE if we go to affiliate banks/ATM's. That means there will be no $5 nor 1% fee.

Quoting from the BofA website and a representative,

"Use your ATM card or Check Card within our Global ATM Alliance in the countries shown with no fees."

Barclays (United Kingdom)

BNP Paribas (France)

Deutsche Bank (Germany)

Santander Serfin (Mexico)

Scotiabank (Canada)

Westpac (Australia and
New Zealand)

I have gone to the Barclays, BNP Paribus and Deutsche Bank websites and made note of their locations in Lugano, Milan, Florence, Pisa, Rapallo, Genoa and more (perish the thought if I can't plan better and have to use all of those locations).

Not trying to be nasty, just wanted to provide researched info for clarity.

VS :-"

Neopolitan

Good that you have given the full list. Sometimes people think of those banks only in one country, and I've seen people say that BofA has no partner in Italy, but there are lots of Deutschbanks there.

Also my BofA account is an "Advantage" account. Basically it means I also have an Equity Credit Line account with them. As a result, my first two ATM withdrawals each month from NON-PARTNER banks have no fee either. So even if I end up doing two non-affiliated ATM withdrawals a month, there is still NO fee.

Intrepid1

In the spirit of "researched info" it might be helpful to

A) define the term "break for cash withdrawals"

B) Provide the name of "DW's Credit Union"

No, I am NOT trying to be nasty because my own credit union DOES give a break for cash withdrawals..at least I think it does but that depends on how you are defining the term...so gives us a hand here, OK?

cheryl8

VS - would you please provide the url for the website? When I called BA 1800 #. I was told that yes, if I withdraw from the banks you mentioned, I will not get the $5 fee, BUT, the 1% CONVERSION FEE remains! Thanks.

viaggio_sempre

Intrepid - We talked to DW's credit union reps about 6 months ago and I can't recall the fees attached to foreign withdrawals(although I will talk to them again to see if anything has changed). I only remember that it was not worth taking her card along except as an emergency back-up.

It is a small CU in north central Washington and seems to have no affiliation.

Sorry, its just that all this emotional uprising concerning banks and coffeeshops and 4-legged creatures got me going. I have too pull it together.

VS :-"

viaggio_sempre

Cheryl - Here it is

http://bankofamerica.via.infonow.net/locator/atmbranch/

The 1-800-442-6680 that I called may only be for Washington state, but you can give it a try.

If that url doesn't work, I went to the bankofamerica website and on the left side of the page and selected "more location search options" under "ATM's and banking centers". The info was on the next page that came up.

VS :-"

Intrepid1

I understand completely..there has been a lot of talk about how much money you'll save by using this or that credit card and I also relaize that for some folks this is a major deal-breaker.

I always use my own CC ATM card for getting money out of foreign ATMs and they charge me $2.50 per withdrawal regardless of how much money I take out.

That amount of money as a charge doesn't bother me in the least but for others I suspect it might pose a problem.

Thanks for doing the research and I hope it ends up helping more than a few folks.

Neopolitan

viaggio_sempre, relax. Things could be worse.

You could be riding a donkey up the caldera at Santorini sipping a Starbucks out of a paper cup and looking for an ATM.

I have to admit that when the average person does just a couple of ATM withdrawals during a trip to Europe, that there is so much tension about spending an extra four or five dollars to add to the cost of the several thousand dollar trip! "Let's see now, the trip cost us $3,487.50". If we had only used a credit union ATM card or if we had found the 'right' ATMS it would have only been $3,482.50. We'd better rethink this before our next trip."

KathrynT

This was very helpful. I had no idea Deutsche Bank had locations in Italy. I will look for them now!

