Cash issues

[cherylneill]

I am in Logrongo. In Pamplona I tried to get cash but my Mastercard kept spitting the card out again. Tried to do the same in Logrongo. Sane issues. I need cash to carry on but this issue is frustrating. No ATM machine will accept my card. Tried a money exchange but they only do US or pounds. What do do?
Please help

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Assuming from this that your not carrying a backup card
Ok, three options spring to mind :
1/ phone your bank back home. They may have flagged a purchase as "suspicious", until they hear from you they'll possibly block the card. (I assume you advised them of your travel plans?)
2/ visit a local bank (displaying a MasterCard symbol, and with an ATM outside)during opening hours and hope you can find someone speaking enough english to assist. The bigger the branch the better.
3/ if 2 fails, ask for a ( over the counter) cash advance . IF the card isn't blocked they'll be able to assist. It'll cost, (and you'll be charged interest back home) but at least you'll be able to continue in the short term

 

[Corned Beef]

This one. Happened to me in Vigo. The bank confirmed there was no issue so tried different bank networks to find one that worked. Sometimes it's the network and not the bank

1/ phone your bank back home. They may have flagged a purchase as "suspicious", until they hear from you they'll possibly block the card. (I assume you advised them of your travel plans?)

 

[Former member 92300]

Assuming from this that your not carrying a backup card
Ok, three options spring to mind :
1/ phone your bank back home. They may have flagged a purchase as "suspicious", until they hear from you they'll possibly block the card. (I assume you advised them of your travel plans?)
2/ visit a local bank (displaying a MasterCard symbol, and with an ATM outside)during opening hours and hope you can find someone speaking enough english to assist. The bigger the branch the better.
3/ if 2 fails, ask for a ( over the counter) cash advance . IF the card isn't blocked they'll be able to assist. It'll cost, (and you'll be charged interest back home) but at least you'll be able to continue in the short term

This!

I am willing to bet your bank at home did a fraud alert and you need to clear it. Did you remember to tell them you were traveling? In the future - always do that. Although a few cards are "travel" cards that assume you will be travelling - my CapitalOne doesn't have an online option to report travel because it is a travel card. My other cards - I can go online and enter where I will be travelling and when I will be travelling. I usually add a few adjacent countries in case I take a side trip for any reason.

 

[J Willhaus]

We had trouble one year in Jaca at multiple ATM machines at different banks. The bank at home confirmed there was no problem with our card and they were not getting the request. In another town it worked fine.

If you are using a debit card, call your bank. I don't know about a credit card, but I assume there will be a number on the back of the card you can call.

Yes, it is a hassle and it takes time to do it and a relatively quiet place...

 

[Anniesantiago]

The key word here for me was "MasterCard."
A LOT of places in Spain won't take MasterCard.
Do you have another card you can try?

Like others suggested, if you didn't notify your cc company or bank you were traveling, they may be flagging the withdrawals as suspicious. Call your bank.

 

[trecile]

Is your MasterCard a debit or credit card?

 

[cherylneill]

Assuming from this that your not carrying a backup card
Ok, three options spring to mind :
1/ phone your bank back home. They may have flagged a purchase as "suspicious", until they hear from you they'll possibly block the card. (I assume you advised them of your travel plans?)
2/ visit a local bank (displaying a MasterCard symbol, and with an ATM outside)during opening hours and hope you can find someone speaking enough english to assist. The bigger the branch the better.
3/ if 2 fails, ask for a ( over the counter) cash advance . IF the card isn't blocked they'll be able to assist. It'll cost, (and you'll be charged interest back home) but at least you'll be able to continue in the short term

Thankyou do much. Walked a bit today and found the Banking sector In Logrono. Had success. Now I can travel on tomorrow feeling better

 

[Pafayac]

A LOT of places in Spain won't take MasterCard.

The ATM should take MasterCard as well as Visa.
You can encounter some POS which only accept Visa, but ATMs should be more tolerant. American Express, UPI, JCB... are not widely accepted in ATM, but Visa and MasterCard should be.

 

[Molly Cassidy]

I never encountered anywhere that didn't take Mastercard (apart from places that don't take any cards).

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

American Express, UPI, JCB... are not widely accepted in ATM, but Visa and MasterCard should be.

Correct. And that's pretty much worldwide, and has been the case for many , many years. Not just in ATMs might I add.

