ATM's in Spain

[tangata hikoi]

Does anyone know if all the Spanish ATM's charge to get money out of them? I'm not talking about what my own bank charges me for the transaction but what the Spanish banks charge me to use their ATM's.

I'm used to some charging and some not but so far have not found a Spanish ATM that doesn't charge. Most expensive
has been $5 and least $1.87.

Hoping to be able to use one that doesn't charge if it exists?
Megg

 

[tangata hikoi]

Have just found another thread with this info started by someone else... apologies.
Most of the answers I need are there already

 

[Donna Sch]

Liberbank has no fees

 

[omicko]

Does anyone know if all the Spanish ATM's charge to get money out of them? I'm not talking about what my own bank charges me for the transaction but what the Spanish banks charge me to use their ATM's.

I'm used to some charging and some not but so far have not found a Spanish ATM that doesn't charge. Most expensive
has been $5 and least $1.87.

Hoping to be able to use one that doesn't charge if it exists?
Megg

Hello Tanya, since you are from the UK go to the MSE site ( money saving expert ) and search for :
19 cheapest ways to get travel money.
I use this site for everything money orientated.Buen Camino, Mick.

 

[tangata hikoi]

Just managed to get money from Liberbank at no charge...thanks for info !

 

[t2andreo]

After reading the above, I searched Google for "ATM Fees Spain." This is one of the information filled sites I came up with. It explains a lot.

ATMs in Spain: locations, fees, and tips

Travelling to Spain and need to take out cash? Learn about where to find ATMs, how much are the withdrawal charges, and some tips on how to save on ATM fees.

transferwise.com

This dialog was also helpful...

Is there a reliable compilation of ATM fees in Spain or elsewhere?

A web search for ATM fees in Spain gets lots of hits, but the vast majority provide two inconsistent false claims. One is that the fee is charged by my (US) bank, not by the bank that owns the ATM...

travel.stackexchange.com

Also, if you Google "ATM fees Spain," scroll down to the "People Also Ask" section. Click on "What bank has the cheapest ATM fees?" That was also useful.

In the end, you need to do your own research. Also, I have some recommendations for you:

1. ONLY & EVER use an ATM connected to a real bank office that is not closed for good. This way, if the ATM eats your card, you can get it back.

2. NEVER use a free-standing ATM in a cafe / bar, gas station, tienda, train station, etc. UNLESS it is clearly the property of a major bank: Santander, BBVA, Banco Popular, etc. Check the artwork on the "box." You can actually buy an ATM device, load it with money, charge any amount you want to use it, and dispense cash. Many independent business types do this, and charge exorbitant fees.

3. Carry TWO cards that can be used as a debit cards. Make sure each has a FOUR DIGIT PIN number. Only these will work in Spain. This way, if one card goes awry, the other is a backup.

4. When you do take money from an ATM, take enough for the next 3 - 4 days on Camino. There will be another ATM down the path...

Hope this helps.

 

[John Sikora]

The only piece of advice that I see missing is to take out as much money as you feel comfortable carrying rather than taking out little chunks. The ATM fee is a transaction fee which usually isn't based on the amount. If you think of it as an interest payment it becomes clearer and more irritating. Thus a $5 fee on $100 is a 5 per cent charge while obviously a $5 fee on $200 is only a 2.5% fee.

 

[erikakiana]

It depends. I live in Madrid right now, so I have to deal with this. From my experience, banks that have the "3600" logo on them do not. Two that I never have fees with are IberCaja and Bankinter. La Caixa chargers about €5. I used to not have a problem with Santander, but now they charger a lot.

 

[Jeff Mayor]

Liberbank has no fees

News to me. Does Liberbank have branches in Barcelona by chance?

 

[Donna Sch]

News to me. Does Liberbank have branches in Barcelona by chance?

Seems to be in the East and South of Spain. We found one in Toledo in the main square but not in Ávila. Barcelona has them.

 

[JohnInMadrid]

Charles Schwab is my bank of choice. They do not charge any transaction fee and whatever the bank in Spain charges you Charles Schwab will reimburse you. Seriously I cannot see how it can get better than this.
Now for the bad news about using your debit card in Spain. If for any reason your card is "eaten" by the ATM machine you cannot get it back. I am talking from personal experience. And this is true regardless of whether it is a bank machine or a freestanding one.
I had my card "eaten" and while the bank acknowledged it was there fault they claimed that they were prohibited by law to return it to me. The good news was that Charles Schwab overnighted me a new card and again there was no charge for this. And just to be clear I do not work for Charles Schwab and I am not paid for this endorsement.