Hey everyone! Heading to Europe (London/Paris/Rome/CT/Provence/Barcelona) for a month in July, and want to get my ATM situation figured out ASAP. As a long-time customer of ING Direct, I'm curious about their new-ish "Thrive" chequing account. I called them up, and the lady I spoke with (who sounded a bit hesitant or unsure on a few things), told me that the only fee they charge on overseas, non-ING ATMs is $2.00 per withdrawal. I asked if there were additional foreign exchange conversion costs or other fees, and she assured me there were none (aside from what the local European ATM will charge me). The Thrive accounts are part of the Accel/Exchange ATM network (which I believe is North American only), and the Cirrus network (which is worldwide). So, just thought I'd see if anyone on the boards has had any experiences (good or bad) with the Thrive account? Seems like it might be a good deal. Your thoughts? ~Geoff
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9363 posts
And you will not be charged any fee by a European ATM associated with a bank. I don't think any bank with a per-transaction charge is a good deal. I carry two credit union cards. One credit union charges me the 1% currency conversion fee. The other charges me absolutely nothing.