Travelers,
We have traditional Bank of America ATM cards, not Debit cards. Will these work at ATMs in the UK and France? We were caught off guard during a recent trip to Costa Rica where our ATM cards did not work at bank-operated cash machines.
We are excited to be heading back to Europe for the first time in many years.
Thanks for your insights.
Ed
I had problems in France years back trying to use an ATM card but luckily had a debit card with me. I’d advise you to take a debit card linked to an account at a financial institution that does not charge foreign exchange transaction fees or withdrawal fees. If BofA charges fees, open an account for your travels at CapitalOne or somewhere with no fees.
This is a case where if you will be dependent on the cash from your ATM card -- get a debit card. We know, for sure, that debit cards work everywhere.
Kind of shocked there is still such a thing as an ATM only card from Bank of America. Surprised they haven't upgraded you already since the newer debit cards also allow you to sign into your account at the teller window as a form of ID, so kind of essential when you bank at the branch.
I also have only a traditional Bank of America ATM card. It worked fine in Spain, Ireland, Scotland, Switzerland, England and Portugal. Haven’t been to France lately.
ETA: having only a debit card is a choice. BofA wanted to give me a debit card. I asked for only ATM.
Most "ATM Cards" have been replaced with "Debit Card/ATM Cards". I would get new cards and try them out before your trip.
Bank of America specifically told me, at least six years ago, that plain vanilla ATM cards will not work outside the United States. I told them that I didn't like having a card that could be used in stores if stolen. They said I could demand an "old" ATM card, but I would not be able to use it abroad.
Note that Bank of America generally charges 3% conversion fee for Foreign Currency Transactions, either debit or ATM. So be careful what you wish for! I have a Credit Union account, with a Visa card, that I try to use for travel. But as others have said, Credit Unions are in the dark ages of banking. My ATM card for the Credit Union keeps expiring because it isn't used for six months. For the first few years I had the Visa card, B of A Billpay had a 3-day delay to pay it online, because the Credit Union did not accept ACH payments like my utilities and most big merchants do!
Not all credit unions are in the dark ages of banking -- as if I completely understood that statement. My credit union works fine and has for years. My credit union's debit card operates under both the Plus network and Star that is only available in the US and Canada. A better question might be what is the network that the ATM card is accessing? That is what determines if you card works in Europe. Anything other than Plus or Cirrus is a risk.
We have a Wells Fargo ATM card. It worked in Italy in May and June this year.
Many financial institutions allow you to lock and unlock your debit card as needed. Often this can be done through the website or by way of the app. If one is worried about unauthorized transactions that might be a possible solution. May require access to 2 factor authentication methods such as texts.
Frank makes a good point about what networks your card uses. Prominent networks worldwide and in Europe are 'Plus' (owned by Visa) and 'Cirrus' (owned by Mastercard). The networks valid at a given machine are usually displayed on the front of the machine. I have a credit union ATM card that shows the 'Plus' network on the back of the card. It worked fine in all the machines I tried a few weeks ago in both Austria and Poland. Enjoy your trip!
Check with your bank to verify they'll work. With chip cards, some banks no longer care when you travel internationally. I have one ATM card that you must contract the bank to tell them what countries you'll be using the card in.
Never hurts to ask. And it never hurts to have a second card as a backup when you travel--both ATM and credit card.
We have accounts at two different credit unions, no bank accounts at all. We've never had any issue using the ATM cards outside the USA. One is ATM only (no debit), the other is both ATM and debit, although we've only ever used it as ATM.
Ive actually never heard of an ATM card that’s not a debit. However if it didn’t work in Costa Rica I’d be wary of it in Europe. ATMs are on networks. A visa or MasterCard (cirrus or the like) would have worked in Costa Rica. Yours did not work, Therefore your card is probably not on the most common networks. It may be on a network that is available in some ATMs in some parts of Europe but it’s a crapshoot. Anything that’s not on the big networks is iffy and not worth the risk, IMO.
Even if it is on the big networks - there’s something that makes it not work in CR and unless you know exactly why, you can’t assume it will work internationally at all.
We have BOA too - update to DEBIT for sure. Read the RS Europe Through the Back Door book for lots of good tips on money - there is also great tips here on the TRAVEL TIPS section
I'm far less experienced than most of the financially savvy travelers here but I'd ask why you want to have an ATM-only card at all? I've been watching the money topics for three years now, trying to figure out how to pay for things next spring when we visit Spain, and I see tap and touchless credit cards are the most readily acceptable payment systems. Cash is necessary in only a few cases but may still be the preferred exchange medium for some businesses or to, say use a launderette. There are many excellent resources on the web that can help you navigate the marketplace for travel-specific credit, debit, and mileage cards. I'd spend a few hours there.
I happen to have a prefunded, zero fee, international debit card from Schwab. I do not know if I will keep that account for next year. I need to ask if they have the new tech cards. The Apple Card (not a well rated travel credit card) seems to have international fans and is easily obtained.
