Anyone have problems using US ATM Cards in France?

Question

Unfortuntately I am not asking for myself, so I do not know details as to what bank or what ATM network, but do ATM cards from major US Banks work in France? Are the US Networks only available at certain locations. Anyone have similar experiences or problems?

Answer 1

I used my ATM card in Paris, and had no problems.  Unfortunately, though, your bank in the US will most likely charge you a higher fee for withdrawing from a foreign ATM.  And the money you withdraw will be in Euros, not USD.

Answer 2

No problem at all.  Just be sure to let your bank know that you will be traveling, and EXACTLY where you are going so that they do not suspend usage of your card.  I was in Paris last May and had no problems at all.

Also, you will be charged a fee (ask your bank how much) for converting USD into Euros.

Answer 3

If your card has one of the following logos, you'll be fine.

Visa, mastercard, maestro  (and more)

Answer 4

Have your friend call and check with the bank, directly.  That will get the most accurate information.  Yes, he/she should have no problem whatsoever using a card in France, I certainly had no problem in Spain, and it is, by far, the easiest and least expensive way to keep your money and get to your money.  Have them make sure that they know how much the atm fees are (using an atm from another bank) for each transaction, and what percentage they charge for exchange.  It should be from 1 - 3%.  If they are charging 3%, she should check into using a different card.

Each credit card charges a different amount, as well, for using them in foreign country.  Your friend should check all the cards he/she is planning to take and make sure to use the one with the lowest rate for most everything.  Capitol One is a good one, at 1%, and American Express charges 2%.  

One thing you need to be sure of:  many foreign countries use ONLY 4-digit atm pin codes.  If the card in question has a 5-digit pin, they may not be able to use it in any atms.  I'm not sure about France.  

Also: when choosing a machine, check to make sure that the OTHER logo matches up.  On the back of the card, is a logo like Cirrus, or Plus.  Those need to match up, as well.  Some machines may not take the one that the card matches.  Not to worry, just move on down the block.  There's another one about a half a block away.

Answer 5

In addition to all this good information there is one other thing to know:  If you bank with NationsBank, like I do, they have a "Global ATM Network" including BNP Paribus in France.  They have many bank branches and many ATM's in Paris for cash withdraw ls.  If you use this network, there are NO FEES at all!!  I paid for everything on my trip in cash by withdrawing euros from the ATM daily.  It cost me nothing and I was able to obtain the best exchange rate as well.

It is well worth doing a bit of research with your bank to discover these things, which they will not advertise because they want to make money for their services.