ktyson

I have an ATM card/check card with the visa logo from my bank. This card is attached to the funds in my checking account, and that is what I would prefer to use when I am in Europe. I called my bank to ask if these cards are accepted there, and that is all they could tell me is the card is accepted everywhere that accepts visa. As has been mentioned on this board, there are times that cards are rejected. Can anyone give me some advice?

Thanks

Musicteacher

Visa has a web site that will tell you what ATMs in a particular city are on their network.

http://visa.via.infonow.net/locator/...SearchPage.jsp

rapunzll

Ask your bank what the daily limit there is on the card. If you attempt to make purchases or withdrawals totally more than the limit, the purchase/withdrawal will be rejected.

nancy

I have the same card (Wells Fargo) but it only accesses my bank account. I've always used this in Europe at any ATM. It's interesting how little banks can tell you about withdrawing from foreign ATMs! Personally I wouldn't want to withdraw from a "credit card" and pay interest. Haven't had a reject yet.

A few years ago I changed my pin number to 4 numbers (letters don't work on foreign ATMS) from 6. Maybe it makes no difference now.

Robert2533

As already pointed out, check with you bank as to your daily limit. You'll also want to notify your bank that you will be using the card in Europe if you haven't already done so.

Your ATM check card is also know as a debit card and always come off of you checking account. Check the back of the card. It should have the PLUS logo, or Interlink logo. Cirrus is also used, but not as much with VISA cards.

nancy

As "rapunzll" said above make sure your daily withdrawal is at the limit you will need. The bank can increase your limit. Thru experience withdrawing small sums each time I learned that each withdrawal carried with it a cost from my bank. It was no big deal ($10 in a month!) but still I would have taken out more each time.

massagediva

I just spent five weeks living on my check card in Italy and it was great. My credit union allows $500 atm withdrawls in a day and up to $1500 charges. Unless you have to pay any hefty sums when you first arrive,you should have no problem whatsoever,you may however,wish to notify you bank that you'll be using it abroad so they can send an e-mail to security so that they don't block any charges.On my first trip four years ago,my bank thought my card had been stolen.

Travelnut

What about using for purchases, hotels, dining out, etc.. any problems there?

(I inadvertently used mine for hotel in Amsterdam, charge went thru just fine).

massagediva

no problems,up to $1500 a day with my Credit Union

nbbrown

My husband is wondering about protection of using the debit card, if it gets stolen? Where we live, we can use the debit card frequently, and no one ever asks for ID. If stolen, could someone withdraw all the money from your bank account? Whereas if my charge card gets stolen, we are only responsible for the first $50 after reporting it stolen. We'd much rather have a special bank account to just debit/credit out of, and get cash from an ATM. Any thoughts on this?

Patrick

My Bank of America officer insists that if their ATM/debit card gets stolen, you can call the bank (even if it is a couple of days before you realize it is gone). If it happens that some thief has already withdrawn all your funds, let's say $10,000, he insists that Bank of America will immediately credit your account for all charges since the time you tell them it was stolen. Fortunately I've never had occasion to see if this is in fact true. However, I do know that credit cards work that way. After a very recent "indentity theft" of a credit card number (no the card itself wasn't lost or stolen) Citibank credited all the charges made on the card. I later had to fill out a form, but the credits were made immediately upon notification to them.

LoveItaly

I too have been told that if funds are withdrawn from your checking account and the withdrawal is fraudulant that the bank will replace the money.

However, if one has bills or mortgages that are paid automatically from said checking account and the balance is zero or whatever due to fraud than that I would think be a problem until the issue was resolved and your bank redeposted the money in your checking account

And I wonder even if you were aware immediately that there had been improper withdrawals from your checking account how long would it take the bank to investigage and follow through with reimbursing your checking account.

I don't know, fortunatly not having had the problem.

Since reading some post on Fodor's I am going to open up a separate checking account for "travel money". I will take my regular checking account ATM card also for backup.

platzman

The bottom line is to always have at least one back up, and probably two back ups, to your primary card.
I have a VISA check/ATM card, and back it up with VISA and Mastercard credit cards, with PINs for potential ATM usage should the need arise.
I don't envision you having any acceptance problems with your card, though.

Patrick

LoveItaly, I'm not sure you understood what I was saying (or rather my BofA officer was saying). As soon as you notify them that there is a problem, they immediately reissue the funds into your account and "investigate" later.

LoveItaly

Hi Patrick, no I did not understand that. Thanks for explaining.

I haven't used Bank of America since the days when they advised our business (and all their business accounts) that we would pay a fee to make any cash deposits which we had to do at least every other day.

Back up for ATM card and credit card is very necessary I think. Especially if one is travelling on their own. If you have someone with you that has their own accounts it is a big help if you do have a problem.

Take care, hope all is going alright for you.

dsm22

I used my check card for purchases all through England and Scotland. I did not have a problem. It does the exchange rate and all that for you. I was not charged anything to use it either.

I used it here once to book a trip to and the travel company I booked with went out of business and just shut it's doors without securing anyones reservations. Thank God that it was thru AAA, they laid out the money and secured everything for us. I put in a claim to get my money the same way you would for a credit card and got the money back and sent it on to the travel agency.

I also used it in Canada with no problems.

Christina

I don't think you should have any problem using a "check card" in an ATM if it has the correct logos on it for networks. I only have an ATM card myself as I have no need nor want a debit card.

Perhaps this is semantics, but I notice that a couple people felt this was no risk because a bank said they would refund your card from the time your reported it stolen. That is sort of what my bank told me when I asked about the liability for stolen debit cards, which is why I declined them. I don't think that's such a great guaranty if it is literal as it implies you will be liable for anything it is used for until you report it stolen. Someone can rack up an awful lot of charges within a few hours or a day from when you might notice it missing and when you report it stolen.

LoveItaly

I have mentioned this before but recently my brokerage house advised their clients that their ATM/Debits cards could NOT be used as a debit card in Italy due to a high amount of fraud. Advised that they will notify their clients when the situtation changes.

And received a replacement card even though the current one had not expired.

I was interested in that. But I haven't heard of anyone having a problem but assume there must be.

LoveItaly

Hi Patrick, after thinking about your post and rereading it, with all due respect I would want more then the Bank Managers word. I would want it in writing. Verbal conversations are fine but unless it is writing one is behind the eight ball if higher ups don't agree, or if the Bank Mgr. happens to die suddenly. If it is in writing then you have proof of the Corp. Headquarters policy.

Flyboy

I recently saw a sign at a Holiday Inn (in Wisconsin) that advised people not to use debit cards. I have no idea what the reasoning behind it was because I don't use a debit card and I have to confess that I don't really understand their popularity.