US Debit Cards and European ATMs

Old Jun 7th, 2014, 07:29 AM
  #61  
 
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tom_mn: So I looked at the local credit union and came up with this http://www.allpointnetwork.com/allpoint.aspx
which does not cover France. I'll have to keep looking.


That isn't necessarily true. You need to call them and ask them what the fee they charge, if any, at non-credit union ATMs. The map they gave you shows you which ATMs do not charge YOU a fee.

Remember, when you use an ATM there are possibly two fees involved: a fee charged by your institution and by the one that operates the ATM. If you use your Allpoint ATM card at a BofA ATM machine, BofA will charge you a fee. What fee, if any, will Allpoint charge you?

French ATM machines (at least the ones owned by a bank, which would seem to be most of them) don't charge any ATM fee, to anyone.

My primary credit union offers me five free non-member ATM withdrawals per month. After five, it was $2/per withdrawal. So if I decide to use a BofA ATM machine six times this month, the first five times, my credit union charges me nothing; BofA is probably charging me $2 or $3 each time.
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Old Jun 7th, 2014, 07:32 AM
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tom_mn: Checked several credit unions and non offer free ATMs in France. Online reviews of Andrews are abysmal.

I guess my positive review of Andrews doesn't count for much with you, eh? LOL! It sounds like you really don't want to join a credit union. Maybe you should just pay your bank's fees and not worry about it. Well, good luck to you.
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Old Jun 7th, 2014, 09:39 AM
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Interesting B of A is the only bank I can find that offers free ATMs / no fees in all Europe countries.

Are we reading the same thread tom_mn? What source are you using to make this erroneous statement about B of A? No bank in the USA charges more for foreign ATM withdrawals than does B of A.
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Old Jun 7th, 2014, 10:35 AM
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Bank of America has ATM agreements with the following banks in Europe:

Barclays
BNP Paribas
BNL D'Italia
Deutsche Bank
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Old Jun 7th, 2014, 10:43 AM
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I have a Capital One bank account and I don't pay any fees at all in European ATMs. Someone above said they had some kind of Cap One bank account that did on their ATM card, but I don't know what kind that would be. Mine doesn't, I have a regular checking account in a brick and mortar Cap One bank, and I do keep a good amount of money in it so it's maybe some higher level. I think it may be I'm allowed only a certain number of free withdrawals a month or something, but I never exceed it. I think someone on here once said for some bizarre reason Cap One charged ATM fees for people with accounts in Texas. Must be some history there as to which banks they took over or something. And I think there is a difference in people who have a regular bank account with them in a brick and mortar place vs. those who bank solely online. One does need to check terms, of course.

My sister doesn't pay any fees on hers, it's just some credit union in Vermont.
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Old Jun 7th, 2014, 11:34 AM
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It's Bank of America's Global Alliance - http://www.bankofamerica.com/deposit...ling-abroad.go

Barclays is within the UK only, while BNP Paribas is only in France.
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Old Jun 7th, 2014, 12:53 PM
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Christina--I am the one who has two different Cap One Bank account types, and as always, I have to look up which one before I go that will pay fees because I only use those accounts for travel. I THINK it's my Mastercard Debit, but again, I have to double check. Even then, those cards are my personal reserves.

My Schwab debit is my golden go-to--they refund me if there's anything. Anything else I carry is just backup.

But here's the deal anyway. If I take a wad of Euros out in Paris with my everyday (not CapOne) ATM card (because for some reason, my regular ATM at home will only allow me to withdraw 300 dollars but will allow 600 Euros abroad--go figure), my ATM fee is still a trifle. It's still so much cheaper than a currency exchange.

In many ways, we end up doing the "how many angels can sit on a pin" discussion for the cost of an ice cream cone.

Not that I'm dissing an ice cream cone.
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Old Jul 22nd, 2014, 03:54 PM
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I will be leaving for a trip to Scandinavia on Friday and I had been planning on using my debit card and a chip & signature credit card while there. I bank with a smaller bank that only has branches in California. It's a visa debit card with "Star" and "Interlink" networks. My bank has assured me that it will work at international ATMs, but I have read elsewhere that both Star and Interlink debit cards won't work in Europe. Can anyone verify this? And if this is indeed the case, would a prepaid card be the best option for cash while there?
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Old Jul 22nd, 2014, 04:01 PM
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...but visa debit cards will so you have nothing to worry about; the transaction will clear through plus. Incidentally, without going through all the ins and outs, if your chip and signature credit card has a pin which it probably does for cash withdrawals from ATM's although they are unsually not recommended, they are considered on-line pins and many credit cards allow the use of on-line pins for purchases if chip and signature fails unbeknownst, as with many things, to the morons who works as customer service reps for many banks. Don't be surprised if your pin is requested and it works and no, it won't be coded as a cash advance but rather as a purchase.
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