Euro Exchange for first day
 

Hello,
On my first day in Paris, I must have 500 Euro to pay a deposit at an apartment. My bank ATM only allows $300 per day. I know I can do a cash exchange at an airport. However, that is pretty expensive. Any ideas? Thanks!

My experience is that if you go to your bank and explain the situation, they will give you a higher daily withdrawal limit. ((*))

Yes, Jed is right, just call them and they will raise it. I actually had them raise my limit while in Spain.

In that situation, I might spring for getting the euro from my own home bank and carrying it (money belt).

2 bank accounts, 2 cards

Unless you deal with a small bank without foreign exchange operations, you will probably get hit with 3% or 4% for currency exchange with ATM usage anyway. Wells Farge exchanges currency at major branches for only 5% over. It might be less hassle to just get the money over here and take it with you. If you're worried about security, use a money belt.

I had a similar situation and needed to pay a security deposit - which we would get on leaving. I didn't want to end up the trip with 700 Euro so asked the owner whether she would accept my local currency. She said that woudl be fine - I made sure that I gave her more that 700E - so that if she did need to keep it she would not have a f/x loss and end up with less than 700E. As is usually the case, I got all of the security deposit back.

Hi T,

A: Ask your bank to raise your limit.

B: Get an ATM card for your spouse.

If you are going alone, open another account and get a second ATM card.

((I))

re ira's point B . . Many people don't know that each person on an account has the full daily limit for ATM withdrawals. So yes, if there are two of - and on your other thread you say "family" so I assume there are two adults - then have the bank raise your limit to $500 or even $1000 and then both you and your wife can w/d up to the full amount.

janis, that idea of both having a full limit may not be true. Last summer we had a few problems with our BofA accounts while in Europe. One issue was that although my partner and I have totally separate individual checking accounts, either one can be accessed by the other. We finally found out that because they are linked. When one hit its limit, BofA stopped the other one. We had each raised our daily limit to $1000, but BofA would only allow that much for the two combined.

Ya know - every time we get another wrinkle w/ BofA's weird policies, just reaffirms why I'm glad I don't bank w/ them ;)

You have to agree your situation is a bit different than what we are talking about - a single joint checking acct. shared by a couple. But a good point to check w/ one's bank about what happens when there are linked accts . . . .

Yes, I realize my situation is different, but I was assuming that if they limit two separate accounts accessible by two people to a single maximum daily withdrawal, then surely they'd limit one account with two cards to the single maximum. NO?

not in my experience .. .. .

I agree with those that advise you to get the Euros at home. Get a bit extra for "walking-around" money.

If you're worried about carrying a lot of cash, use a moneybelt. I've taken a lot more than €500 with no problems, for much longer than the few hours you're talking about between the airport and apartment.

Agree with PP,get some money at home - we alway carry a lot of cash ( no money belt) .

I have a Bank of America debit card. It had a $500.00 limint. I called them and asked that they raise my limit to $1000. No questions, no problem. I now have a $1000.00 per day limit.

Hi NP,

I think that that is BofA's policy.

Her in Madison GA, where we have to deal with dinky, little local banks, we have two ATM cards on each of two bank accounts.

That allows us to w/d 4x the daily limit with only a 75ct out-of-network fee on each transaction and no conversion fees.

I also linked our accounts to my Amex card - 5x daily limit.

((I))

I asked BofA if they would raise my daily withdrawal limit for this exact reason, and they said they will do it, no problem at all.

I don't think anyone has suggested that BofA won't raise your daily limit. My comment was that despite our having two separate accounts, but either of us could access the other, I was surprised that when one account reached the raised daily limit, they froze the other one. Based on that, I find it hard to imagine why they would let two people on the SAME account do a double daily limit.

like I said - BofA . . . . . I have not had any problems like that. But I won't deal w/ BofA (since I was a 2nd grader w/ a weekly savings plan at school back in the 50's where we deposited 50¢ a week and got a REAL passbook and everything - I felt so grown up until they <u>lost my money/acct</u>.) :(