Debt Card question

The bank told you that they "probably" decline their own debit card even when you call ahead to tell them???

Get a new bank. Actually get a credit union account and forget the bank.

I have had this notice before but not from Chase. All banks have their own algorithms to help them manage risk of fraud. In my case, probably did not mean definitely and I was able to take out money from ATMs in Greece and Croatia, the countries for which I received warnings. That being said, notifying your bank of foreign travel does not automatically insure, even in countries where there is no general fraud alert, that you will be able to pull money from your account. On more than one occasion, I have notified my bank of foreign travel, received the all clear, and had a transaction blocked at the ATM. That is the reason why I travel with two ATM cards. When Chase said that your transactions would probably be declined, did they say that you could call and clear it up after the decline or did they say that there would be nothing that you could do about it?

There are so many choices in banking these days, I would go elsewhere. Credit unions are an excellent choice due to very low fees on withdrawals (mine is 1% in any foreign country). You shouldn't have to go through so much trouble just to access your money. I've been to two of the three countries you mentioned (including Turkey last year) and did not have a problem with my credit union ATM card or my Capital One credit card. Obviously, ask around and make sure that whatever bank/credit union you choose gives you confidence in using their product overseas - if they can't, then there's no reason to do business with them.

I have a Chase debit card debit card, have used it all around for the world for 20+ years (including high-risk places)without problems. They do have a newish policy for some countries (like China) whereby they won't accept an advance travel notification, instead they want you to use your card at an ATM once your arrive in country, have the card be declined and then contact them to permit usage. I guess they think it's safer to authorize if they can confirm you are actually there?
I would call them again or better yet use the travel notification feature on their on-line banking site.

First rule of banking (from someone who used to be a banker) is to escape the big banks. Big banks are completely about putting you into their pre-existing accounts with pre-existing rules, giving you the least service they possibly can, and taking the maximum in fees from you they possibly can. There's no good reason to live with what they offer, find a small local bank or credit union. You will be treated better and pay less for the privilege.

Some banks/bankcards have very strict rules when you get into former Eastern European countries and countries (like Italy) that are hot spots for fraud. The strictest of all rules is they just won't do business there. You can find other financial institutions that will accommodate your travel needs. If nothing else, open a travel account just for that purpose (one that is currently shipping chip and pin debit cards would be my choice).

We tend to think of the "Bank" allowing or not allowing,,,but your bank only contracts with someone to handle the cards and manage fraud protection, that third party is the one that makes the rules, and they change from time to time. You can certainly open another account, but no guarantee that you will not run into something similar. I have not personally experienced a country being "blacked out", but have heard on here from people, using large and small banks and credit unions, that have (Spain came up for a while, Eastern European countries). My bank does no longer want me to give them a travel notification, same with my credit cards.

Capital One MasterCard, no foreign transaction fees, 1. 1/4 or 1 1/2% cashback programs, transactions converted at interbank rate ( as long as you decline the merchant's dynamic conversion offer), no annual fee. No, I don't work for them.
Have never had a problem using this in any country it has been used in (15 at least count), including -Turkey.

If a bank tells me how I am allowed to transact my business for their benefit, they are history.

I'm not convinced that small banks/credit unions are always better. The whole reason I switched to Chase was due to problems with a credit union I was using. Dealing with them at the branch was great, half way across the globe not so much. Had multiple problems resolving problems while traveling. While I don't doubt I pay higher fees with chase, I'm willing to pay that price for better service on the road.

Who at/how was Chase notified by you? If you simply told someone at our local branch, I have a feeling they misinformed you.

While I have not yet been to those countries, my Chase cards (credit & debit) have all worked flawlessly everywhere else in Europe and most of the rest of the world. I always use their online banking system to set up the travel notification.

You may want to look into getting additional non Chase cards for your travels. The Capital One 360 Debit card works everywhere as do their credit cards. Most have zero fees when compared to the fees Chase charges and all can be applied for online without ever stepping into a branch..

Gee, in the last similar thread that was of the same issue, it was a small local bank and many people said to change banks. Now it's a big national bank and some people are saying to change banks.

