to take cash from USA or from ATMs in France?
Jul 21st, 2014, 06:40 AM
#42
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joan, in order to collect a large number of euros for your gite, make multiple withdrawals from multiple ATMs. Each ATM has a limit of how much it will dispense in a single withdrawal. And your bank will limit how much you can take out at one time and in one day. Ask the bank to raise that limit on your account temporarily for your trip. Usually a new day starts at midnight in the US which is 5 - 8 AM on the continent. So you could take out your daily limit the evening before and the same again in the morning.
And I've got to say that jet-lagged as I get, I've never been close to too tired to stop at an ATM on the way out of the airport and get cash. At big airports there are banks of ATMs near the exit. I was a little nervous the first time I went to Europe without any euros. But I've never had a problem. Though some others have.
And I've got to say that jet-lagged as I get, I've never been close to too tired to stop at an ATM on the way out of the airport and get cash. At big airports there are banks of ATMs near the exit. I was a little nervous the first time I went to Europe without any euros. But I've never had a problem. Though some others have.
Jul 21st, 2014, 11:09 AM
#45
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Bilbo, my bank charges $65 per transfer, so not cheap. I think some of these folks are "fee avoiding" (cc or paypal etc) rather than tax avoiding. Either way, tax avoidance is an art form here in the US, practiced by almost everyone (in my experience).
Jul 21st, 2014, 02:34 PM
#47
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If not for this trip, then as soon as you get home - for your next trip to Europe: open a Capitalone360 account and get a bank debit/ATM card. Then don't forget to put the amount you'll need for your trip in it 
. Use it at the ATMs in Europe.
Most European ATMs (I've never had a service charge in 12 years in Europe) don't levy a service charge, no matter what your U.S. bank is. Capital ONE will give you day-of transaction exchange rate- and that's it. When coming home, draw a little out before you leave Europe (say 100 EUROs), so that you'll have some for your next trip in case you need it when you arrive.
Otherwise, I would NEVER purchase Euros in the states or at airport currency exchanges.
Incidentally, their credit cards only charge the regular transaction fee as well for purchases- no added fee for using in Europe. But don't use for a cash advance.
. Use it at the ATMs in Europe.Most European ATMs (I've never had a service charge in 12 years in Europe) don't levy a service charge, no matter what your U.S. bank is. Capital ONE will give you day-of transaction exchange rate- and that's it. When coming home, draw a little out before you leave Europe (say 100 EUROs), so that you'll have some for your next trip in case you need it when you arrive.
Otherwise, I would NEVER purchase Euros in the states or at airport currency exchanges.
Incidentally, their credit cards only charge the regular transaction fee as well for purchases- no added fee for using in Europe. But don't use for a cash advance.
Jul 22nd, 2014, 08:05 AM
#48
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"Most European ATMs (I've never had a service charge in 12 years in Europe) don't levy a service charge, no matter what your U.S. bank is."
I did not know that! Thanks zola, I appreciate the info.
I did not know that! Thanks zola, I appreciate the info.
Jul 22nd, 2014, 08:24 AM
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xyz123, we have a USAA chip and pin card and it's true chip and pin, i.e. default is chip and pin. The only time it wouldn't work was when the lamo at the register assumed it was a signature card and couldn't get it to run through that way. We just used my signature card then, didn't want to confuse the poor man by being the only Americans he'd ever seen with a chip and pin card!
Jul 22nd, 2014, 08:55 AM
#51
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sparkchaser: On the Capitalone credit card there are no extra fees to make a purchase in a foreign country over what is normally charged in the U.S. for c-card transactions. It is a well-advertised feature of Capitalone and, to my knowledge, is one of the few cards, if not the only one left, that now offers this.
See: http://www.capitalone.com/search/?qt...it-card-faq%2F
However, taking a cash advance with a credit card is a different matter altogether. There, indeed, are fees and interest charged in the same manner as in the U.S. But I don't know why anyone would do that even in the U.S., unless it's the only option in an emergency situation.
See: http://www.capitalone.com/search/?qt...it-card-faq%2F
However, taking a cash advance with a credit card is a different matter altogether. There, indeed, are fees and interest charged in the same manner as in the U.S. But I don't know why anyone would do that even in the U.S., unless it's the only option in an emergency situation.