TamaraEden

Yes , I did see BofA has affiliates, that doesn't help me in Belgium and Netherlands. You also might want to ask them about the 3% transaction fee when you use a BofA Visa card. I'm POSITIVE of this fee. Never heard a thing of 1%. This is why (as I stated on some other thread), I joined my teacher's credit union. I get ten free ATM withdrawls, and no transaction percentage charge. I say we already lose almost 25% of my dollar with the Euro at 1.19 wholesale and 1.24 retail. I am keeping my 3%

Intrepid1

And after you got to the top at Santorini you would actually FIND an ATM but you'll pass a lot of jewelry stores first...but I agree completely with Neopolitan..there are people here who will spend billions in time alone to save a couple of bucks..and I wonder if they have actually "saved" anything.

Neopolitan

TamaraEden, I personally wasn't talking about a BofA Visa CREDIT CARD, if that's what you mean, but about a BofA ATM card, which might even have a Visa logo on it for a debit card. There has NEVER been a 3% or even a 1% charge on the money I've taken out of any ATMs in Europe, partner banks or not. PERIOD. I'm sure if I used a CREDIT CARD there might be, however.
On the other hand, I have reason to believe now that BofA affiliates in Europe are sometimes using VISA services to handle their ATM transactions that there MIGHT be a 1% fee built in (or itemized and added on).

CarolA

With BOA I just find the AMOUNT of the fee to be insulting. "Lets stick it to you"

Considering they have one of the worst on line bill payers I have ever attempted to use and overall LOUSY service... I think this is the straw that broke the camels back for me.

No, the $5 doesn't make a financial difference, but I don't have to let them take advantage of me either.

Neopolitan

"With BOA I just find the AMOUNT of the fee to be insulting. "Lets stick it to you"

I'm confused. I pay 0 for a fee for ATM transactions. I find no insult with that. What fee are you talking about? Are we having a bad day?

viaggio_sempre

Neopolitan - ROFLOL! Thanks, that helped.

<You could be riding a donkey up the caldera at Santorini sipping a Starbucks out of a paper cup and looking for an ATM.>

You could have added "and I had to use a credit card at the ATM".

VS :-"

viaggio_sempre

I remember "Bank of Amerika" bashing and burning back in the late 60's and early 70's, but that seemed to be a southern California thing.

VS :-"

Christina

I don't have a BofA anything card, and my bank doesn't charge me anything for foreign withdrawals (no flat fee, and no addon percent).

However, if this is very important to you, I think you should clarify with BoA with "no fee" means, as even that announcement sounds like they are only talking about the flat ATM withdrawal fee. I never would assume that means the Visa 1% foreign transaction surcharge. Maybe it does, but I wouldn't assume it -- if you even have one on ATM withdrawals, I don't know.

TamaraEden

Neopolitan, maybe you have a special account. I guarantee you, two days ago, I called. They told me $5 per ATM withdrawl.

Neopolitan

Yes, I clearly stated above in one of my posts that I have a BofA Advantage account which gives me two free ATM withdrawals per month at ANY bank. But it addition to that we've been talking about all the partner banks for which there is NO fee from BofA on any account. My point was that it generally is pretty easy to spend a couple months in Europe, make dozens of withdrawals from ATMs with a BofA ATM card, and NEVER pay any fee at all.

That was my point.

Meanwhile I haven't checked but is it possible that there are Barclay's ATMs in the Netherlands and possibly BNP ATMs or even Deutschebank ATMs in Belgium? If so you'll have no fees from BofA if you use them.

luv2cthings

As noted by the OP, the BofA website states: "Use your ATM card or Check Card within our Global ATM Alliance in the countries shown with no fees."

Barclays (United Kingdom)
BNP Paribas (France)
Deutsche Bank (Germany)
Santander Serfin (Mexico)
Scotiabank (Canada)
Westpac (Australia and New Zealand)"

Is it being assumed by the OP and other posters that no fees are charged if BofA's ATM/Check Card is used in at these various banks' ATMs in Italy? Note the websites states "in the countries shown" - NOT "wherever you find ATMs operated by banks within our Global ATM Alliance".

Just wondering, can anyone state from personal experience that no fees are charged when using BofA ATM cards at Barclays, BNP Paribus, Deutsche Bank, etc. ATMs in Italy? And other than any free "foreign" ATMs withdrawals allowed for their account (such as the two per month as indicated by Neopolitan)?