How about some travel advice and not banking advice: get a 3rd party account like the Capital One as several have suggested and use that for travels (Schwab also is often recommend here). Plus it comes with no out-of-network service charges. Keep your bank if you are otherwise happy with it.

I have been going to Europe for 14 of the last 15 years and have always used a debit card tied to a checking account at a local credit union to which I have belonged for almost 40 years and have never had a problem using that card anywhere in Europe and I have been in almost every country including Slovenia, Croatia & Turkey. I always get local currency from an ATM after landing in my destination country and do not take $ from US to exchange although I do take some $200 in 20's in a stash to be used in case of emergencies. Never had an emergency where I needed to break into that stash, thank goodness. We had an account with Chase but after they shut down one of our credit cards saying that we had not notified them of going to Ireland which was the only country we were visiting that year and my wife had a record of who she talked to at Chase, we canceled our accounts with Chase and moved to US Bank. Happy travels and good luck with your ATM cards.

Douglas,

Yes, the advice to change banks is good advice when the bank you are using does not provide the services you need, no matter what size bank you have.

If it is important to you that your debit cards works without issue in certain countries and your current bank tells you it probably won't, then maybe changing banks is good.

Yes, the advice to change banks is good advice when the bank you are using does not provide the services you need, no matter what size bank you have.
If it is important to you that your debit cards works without issue in certain countries and your current bank tells you it probably won't, then maybe changing banks is good.

No, frankly, it is not. People choose banks for many reasons, but a 2 week trip to Europe is not high on very many people's list. Some people love small banks for their service or to be known personally. Some people love large banks for availability of ATMs or more services. Some people just want a bank with a branch close to their home or work. And most set up automatic debits and withdrawls and changing is a big PIA.

So when a person comes here with a question about using their debit card on their European vacation, how about offering them options for secondary "travel" accounts (like many here have) instead of telling them to change banks. It's an easy solution to a simple problem that actually addresses the issue raised by the OP. And the absurdity of the suggestion to change banks was pointed out by the other thread compared to this one: other thread said to stop using a small bank/CU and this was says get rid of the big bank. In reality, ANY bank or CU might place restrictions on using an ATM in certain countries at certain times and so there is no perfect option.

It is obvious you really really like your bank. That is great.

It is also obvious that we will not agree on this topic about the offered solutions to banking issues people have posted here. I have suggested opening secondary banking accounts and only once jokingly said to change banks. I know what a hassle it is to change banks. The last time I tried was 25 years ago and never want to do it again.

I currently have no reason to change the bank I use. Doesn't matter if it is a small family run operation or the largest bank in the world -- it works for me because it lets me do what I want when and where I want with minimal hassle. That is all most people want. But if my current bank gives me reasons to change, like restricting where I can use my debit card since I am traveling over half the year now, I will have to go through the hassle of changing.

Mark - Even though I quoted your last post in mine, my comments are not directed at you only. A number of posters have suggested to change banks, both in this thread and in others. And whether you or I or any other poster here likes or dislikes our bank is irrelevant.

In both threads, the OP did not suggest any overall dissatisfaction with their banks, they merely asked about how to get cash when their bank has a block on the particular destination. The solution is simple and easy and one that many non-regular foreign travelers won't know about: open a secondary account at Capital One or Schwab (or similar others) that offer no fee ATM use and make it easy to transfer money in for vacation time. There are other possibilities, all with pros and cons, but this should work for the vast majority of people (who will likely never return to that spot of the world again). This would also be great advice for a more common complaint: high fees for foreign ATM usage.

The reason why I've been so adamant on this is because I cannot figure out why people would suggest such a radical, broad solution to such a simple, narrow problem. And the "change banks" solution may not even prevent future ATM blocks as it can happen at any bank at various times.

I have a Chase debit card. On a recent trip to Russia and Scandinavia, I was told the same for Russia; also told all would be OK for Scandinavia. I did not have a problem at ATMs in Russia despite the warning! I did not use my debit as a credit card for purchases. Perhaps that's the issue. If I had had a problem, I would have have used my Chase Sapphire credit card for cash, paid off the transaction as soon as it posted, and requested the interest be waved.