In Paris now and being charged 25% for ATM

Use credit card instead of withdrawing cash!

if you cannot sort this out from the previous posters then go to a bank when they are open and have them explain. In 10 straight yrs of European ATM use I have never experienced your scenario.

Tami:"Use credit card instead of withdrawing cash!"

First, my best ATM card charges me just the Interbank Rate for cash withdrawal. My best credit card charges me 1% over.

Why would I want to use a credit card, if everything else were equal?

Second, everything else is NOT equal. I stay at inexpensive Mom & Pop B&Bs. I pay far less than I would pay at a bigger hotel that accepts plastic.

I've used a credit card 5 times in my last 4 trips - all at Bahn ticket machines that did not accept cash.

Lee you have misinterpreted Tami's post. She's not encouraging anyone to use credit cards...she was speculating on why the OP may have gotten such a rotten rate. That is using a CC for a cash advance as opposed to an ATM card.

Are you using an ATM card to get your cash, or taking a cash advance on a credit card?

Something's weird. You title has one number, your text another.

Where are you getting this information? I don't recall an atm spitting out an exchange rate. They don't charge a fee. So there isn't much that should be showing up on the screen or receipt.

Call your bank and see what's actually coming out of the account. In rough numbers, you should have had $125 and a $375 withdrawel.

The only other thing I can think of is that you've been using something that looks like an atm, but is not affiliated with a bank. I've never used such a contraption, but, even then, I can't imagine that they could get away with charging anything like that.

Plus what Nancy said, but even that's a way off the wall. Maybe a misplaced decimal point.

Speaking of decimal points, French use a comma where we use a decimal point ---- ?????

Are you sure Melissa is 25% (75%)? Very weird
Maybe it was 0.25%.
I used ATM in Europe and it was not 25%.

Where does it say on your transaction receipt what the exchange rate is? This information has never been shown on any foreign ATM transaction I have ever made.

I thought for a minute that she was pulling out $100 but getting 75 Euros and was confused, but that wouldn't be the case. The atm asks how many Euros you want. Maybe there's a place on atms that ask what currency? Or she's later looking up her account and seeing that the 100 euros ran her $125? I think we're all a little confused. Melissa?

Melissa;

If you mean that you withdraw 100 euro and your bank shows a withdrawal of $125 USD, do not be concerned, this is normal, the current Interbank Exchange rate is about $1.24 USD to the euro, so your are getting your exchange for less than 1%, typical with an ATM card. You will not get a better deal anywhere.

Nothing makes sense. Even some of the comments don't make sense. The confirmation slips just shows the amount of withdraw in Euro. No conversion. Unless she is then accessing her bank account via the internet later, she would have no way of knowing what the withdraw was.

My first thought is that she might have hit a private ATM or a Currency Exchange look alike ATM in an airport and being hit with fees. But 25% or 75% make no sense.

Second thought, just a Troll throwing up some junk to see what will happen.

I think Paul is probably on the right track. You withdraw in euros and it shows up on your statement in dollars - and the exchange rate coincidentally looks like a 25% difference.

It's what Paul and Nancy said -- the twenty-five works for the hundred and the yet-undiscussed seventy-five works out for the 300 euro to dollar differential.

Paul is correct.

I don't think so! She is clearly advising to use credit cards instead of withdrawing cash. Now, if she had said, 'are you using a credit card instead of withdrawing cash?', I might have agreed, but that is not what she said.

But I agree that Melissa might have withdrawn 100 Euro and checked her bank statement and seen $125. I have never seen an ATM in Europe that gave a receipt, let alone one that showed the conversion charge.

I agree that an ATM receipt would not show any conversion rate. But Melissa has to have access to some Internet connection to even post her comment. I suspect she's checked her bank balance and seen that a withdrawal of 100 Euros cost her $125.

"Melissa has to have access to some Internet connection to even post her comment."

Good point, Paul.

Good thing this didn't happen when the rate was $1.60/€.

Good god the attack dogs are out. What I meant was simply, if youre truly being charged 25% for withdrawing cash, just pay for a purchase with your credit card (Average 3% conversion) instead until its all sorted out.

Next time I will be sure to draw a diagram.

Can't believe this thread has generated 19 responses. (I guess mine makes 20.)

It would be nice if Melissa could come back and clarify.

I am so sorry I have not replied! I had emergency surgery in Paris the day after writing this and am just now getting back to my computer! Of course you all are right and it is probably just the conversion. Duh! I withdrew 100 euros and it shows up as 121 dollars on my online banking.

On a side note - the American Hospital in Rick's book was fantastic! This was one of the worst experiences I have had and could have been much worse if they had not been so great. I am a nurse in the States and this hospital was on par or better than anywhere else! I am recovering now and actually feeling ok.

thanks

Glad to hear that Melissa. Hope you can enjoy the rest of your trip!

Melissa, I'm so sorry to hear about your surgery. Good to hear you are feeling better, hope you are able to enjoy the rest of your trip.

I recently returned from Italy. Using my usual ATM/debit card from my bank, the Italian ATM showed as "cash advance" even though my bank processed it as a regular withdrawal. There was a 3% bank charge from my bank for each withdrawal.

I recommend getting a Capital One banking account. I just opened one since I'll return to Italy in September. There is NO charge for withdrawing from this account when I am overseas, unlike from my old bank.

I got a Capital One charge card and there are no international transaction fees either, unlike all my other cards.

I know I sound like an ad, but it will save a lot of $$

Hope you are recovering. Wow....surgery in Paris. Now that is off the beaten path, europe through the back door kind of stuff. Feel better!!

Melissa,, sorry to hear you had such an event, but glad to hear you are recovering, and that it was as good of an experience as one can expect under the circumstances!