Bank of America ATM in Spain

Debra,
I don't bank with Bank of America but I make larger withdrawals (thus fewer) to avoid the $5 transaction fee my bank charges.

I always notify my bank of my travel plans.

I also request for my daily cash withdrawal limit to be increased to whatever amount will allow me to get €500/day.

This amount will last me 5-6 days depending on my expenses.

I carry the extra cash & all my valuables in my money belt & just carry enough cash for daily expenses in a zippered pocket of my jacket, pants or skirt.

I use my credit card to pay for hotel & large ticket items & pay cash for meals, snacks, small souvenirs, etc...

Hope this helps! :-)

I forgot to mention that I always use bank ATMs during business hours in case I have any issues with the transaction.

Some banks have their ATMs inside which is a nice feature.

Make sure your PIN is 4 digits & memorize the #s if your PIN is a word, as there are no letters marked on the # keys.

Thanks, Priscilla. I have traveled elsewhere in Europe before and am familiar with the basics, but I don't see my bank has any corresponding relationships in Spain or Portugal as it does in France, Italy, Netherlands...
So that's the piece I was really looking for up-to-date info on. Your reminder to check and perhaps amend daily withdrawal limits is a good one, though, I will add that to my pre-trip list. Thanks for your time and expertise.

I thought, when I used to have a B of A account, that they had a connection to Santander Bank. The thing to watch out for when using any atm in Spain is a message that will pop up on the screen asking if you want the charge to be made in your home currency. This is a pernicious scam, otherwise known as dynamic currency conversion. It allows the bank to use a worse exchange rate than you would get just having the charge go through in euros. Your own bank will still charge you a foreign transaction fee if it normally does that. The last time we were in Spain, dcc seemed to be spreading like the plague. We would just abort the transaction and find another atm. Usually you have the choice to refuse dcc, but who knows what new schemes the banks have dreamed up.

I'm sure that Bank of American has a "partner" bank in Spain. They do in most European countries. You can find it on their website; I believe I searched for Partner Bank or something like that. You will still be charged a transaction fee, but you will not be charged an ATM fee. In England and France, they were large banks that were conveniently located.

Hi Debra,

According to B of A's website here, it looks like they partner with BNP Paribas (in France):
https://www.bankofamerica.com/deposits/manage/how-to-pay-when-traveling-abroad.go

I recall making ATM transactions at BNP Paribas banks in Spain (October 2015), so you may want to call B of A & ask about their partnership there.

Please let us know what you find out...

Hello again,

Wow!
I didn't realize that Bank of America also charges their clients an additional "international transaction fee of 3%" for using their debit cards to withdraw money from an international ATM!

I'm aware of international exchange fees accessed on credit cards, but not debit cards when used at ATMs.

Keep in mind that when you use your debit card to withdraw money from an international ATM, Bank of America will assess an international transaction fee of 3% of the converted U.S. dollar amountFootnote3. Foreign ATM operators may offer to do your currency conversion for you, but they may charge a higher fee for conversion. You can refuse the foreign ATM conversion and be assessed the 3% Bank of America international transaction fee instead.

I bank with Wells Fargo, and the only extra charge I pay is $5/per ATM transaction (when using international bank ATMs).

So Debbie... If B of A does not partner with any banks in Spain or Portugal, you may consider opening a separate account at another bank, just for travel purposes :-)

Wonderful, thanks for posting the link to that article!

The article states that some banks are charging their clients too!

Last trip to Spain I used Deutsche Bank for BofA withdrawals ... but more recent trips to other countries I used Schwab card instead.

BofA is also partners with Barclays, and they have (had?) at least one branch in Madrid. So there are potentially three of their partner banks in Spain & Portugal--Barclays, PNB Paribas, and Deutsche Bank. Good luck.