carolyn

In Louisville, KY, as of the first of this year National City Bank and PNC Bank dropped their foreign ATM charges. I have banked at Fifth-Third Bank for years and years, and they ran an ad saying they would give two free "foreign" withdrawals a month. I told them I was going to Italy in June, but when I returned I found that "foreign withdrawals" to 5/3 meant anything in the U.S. other than their banks. I complained, and they reversed the charges on two withdrawals, which had amounted to about $10.50.

I'm going to London next month, and the woman I spoke with at the bank said if I were charged to let them know and it would be reversed again. I live in hope that complaints and competition will soon eliminate these charges. I saw a National City billboard recently that said, "After all, it's your money." Exactly!

coyote_lakes_golfer

This site will tell you what banks charge what for each kind of transaction - credit card, ATM, and debit card purchase. ATM is the middle list, look for a bank at 0-1% local to you in FL.

http://flyerguide.com/wiki/index.php...reign_Exchange

NeoPatrick

Carolyn, that's funny. Only in Kentucky would they call crossing the river to use at ATM in Indiana or Ohio a "foreign" withdrawal! Damn yankees!

GSteed

Please explain...can a bank refund a non-bank ATM charge? My statement notes: Service Charge othr bnk ATM W/D 2.00

NeoPatrick

Sure, a bank can refund any charges on your account they want to -- including one they imposed or someone else imposed on your account. The bottom line, I suppose, is how much they value your business and how firm they are about keeping customers happy.

Nikki

Excellent link posted by coyote lakes golfer. Summarizes lots of information. Doing a search on the subject here is practically useless because of the long, rambling nature of the many threads on the subject.

Apparently the same thing happened at Flyertalk, and some enterprising person summarized everything in the link, which can be edited to correct incorrect information at any time.

carolyn

LOL, Patrick. Save your Confederate money; the South will rise again.

mkdiebold

carolyn: I too, live in Louisville and bank with 5/3. I'm confused by your statement of "foreign bank being anything other than another 5/3." Are you saying that in States where there aren't any 5/3rds, that an additional ATM fee is charged? How is that different from choosing an ATM attached to say Chase Bank right here in Louisville? There's a fee for that, right? I'm confused by your comment. Please advise, since I'm planning a trip to Florida in November and I don't think they have any 5/3rd banks.
Thanks!

NeoPatrick

I'm not Carolyn, but I thought her post was clearly saying that 5/3 normally charges a fee for using any ATM in the US other than their own. But they are going to waive the fee for the first two of those type withdrawals per month. In other words, if you make 4 withdrawals from non 5/3 banks in one month, they will only charge you a fee for two of them.

The point of her story was that she assumed "foreign" meant outside the US, but to her bank it simply meant any US bank not a 5/3.

GianniFL

Thanks clg for that great link!

mkdiebold

Thanks NeoPatrick, for the clarification. Fortunately we use our credit card for most purchases, so having loads of cash on hand is not a major issue. But it's good to know that the bank might "forgive" some of your "foreign" withdrawals.