Jul 22nd, 2014, 09:03 AM
#52
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. . . and to reiterate: no foreign exchange fees when using the Capitalone bank debit/ATM card (that's for a Capitalone bank account) to make a withdrawal at a European ATM. Call Capitalone a couple weeks before you leave and inform them of your intention to use it in a foreign country. There will also be a daily limit on withdrawals- ask about that as well.
Jul 22nd, 2014, 09:24 AM
#53
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also see the reference below, particularly, item #2:
http://thepointsguy.com/2014/02/the-...eign-atm-fees/
http://thepointsguy.com/2014/02/the-...eign-atm-fees/
Jul 22nd, 2014, 09:37 AM
#55
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<<jamikins, did you open a prepaid debit card - if so was it the Capital One 360 (no foreign trans fee and no ATM fees within their network). That's a great deal, but they don't have any member ATM's in France or Italy, and they don't reimburse.>>
I am not clear at all on what this means. Capital One is a regular bank, so if you had a bank account, you might have a debit card to go with it but no one calls that a "prepaid debit card" as it just takes money out of your bank account.
This is not those prepaid cards where you buy a Visa card for $200, for example, and then use it with excessive fees (those prepaid cards have high fees to activate and other things). Visa and Mastercard are the ones that sell those prepaid cards AFAIK, not banks.
No, Cap One won't have free ATM fees for those accounts abroad if they charge a fee, but in Europe, that isn't usually an issue if you use bank ATMs (now in Mexico, it is, as I just went there and all the major banks charge foreigners about a 2-3 pct surcharge for their ATM use). Even if you had an ATM fee, it would be better to pay that and have no foreign transaction fee.
I am not clear at all on what this means. Capital One is a regular bank, so if you had a bank account, you might have a debit card to go with it but no one calls that a "prepaid debit card" as it just takes money out of your bank account.
This is not those prepaid cards where you buy a Visa card for $200, for example, and then use it with excessive fees (those prepaid cards have high fees to activate and other things). Visa and Mastercard are the ones that sell those prepaid cards AFAIK, not banks.
No, Cap One won't have free ATM fees for those accounts abroad if they charge a fee, but in Europe, that isn't usually an issue if you use bank ATMs (now in Mexico, it is, as I just went there and all the major banks charge foreigners about a 2-3 pct surcharge for their ATM use). Even if you had an ATM fee, it would be better to pay that and have no foreign transaction fee.
Jul 22nd, 2014, 09:49 AM
#56
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There are now a fair number of credit cards that charge no foreign exchange fees. Cap One is the best known, because they have offered it for so long, but a number of the Chase affinity cards (Hyatt, Marriott, one of the United cards) also offer this.
For ATM/debit cards with no or only 1% fee, look to your brokerage account (which may well reimburse any ATM charges - not as much of an issue in Europe as in Asia) or to small banks or credit unions.
For ATM/debit cards with no or only 1% fee, look to your brokerage account (which may well reimburse any ATM charges - not as much of an issue in Europe as in Asia) or to small banks or credit unions.
Jul 22nd, 2014, 11:30 AM
#57
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Kathie: yes, nice work. There are, in fact, more banks/cards that are now eliminating foreign exchange fees.
Yet, even so, be aware of what your particular bank - and credit union - policies are.
In that regard, check out the reference below and, among others, the specific paragraph which warns that your home bank, while eliminating foreign exchange fees, may still charge you for withdrawing money from an ATM outside its network. So, the European bank may not hit you with an ATM fee, but your U.S. bank could still do it.
http://www.creditcards.com/credit-ca...aring-1280.php
Yet, even so, be aware of what your particular bank - and credit union - policies are.
In that regard, check out the reference below and, among others, the specific paragraph which warns that your home bank, while eliminating foreign exchange fees, may still charge you for withdrawing money from an ATM outside its network. So, the European bank may not hit you with an ATM fee, but your U.S. bank could still do it.
http://www.creditcards.com/credit-ca...aring-1280.php
Jul 22nd, 2014, 11:53 AM
#58
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Monica...I had the same card. Note the past tense.
I posted about this about a month ago. USAA last year did issue a "true" chip and pin mastercard and I used it last year during a European trip and indeed it functioned properly for a chip and pin card. I didn't particularly like it as it imposed a 1% foreign transaction fee and I have cards that impose no ftf with a 1% cash reward.
