Using Chase Debit Card in Paris

The alternative is to open an account with a different bank that charges less. Check local credit unions and other banks. I use USAA Bank which has a 1% foreign transaction fee. The 3% fee is still a better bet than changing your money into Euros here. The exchange rate for electronic transactions will be close to the interbank rate.

Laura is right You need a cheaper bank. Try a local credit union. My credit union charges nothing at all for foreign withdrawals. Many charge 1%. You can do better than 3%.

If you buy Euro in Chicago prior to your trip you will pay between 5 to 10%. It still be cheaper to use your Chase debit card in Europe.

Many credit card debit cards charge nothing for ATM withdrawls in Europe. The Charles Schwab ATM/Debit card reverses all charges at the end of the month. We have one, used it in Spain and France last year and all charges were removed.

There appear to be two issues mentioned here, one is the foreign transaction fee which can range from 0 to 3%, the second is the ATM fee. There have been two prior threads, both from the same poster, regarding ATM fees. I believe that this is the thrust of Larry's post and some card issuers do refund ATM fees. USAA is one of those. They also have a 1% foreign transaction fee. Most AMEX cards carry a 2% foreign transaction fee. Chase VISA likes 3%. The British Airways VISA has 0 foreign transaction fees, but carries a $95 a year card fee.

As others have posted, your alternative is to find a financial institution that charges less than 3% - like my credit union that charges 1%. We also do not get local European currency here in the US preferring to wait until we arrive at out destination airport there. Saves lots of money that way and have never had a problem doing that in the last 10 years of visiting Europe every summer for a month.

I will buy perhaps 25 to 40 euros to tide me over at grocery stores or sidewalk food shops until I get to an ATM. I am with a small bank where I live in Oklahoma and have had no problems withdrawing large amounts of cash in Europe. The VISA logo on the card seems to be the determining factor in ATM use. I do get the 3% transaction fee charged but, as is suggested, a large amount withdrawn adds up to less than many small amounts withdrawn for the fee.

our account is with the hated bank of america. however, they have some kind of connection to paribas banks in france and do not charge the fee for ATM withdrawal if made from a paribas ATM, so we use that all the time. you will, however, still be charged a foreign currency transaction fee i believe.