Can you use debit cards when travelling to foreign countries?

[raccoon]

If so, which countries?

[dugaresa]

1. yes

used mine in europe with no problems.

i say check with your bank about your specific card though (on edit) my boss's friend could not use her German debit card in Italy because of the nature of her card, not sure why.

[SteppingRazor]

2. Seconded.

I've used my debit card all over Europe with no problems.

[PeaceNikki]

3. Google knows.

http://seniortravel.about.com/od/seniortravelbasics/f/DebitCards.htm

[VenusRising]

4. My husband just used ours in the UK.

Be sure to call your bank and tell them you will be overseas and how long you will be there. Our card had to be activated by the bank to work internationally.

[Kali]

5. yes - anywhere there are atm's (with visa logo, right?)

be aware some places (especially in rural areas) use cash only - carry enough when making side trips

[Initech]

6. A lot of places in Europe (at least the ones I visited) were cash-only.

You can definitely use your debit card to retrieve cash out of the ATMs there but you get charged with a steep currency conversion fee.

[SteppingRazor]

10. I actually found the exchange rates at ATMs to be some of the lowest exchange rates available.

Definitely lower than the moneychanging stores.

[Kali]

14. yep even with bank fees

at least with larger amounts
if you get charged $3 every time and are getting $40 three times a day, that could add up

[SteppingRazor]

15. That's true. You've got to plan ahead and take out however much money you need in that country.

With Europe on the Euro, it's a lot easier to just take out a bunch of cash, but if you're going to eastern urope, a lot of the countries aren't on the Euro yet, so you've got to sort of budget by country if you're traveling to more than one.

For example, for my wife and I's honeymoon, we went to Prague, Vienna and Budapest, all of which have their own currency. Austria's already on the Euro, but the Czech Republic is still on the kronen, and Hungary is still on the forint. So, we had to take out money in each country. It worked out, though. We were left with just a couple kronen and forint in our pockets when we got home.

[mnhtnbb]

7. I used mine in Italy this year. I called the bank before we left

to let them know where we were going and the dates it would be used.

My son used his in Austria a couple of years ago.

[grace0418]

8. I had no problem all over Europe. Do call your bank, though, and let them know you'll

be traveling before you go. We don't even bother changing money before we go. We just get cash at an atm when we get there.

[bikebloke]

9. Sure

I've used mine in the UK, Morocco, Costa Rica, Mexico, Argentina and Spain.

[JCMach1]

11. Basically if they have ATM's they will work

Have used them even in such far flung places as Armenia and Nepal.

[TheMightyFavog]

12. I used mine in London two years ago.

Mostly to grab cash out of the ATM. Best exchange rates around! Screw the currency exchange places.

[Flying Dream Blues]

13. Yes, and you usually get the best exchange rate. I've used mine all over

Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland) and UK. Have fun!!

[auntAgonist]

16. I have no problem with mine at bank machines (ATM) in

Canada. Those private ATMs at malls and service plazas do not work though. It must be specifically a BANK machine.

TD-Canada Trust, BMO, ScotiaBank etc.

[JVS]

17. At ATMs, but you won't get a balance displayed.

At businesses like restaurants or hotels, it's likely a no-go, unless the business is particularly catering to a foreign clientele. The problem is that European credit cards use a chip and we still use the old magnetic strips. So a lot of businesses can't deal with our cards.

[seemunkee]

18. I had problems in Costa Rica

Not in San Jose but one of the smaller towns. Never had a problem in Europe.

[akbacchus_BC]

19. I have used mine (Canadian) in Barbados without any problems

a few years ago. Enjoy your trip.

[trof]

20. Yeah, but why would you?

When you use a credit card the money stays in your account until you pay the bill.
You get the 'float'.
No brainer.

[liberaltrucker]

21. Just my $.02, but

I'd rather the money deducted from my account upon
expenditure. Saves paperwork plus I can view my balance
online immediately. Full disclosure: My international travel
is limited to Canada.

:hi: former neighbor!

[wickerwoman]

22. You have to go to very specific banks in Asia

because most passwords have 6 digits instead of 4. But you can find some ATMs in high end hotels that are specifically designated for Western-style cards.

Also, in Europe most keypads don't have letters on them (just in case you remember your password based on letters instead of numbers).

[DeepBlueC]

23. your bank will belong to a network or networks

Usually you see logos on the ATMs. Find out where these networks are active. Asking the bank is the easiest way. A map would be useful.

[Generic Brad]

24. It depends

Check with your bank before going. They should be able to tell you if they participate in an ATM network in that country.

Also, if you alert them where you are going and when you are going, that should prevent your card usage from getting tagged as potential fraud.

[Withywindle]

25. Yes. I've used mine in Canadda, South America, and Southeast Asia with no problems.

Pretty cool the way the ATMs automatically transfer the dollar amount you requested into local currency too.


You might want to let your bank know before you travel, though. Fraud protection can trip you up - my mom once had her card frozen because somebody was running up lots of charges in Thailand and they were afraid it might have been stolen. Nice to know they're alert, but...it left my mom without a functioning card in Thailand! (Which is like, 12 hours off US time, so she couldn't call to get it fixed until the middle of the night over there.) She laughs about it now, but at the time.... :rofl:

[quakerboy]

26. Uk and Canada

gave me no problems. Although I was outa luck if I wanted to use Amex or Discover cards for purchases.

I tried to do cash as much as possible, though. I like the distinctiveness of the currencies. Plus it makes it easier to keep a lid on spending.

[Yavin4]

27. I Used My ATM Card In India

And it worked. I got Rupees out of the ATM machine.

[Fleshdancer]

28. I've used mine in Thailand, Malaysia, France, Italy, and Canada

I might have used it in Japan, but I can't remember.

[Sultana]

29. Yes!

Almost everywhere but be careful.

Oh, & inform your bank b4 leaving.