Shedysmithh

Hi everybody,

I meant to post this after my trip but forgot all about it. I'm sure many of you will recall a thread a while back regarding whether or not ATM cards will work in Turkey. I'm not talking about pure MasterCard or Visa credit cards, but rather those ATM/debit cards issued by your bank linked to your checking account which also carry a Visa or MasterCard logo on them. You know, the ones you use to get cash from an ATM machine where the money is deducted from your checking account . I've used my ATM card in Berlin and Prague to get cash with no issue, but recently there had been a question as to whether or not that would be possible in Turkey.

Prior to my recent trip to Istanbul, I notified my bank of the locations I would be traveling to so my card wouldn't be frozen when I tried to use it. The next day I received a phone call from the girl I had spoken to at the bank. She said the bank's security department called her when she submitted my information about my upcoming trip and informed her that ATM/Debit cards could no longer be used in Turkey due to the Turkish banking system. I would still be able to use my card in Paris and Frankfurt, but not Turkey.

I tried it out when I first got to Istanbul and apparently my bank was correct, as I was unable to withdraw any cash from an ATM machine using my ATM card.

Keiracaitlyn

It must be particular to your bank. I was just in Turkey earlier this month and used my ATM/debit card through my credit union just fine.

Dogeared

You really need to say what bank card specifically you are talking about. Not everyone who posts/reads here is from the same country you know. Nor are all cards 'created equal'.

Also, in some countries, there is no difference between an ATM card and a Debit card. In other countries an ATM card cannot be used to make purchases in a store etc. It is strictly for ATM use.

Keireacatitlyn, the same re being specific. If your card worked, it would perhaps help a reader to know what credit union in what country it was from. Otherwise, all you've said is, 'my card works but I'm not telling you where to get one.' LOL

Keiracaitlyn

Sure, I used Georgia's Own Credit Union ATM/debit card - it worked fine. I am located in the USA.

Shedysmithh

My bank did not don't have a branch in Turkey. Is that the reason why i was unable to use my debit card?

John72djjf

Hi every one, my name is john. I equally have same problem at Turkey the last time i visited. I was in Turkey just 2 months back and i was also Unable to access my account over there. When i called my bank to complain, they replied me saying it happened because i did not notify them before traveling to Turkey.
But still, they could do nothing about it.
Turkey is the only country i have experience this.

James782jks892sdc

I was thinking that i was the only one who has experience a situation like this. I am a german, when i went to Turkey 3 weeks ago, i also had this card issue.
Why is Turkey banking system this poor?

Christina

That's interesting that a German had the same problem, sounds like it was their banks.

But sometimes certain banks or credit unions just decide not to allow their cards to be used in a certain country, they make that decision based on some fraud, I suppose. I've heard of it before but I can't recall which bank or country. Nothing you can do about it, but in this case the bank told her it was the Turkish system. Maybe some disconnect in the system between them and most US banks, although a credit union bank card going through from the US is unusual in that case.

A bank not having a branch in a country is definitely not the reason, most people wouldn't be able to use their cards if that were the case. They are on networks like CIRRUS etc that all banks use.

hetismij2

Many EU banks block their card from being used outside the Union and EEA, to help prevent fraud You have to tell your bank, or use your bank's app, to switch on world wide usage. That could be why James had a problem.

Dogeared

Shedysmithh, again you have not said WHAT BANK you are using.

Let's say you used a debit card from Bank of America. IF you told us that, someone MIGHT come on and say, I use BofA and my card did work. Or they might come on and say, 'oh I am going to Turkey and use BofA, so your experience is relevant to my plans.'

But withholding relevant info isn't going to help anyone, in which case, what is the point of posting what is in effect a warning to others?

You wrote, "The next day I received a phone call from the girl I had spoken to at the bank. She said the bank's security department called her when she submitted my information about my upcoming trip and informed her that ATM/Debit cards could no longer be used in Turkey due to the Turkish banking system."

Well, that would be good to know perhaps if you said what bank you are talking about. Otherwise it's useless information. See what I'm saying?

