Money?? help!

This may be a dumb question but, isn't a debit card and an ATM card the same thing?

Thx Steve! If I dont use all the money I withdraw should I just exchange it when I get back to the states?

Peter- not a dumb question! I meant use my ATM as credit! :)

Peter, I thought the same thing, but remember, we are north of the border! I certainly cannot use my ATM/debit card as a credit card anywhere.

I use my ATM card in Canada all the time...it has the Visa logo.

Ashley...if you have an ATM card, then you can definitely NOT use it as a credit card in Canada.

Peter and Iain....I think American banks may offer 2 kinds of cards....cards specifically for ATM withdrawals and those that can also act as debit cards. I believe Canadian banks only offer the ATM/debit card combination. I've certainly never seen, or been offered, a strictly ATM card by the banks I deal with.

Steve...Ashley was talking about using her debit card as a credit card. Our banks certainly do not allow the use of an ATM/Debit card as a credit card, unless it happens to be tied into a line of credit account.

OK....we seem to have been talking at cross purposes here. The similie of "like a credit card" tends to give the wrong impression. Our clerks, too, ask whether you want to use debit or credit, and I'm perfectly aware of how it's used overseas. But we don't have strictly ATM cards here....they're always debit as well.
Back to Ashlea's original question...no, they will not all take "American." Withdraw cash from ATMs with your ATM card to get the best rates. If you can, put larger purchases on a credit card, then pay it off when you get home. That way, if there is a dispute, you have some mechanism to fall back on through your credit card company. If you use a debit card, the money is gone from your account....good luck trying to get it back from the merchant or service provider.

I don't think I like the idea of a visa card linked with my bank accounts. Confusing.
This looks like another advantage of only 5 major banks.

My parents have "just" an ATM card. They refuse to use a debit card. I don't like credit cards and just have one (for car rentals and emergencies), but I have a couple of checking account debit cards.

This is getting a little off topic, but I have to challenge Steve's urging to turn off the point-of-sale (POS) function of debit cards. If you do that, be prepared to carry more cash around with you. More and more merchants are refusing to take personal checks. This is the advantage to a debit card-that it can be used instead of writing a check.

The solution is that ALL swiped card transaction-credit or debit, should be PIN transactions.

The only time when I had a separate ATM card that could not be used to make purchases was way back when, before I was 16 and only had a savings account. Once I got my own checking account, I got a VISA debit card that worked for purchases and ATM withdrawals from checking/linked savings.

And I agree with everything Norm said in his post. Do not expect another country with its own currency to take American currency -- how would you react if someone tried to pay you in Czech Koruna here?

And if you're making large purchases, use a credit card, if you have one due to the aforementioned fraud protection. Don't forget to call your bank or whoever issued the card and let them know you will be out of the country and exactly where you're traveling. If you don't there is a good chance they will consider any purchase you make overseas "suspicious activity" and shut down your card. Also check what foreign transactions fees you will be charged, so there are no surprises when you get home.

And as far as what to do with money left over -- try to "pace" yourself with your cash, take out good sized amounts when you do withdrawals (I usually get 300 euro, then see how I'm doing cash-wise as the trip progresses), but make it smaller if you're closer to the end of your trip. Figure out how much you'll need during the time you're there, you can always find an ATM and get more if you need more, but you'll lose money exchanging it back if you have a lot left.

If you do have some left, there's a few options -- 1)use it in the duty-free shop in the airport before you go, 2)save it for your next trip (we do this with euros, you probably won't want to keep large amounts of the other currencies) 3)if it's a small amount, like a collection of coins under $20, keep it as a souvenir.

Previous posters are correct. Use your ATM card to get cash.

Not all ATM cards are debit cards. Some institutions (usually small credit unions) still give their customers an ATM card that isn't a debit card. It can only be used to get cash at an ATM and won't work for point of sale (POS) transactions such as the grocery check out counter.

If your card has a Visa or Mastercard logo on it, you can use it at virtually any ATM in Europe (and they are everywhere).

Caution, some machines in airports look like ATM's but are actually automated exchange booths. They work but cost a lot more than an ATM that belongs to a bank. How do you tell? It's in the name. Banc One (as an example) is a bank, One Ex is an exchange - essentially if it's got Bank, Banc, Banco in it, it's a bank. If it has an Ex or Exchange in the name, it's an exchange.

I generally use my debit card for cash only while traveling. Once upon a time you had significantly more consumer protection on a credit card than on a debit (as long as you notify your bank promptly of any suspicious activity). With the growth of debit cards, the rules have evened up quite a bit. There is still a really good reason to use your card only at ATM's. While fraudulent credit card activity runs up a balance you have to take care of, fraudulent activity on your debit card drains your bank account and leaves you with no cash (until you get it straightened out).

Maureen's comment to pace your use of cash so you don't have a lot left over is my technique too. I keep a little currency as a souvenir, but other than that try to leave the country as close to zero as possible - then hit the first ATM in the new country.

Don't be surprised if not everyone accepts a credit card. The fees are outrageous for small merchants - most respond by either giving cash discounts or not taking credit cards at all. I plan on using mostly cash in Europe with occasional credit card purchases rather than the other way around.

I use cash almost 100% of the time in Europe. My debit/ATM is what I use to withdraw cash from ATMs. When I first arrive in Europe I withdraw the maximum amount for several days in a row. I keep a large amount of cash in my moneybelt as I travel and pay hotel bills and everything else from that stash. Near the end of my trip I evaluate my cash situation and prepare to spend down to about 100 Eu to take home with me for my next trip.

I have used my Capitol One credit card, but a couple of years ago someone stole the number and tried to make a purchase after I was back home. Fortunately, I had notified the CC company, so they called me about the attempted charge and it was taken care of. After that I decided to pay cash only if possible.