Fine. In preparation for my trip to Europe this year, my card had been damaged and I requested a new one and they sent it to me in May. So off I went to Walmart which is the only USA retailer who has activated their emv terminals. Great. Want to test out my pin. Insert the card and lo and behold, it doesn't ask for my pin. It asks for my signature.
In any event I thought maybe this was just Walmart and did some research. What I discovered, and this has been verified that in April, USAA had changed the order of the cvm"s on its emv chip (card verificaton methods) and it was now no different than the rest of the American cards i.e. it was primarily a chip and signature card now with chip and pin capabilities. USAA at first denied this but eventually at flyer talk somebody read the chip of a newly issued card and lo and behold,indeed chip and signature is now its primary card verification method. I spoke to several people at USAA and they had no colue what I was talking about but finally got somebody who got off her rear end, did some research and got back to me that yes indeed, as a business decision, all new USAA emv cards will be chip and signature primary verification. So enjoy your USAA card until it expires. The replacement card will be just like all the rest of the cards namely primarily chip and signature.
For whatever the reason, the USA has made the decision that it will be a chip and signature country when emv is rolled out by next October and my statement is correct. There is only one US financial institution that issues true chip and pin cards to US residents namely UNFCU. That is it. All other USA cards that currently contain emv chips and all future cards apparently will be chip and signature primary verification method. Now it really shouldn't matter at pos terminals where a cashier is present but there are reports of some cashiers who, even though their pos terminal approves the charge, void it and say no way Jose or whatever. They fear their liability is increased if they complete a transaction without a pin. that's a lie of course according to mc and visa but try to convince them.
But USAA told me their new card is much improved because now I can change my pin online! (With a "true" chip and pin card, pins can only be changed either at the bank or at certain ATM's).
So that's the sorry state of affairs in the USA as of today.
I posted about this about a month ago. USAA last year did issue a "true" chip and pin mastercard and I used it last year during a European trip and indeed it functioned properly for a chip and pin card. I didn't particularly like it as it imposed a 1% foreign transaction fee and I have cards that impose no ftf with a 1% cash reward.
Fine. In preparation for my trip to Europe this year, my card had been damaged and I requested a new one and they sent it to me in May. So off I went to Walmart which is the only USA retailer who has activated their emv terminals. Great. Want to test out my pin. Insert the card and lo and behold, it doesn't ask for my pin. It asks for my signature.
In any event I thought maybe this was just Walmart and did some research. What I discovered, and this has been verified that in April, USAA had changed the order of the cvm"s on its emv chip (card verificaton methods) and it was now no different than the rest of the American cards i.e. it was primarily a chip and signature card now with chip and pin capabilities. USAA at first denied this but eventually at flyer talk somebody read the chip of a newly issued card and lo and behold,indeed chip and signature is now its primary card verification method. I spoke to several people at USAA and they had no colue what I was talking about but finally got somebody who got off her rear end, did some research and got back to me that yes indeed, as a business decision, all new USAA emv cards will be chip and signature primary verification. So enjoy your USAA card until it expires. The replacement card will be just like all the rest of the cards namely primarily chip and signature.
For whatever the reason, the USA has made the decision that it will be a chip and signature country when emv is rolled out by next October and my statement is correct. There is only one US financial institution that issues true chip and pin cards to US residents namely UNFCU. That is it. All other USA cards that currently contain emv chips and all future cards apparently will be chip and signature primary verification method. Now it really shouldn't matter at pos terminals where a cashier is present but there are reports of some cashiers who, even though their pos terminal approves the charge, void it and say no way Jose or whatever. They fear their liability is increased if they complete a transaction without a pin. that's a lie of course according to mc and visa but try to convince them.
But USAA told me their new card is much improved because now I can change my pin online! (With a "true" chip and pin card, pins can only be changed either at the bank or at certain ATM's).
So that's the sorry state of affairs in the USA as of today.
Jul 23rd, 2014, 09:35 AM
#60
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Andrews CU chip card? In May I used it in Denmark and in France. It was signature first to my surprise. I used it to buy a Copenhagen card. Inserted the card, and out popped a slip of paper to sign instead of asking for a PIN. On taxi, it had no swipe capability, so I used the Andrews CU CP card. The driver was puzzled that it did not ask for a PIN. Instead, he realized that the dashboard printer printed a paper to sign. In France, I used it on RATP vending machine to buy carnet. It did not ask for anything, no PIN, no signature, nothing! Even though it had a PIN entry keyboard.