I do find it interesting that your bank put the blame on the Turkish banking system. You do realize that it is not the Turkish banking system that will not accept your card. If that were the case, no one's cards would work in Turkey. It is YOUR bank that is not allowing Visa/Mastercard to access your account from a Turkish ATM. Never let your bank tell you, 'it's someone else's fault.' Banks lie to customers all the time. That Keiracaitlyn's card worked shows that the Cirrus/Maestro system worked, so why shouldn't yours?

People talk about having to notify the bank (as you did Shedysmithh) of their travel plans. If you ask your bank why you have to do that, they will tell you it is for YOUR security. That's simply BS. Your bank wants to cover THEIR ass, not yours. They want to minimize THEIR risk of fraudulent transactions/errors which will cost THEM money, not you.

Many banks in many countries do not require their customers to notify them before travelling. I would not use a bank that did require me to do that. First because I do not consider it any of their business where I plan to travel and more importantly, I do not always know where I am going to travel to.

Imagine you decide to go to Europe for 3 months. You intend to play it by ear, travelling from place to place as your interests take you. You would not know beforehand which countries you will visit and/or when. So how would you deal with that with your bank?

My guess is that something fraudulent or a type of error, has a higher than average chance of happening in Turkey for whatever reason. Since YOU are not liable if that happens and your bank IS liable, they decide to not allow use of your card in Turkey and avoid the risk. It's about what is best for THEM, not YOU.

This traveller's experience may explain why your bank said it was because of the 'Turkish banking system'.

http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/d..._problems.html

So the system 'timed out' but in fact the transaction went through according to the story. Note how it took the person 3 months to get their money back into their account. Note also how they were obviously told the money had to come back from the Turkish banks. Again, BS with the Canadian bank in this case.

My bank (as do most banks) guarantees me against fraudulent or incorrect transactions made on my account, regardless of how they occurred. They have to do that because if they did not, why would I or anyone else open an account with them and get cards from them? Are we likely to open an account if they said, 'you can have a card but if anything goes wrong, it's your problem, not ours.'

So I am covered, THEY must take any risk when I use the card they gave me. They know there are risks and they know it will cost them money but that cost is factored in to their charges for everything they do.

In the case of the Canadian traveller, one of those potential risks did occur and money went astray temporarily. So what did the bank do? They made the customer wait until they got the money back. The customer should have told them, 'you wait for the money to come back, I expect it back in my account today. If it isn't I will take all my banking elsewhere.' I know that in the case of my own bank at least, they could not make me wait for them to get the money back. It would be THEIR problem, not mine!

At the same time it is not difficult to see why a bank might say, 'we don't want to be out of pocket for 3 months so we will just deny use of your card when you are in Turkey.' Again, it is about covering THEIR ass.

So let's say when your bank told you that you could not use your card in Turkey due to the Turkish banking system, they were in fact referring to this 'time out' problem. Who were they trying to avoid having a problem by choosing to deny all transactions from Turkey, you or themselves?

Note, that the Canadian traveller was able to get money from ATMs in Turkey on other attempts, just not every attempt. Obviously, some times the transaction went through and other times it 'timed out.' But their bank did not deny all transactions to avoid the whole issue.

YOUR bank has chosen to avoid THEIR having to deal with the problem. You needing some cash when you are there, isn't THEIR priority obviously.

My advice is to find a better bank. Keiracaitlyn has given us the name of one at least and no doubt there are others.

Banks lie to customers all the time. It is our own responsibility to know what our rights are in terms of any contract between us and a bank. Don't expect your bank to rush to tell you what they are when something goes wrong, that's why they hide it all in the 'fine print', hoping you won't read it. They are regulated by law but they don't have to tell you about it in 6 foot high letters.

Shedysmithh

Thanks for your advice.I will use a better bank. i am currently using MB Financial

Shedysmithh

Please mr or miss Dogeared try to talk in a more polite manner stop behaving as if you are the smartest or most educated here.

Dogeared

I probably am the smartest here.

Peter_S_Aus

Or possibly just the biggest smart asse here.

Dogeared

Or possibly both Peter_S_Ass, who knows.

Shedysmithh

good

kappa1

So is it ok to ignore a question asked by a poster who cared to reply to your post?

nanabee

The name of the bank is critical for this discussion otherwise the assumption could be that ALL bank/cards are not allowed in Turkey. It is important to be specific when passing on information.

John72djjf

yes, this is true.