ATM credit or debit?

Debit card is the correct answer. The bank either misunderstood your question or you misunderstand the answer. The money from a credit card is a CASH Advance which is a loan with high interest rates and other fees. Whereas the debit card takes your money from your account.

Hi Deanna, The above is correct. You want to withdraw money from your checking account at home (with a PIN). Not as a credit card. Paul

What about buying things? Credit , debit ?

I guess it depends on the cost. Personally, we've never used our credit card for anything other than to pay for a couple of nights in hotels in over 80 nights in Europe. We spend cash that we get from the ATM...meaning from our checking account.

The bank person was incorrect. When you use your ATM to withdraw cash from the machine, you are withdrawing your own money from the specified account. When you use the credit feature on the ATM, guess what. You are still withdrawing your own money. It's just a different way of getting to it. This is the major difference between a Visa or MasterCard feature on your ATM/debit card and your real Visa or MasterCard. Try going over your daily cash withdrawl limit with the credit feature on your ATM/debit card. You can do it with the Schwab card up to the limit of what's in your checking account but not most others (been there done that). When you use your real Visa or MasterCard to charge things, you are actually borroiwng the bank's money. You see these charges on your next credit card statement.

In using an ATM debit card tied to my checking account in cash machines all over Europe the last 10 years, I do not recall ever being offer the option of debit or credit. Your bank probably get more fee from you using the card as a credit card than they do if you use it as a debit card. Be sure to know you pin number in numbers not letters.

Deanna, "What about buying things? Credit , debit ?" I'm a bit puzzled at the information provided by your Bank?? In my experience, no choice is usually provided between debit and credit when making ATM withdrawals. In most cases, not even a choice of account is offered. Funds are usually obtained from a chequing account. In terms of "buying things", using a credit card may be possible at larger stores but many smaller stores typically accept cash only. POS transactions may be possible with debit cards that have Visa or MasterCard logos? None of my usual debit cards (which don't have the logos) will work for POS transactions in Europe, so I use them only for accessing cash at ATM's. Cheers!

"What about buying things? Credit , debit ?" As a general rule of thumb, use a credit card for large purchases (hotel, rental car), a debit card at ATM's, and cash for other than large purchases. Never use a credit card at an ATM if you can help it, for the reasons Frank stated.

Since I was getting confused following the thread, just thought I could summarize. My experience with European ATMs is that you really do not get an option of Credit or Debit, it defaults to debit (with my card anyway) and if you do get the option and are getting cash, choose Debit. If using the same card to purchase something at a store, again, in the past I have not had a choice, it is processed as credit, and you should probably do credit. However, to stretch my daily limit, if using a card as a crdit card, I use another Credit card, rather than dig into my cash limit. If you are relying only on one card, I would suggest you find a second or third credit card as back-up On nearly every trip, at least once, a card inexplicably did not work...but would work earlier and later in the trip.

The main question has been answered but one followup question deserves a clarification: DO NOT USE your debit card as a credit card when making purchases. Credit card fraud does occur somewhat frequently in Europe. While you are ultimately protected even with a debit card, a fraudulant action on a debit card will likely use up all available funds, prevent you from getting cash and take several days or more to clear up. Just use it for the ATM. For purchases, use you regular credit card if not using cash.

To tag onto something mentioned by Doug, when purchasing items from a store - especially when having it shipped home - you have greater protection over your purchase if using it as a credit card. Especially if you don't receive the item, etc. It makes it easier for you to get your money back, as opposed to using a debit card to purchase the item.

Deanna, I limit where I use my debit card when shopping at home, and I never use it online. I NEVER use it in Europe, except as an ATM card. I don't want Antonio at Mama's Trattoria 'borrowing' my checking account number (AND my checking account) while he's taking care of my dinner bill. He could very quickly clean out the cash in my account at the local leather shop, and while the bank may replace all of it that can take several days or weeks. I'd much rather contest some credit card charges that I can fight more easily than have NO access to cash for the remainder of my trip. There are ATM cards, debit cards, debit cards that also work as ATM cards, then credit cards for cash advances; you want either an ATM card or a debit card that will also work in an ATM. Not all do! And be sure your bank knows where and when you'll be out of the country, so that they don't shut your account down due to fraud concerns.

I agree. Use your debit card only for ATM withdrawals. Use a credit card with zero transaction fee for purchases. Never the reverse.
I actually opened a separate checking account for ATM withdrawals on vacation, so in the off chance that that the card was fradulently used, it wouldn't clean out the account that had bills/mortage set up in advance to pay. What a nightmare that could turn into.