Had success. Now I can travel on tomorrow feeling better

Excellent! Enjoy the rest of your Camino

Dare I make the suggestion to anyone else following this for the purpose of research etc, it's a very good reason to have a Visa based debit card (prepaid) as your main card, with your normal credit card carried separately as a backup. ( Oh, and as has been pointed out multiple times above, remember to let your credit card company know you're going to be travelling!)
Personally I use Wise, but I'm based in Europe. On other thread's an American alternative has been suggested, can someone supply the name please?

 

[Former member 92300]

I never encountered anywhere that didn't take Mastercard (apart from places that don't take any cards).

Same. No problems with Visa/Mastercard which are widely accepted in Europe. American Express is different and not accepted in a lot of places.

 

[C clearly]

Did you remember to tell them you were traveling? In the future - always do that.

Visa based debit card (prepaid) as your main card,

Some (or maybe even most) of the major banks in Canada are no longer interested in your travel plans, so there is nowhere to report them.

Banking products different significantly in different countries, so you need to be specific. The prepaid debit cards that are often mentioned (especially by Australians) do not seem to be normal with Canadian banks.

My main piece of advice would be to take 2 or 3 different cards - including both debit and credit, and preferably from 2 different banks.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

My main piece of advice would be to take 2 or 3 different cards - including both debit and credit, and preferably from 2 different banks.

Agree completely.

This is for those that don’t already have a second card, or are trying to avoid exchange rate issues etc.

Although I spent several years working in banking, I am NOT putting myself forward as an expert!

Suggesting Wise as an option because its available everywhere I’ve looked - America, Canada, Brazil, Japan, NZ, Europe etc. It’s a (prepaid) debit card, connected/ affiliated? with Visa, ie you can use it as a Visa card online- booking flights, on Booking.com etc. But also just to get out cash at an ATM, for contactless payment’s etc.
You can set it up with whatever currency you desire- for example, mine currently has euros, Norwegian kronor and British sterling. You choose what currency/ies you want to have, and load whatever amount you want onto the card . Mine’s normally got no more than €500 on it, unless I’m booking flights etc. Minimises any potential loss. Oh, and the exchange rate is, in my experience, pretty good.
So if you intend to travel elsewhere before/ after your Camino, it’s an easy option. Loaded / topped up within seconds via an app and your credit card, or a couple of business days direct from (most) bank’s.
And no, I’m not on commission!!

I’m actually based in Europe , with European bank accounts, but for travelling it’s easy and secure.
Hope it’s useful to someone

 

[Anniesantiago]

I never encountered anywhere that didn't take Mastercard (apart from places that don't take any cards).

Just my experience in over 20 Caminos.
I stopped taking Mastercard with me ::
To each his/her own
Maybe things are changing.
That's a good thing.

 

[dougfitz]

My main piece of advice would be to take 2 or 3 different cards - including both debit and credit, and preferably from 2 different banks.

For many years I have carried cards that cover the Maestro, Cirrus and Plus networks, something I started doing when the interbank networks in some countries that I was visiting only supported one or other of these global networks. I now also have a card that operates as both a debit and credit card, which can be important in Australia at least, where some interbank networks only accept debit cards.

Below this layer of the banking networks, there are other arrangements like the Global ATM Alliance which provide for fee-free transactions when using a card from a partner bank. Then there are the various national ATM networks operating in each country, which might include ATMs provided by operators independent of any bank, and charging, often quite hefty, fees for the privilege.

Others more knowledgeable than I am regularly engage in this discussion with country specific information, often without disclosing where they are from. It is important to get information that relates to the way your national banking system operates within these global arrangements to make the best of the advice here from @C clearly.

 

[rogersoncharles1951]

I am in Logrongo. In Pamplona I tried to get cash but my Mastercard kept spitting the card out again. Tried to do the same in Logrongo. Sane issues. I need cash to carry on but this issue is frustrating. No ATM machine will accept my card. Tried a money exchange but they only do US or pounds. What do do?
Please help

Sounds like you did not notify your bank of travelling abroad what above credit cards if any if you have digital banking go on to it and notify bank of your away dates should be enough

 

[Paul McAmino]

American alternative has been suggested, can someone supply the name please?

Charles Schwab account debit card.
Best,
Paul