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Where are you "hearing" this?
Unfortunately, I've found plenty of misinformation on FB groups.
I am not from the USA and not on FB but reckon if lots of USA folks were having problems getting Euros out of ATMs it would be in the news. It certainly would in UK. Probably be a few who have pressed a few wrongs PINs, a few who don’t have enough funds etc. Misonfirnation is huge out there, we see plenty on here of course particularly around ATMs. I could be wrong of course.
That would suggest part of the problem.
My experience goes back 5-6 years, but I also had trouble using my US debit card in Spain. In Navarre as I recall. Fortunately, the ATM machines I tried without success never "ate" my card and I just tried other banks. I believe Santander Bank, which operates in the US, accepted my card and provided me with cash. So did some other banks along the CF. Curiously, I had been walking on the Voie du Puy for a couple of years before that and never once did I have a problem with cash withdrawals (using the same debit card). Nor in Italy on a couple of ski vacations in 2013 and 2015. And yes, Rick Steves, my debit card had a Visa logo and in advance of each trip I had notified my bank of my foreign travel plans.
I don't have two different bank debit cards - but I do use my credit cards for backup and don't wait until I am out of cash to go to the ATM. I do my best to never run out of cash which I found pretty easy to do on the Camino with a little planning.
No problems here on Camino Portuguese Central/Coastal
We arrived in Spain from the US on April 10th and my husband was not able to get cash with his debit card after trying several places. I was able to get cash with my card, the backup. Both of our cards were with Capital One but different accounts. Since our backup card worked, we didn't try to contact the bank for my husband's card. We haven't tried again since so don't know if the problem has resolved. Before we left home we used both cards just to make sure they were working and they were working fine then.
We are in Pamplona and had no trouble using the ATM machines at Santeander
Just bought bus and train tickets in the last few days after finishing my caminos. No problems using a credit card. I would remind all those over 60 to take advantage of Renfe's Tarjeta Dorada, which costs 6 euros and provides large discounts. My rail ticket from Santiago to Madrid dropped from 86 to 64 euros.
I read the post. The OP said there were 8 people in their group, all from different areas in the US having issues with their bank cards and wondering if anybody else has had similar issues in the last three months. The responses were like a bed bug post. So many not believing there is an issue or totally condescending. I'm curious because the US is having some major bank failures. Regional banks are on the verge of collapse. Seems reasonable to wonder when ATM after ATM says no moola for you.
I seriously doubt that's the problem.
I would hope not. But the OP has a right to be curious about anyone else recently on the Camino having issues. Sounds like this group of 8 are all doing something wrong/strange.
Yep my eyes bugged out when I first withdrew cash a month ago. Luckily Charles Schwab refunds all bank fees and charges-unlimited withdrawals
My casual dismissal was based more on the source (APOC fb group). I left that group years ago, mostly because things get whipped up pretty quickly over there. It’s good to double check issues/info in the forum for a more balanced, discerning take.
In the past there have been issues with IT failures at UK and Irish banks. Usually the problems only lasted a day or two and only customers of specific banks were affected.
My advice has always been to have some Euros before you leave the U.S. Carry them in a moneybelt or other hidden-away place (not your back pocket, your backpack, your fannypack, etc.)--except for a small amount you keep more available for incidental expenses. Divide your cash and credit cards between you and your travel partner if you have one. Notify your bank before you travel. It used to be the case that your pin number for use at ATMs in Spain+ was supposed to be FOUR digits. Not sure it that is still the case, but what we use. Plan to replenish cash when there is the opportunity rather than waiting until the last minute--especially when you are in a region where you are mostly going through small towns. Keep in mind that places may be closed on Sundays, Mondays, holidays and other celebrations (the Spain love celebrations as do I!). We have hiked thousands of Camino miles and never had a serious money shortage--just plan ahead a bit. Cheers,
This is a known problem for holders of US credit cards (not all but quite a few): You cannot make online purchases in Spain with your credit card because your credit card issuer did not activate a functionality that is known in Europe as scecure payment method. It happens only when you make online financial transactions like buying a ticket for the train, or a ticket for a museum, or making a booking on the website of the Roncesvalles albergue. The payment page of these websites displays a specific logo - usually for Visa and Mastercard credit cards and sometimes also for American Express - that are meant to inform you about the requirement that your credit card must be enabled for this function.
Thanks for the info
I’ve been in Portugal and Spain for 4 weeks without a problem in either country. Used debit card at cash machines in both cities and smaller towns.I’ve been in Spain for over a month without any issues with debit cards
Visa and Mastercard issues debit card as well as credit card. The difference between the two is that a credit card allows to not immediately decrease the amount on the account.
I meant through an ATM at the airport rather than the money changers. Sorry I was not more clear.
Right. I would never use one of those currency exchange booths or machines that masquerade as ATMs, but a bank ATM at the airport (Santander, Caixa, etc) gives the same rate as their machines in town.
It might be the difference between Visa debit cards and Mastercard debit cards. We discovered that some European banks take ONLY Visa debit cards.
That's really weird!
Yes, we were in some kind of banking black hole, but went over to Logrono on the bus and train to attend an anniversary celebration of the founding of another albergue and our cards worked fine. Customer service at our US bank told us to try in another town as they could not even see where we had tried at 4 different banks with 2 different cards in Jaca. So it happens and it isn't fun.
Once in Italy I had an ATM card die on me (problems with the magnetic strip, apparently). I had to do a cash advance on a credit card. I could not believe the amount of paperwork and time that took. You'd think I was buying a house!
Do you know if a US credit card holder can phone their bank and activate this function?
Yes, I was in CIBC a few days ago buying some Euros for my May trip and the teller said I don't have to phone to let them know I'll be in Spain.
Fortunately, more and more ATMs now use the "tap" function so you don't have to out your card in the machine.
As a UK card holder I never ever inform my banks that I am travelling and I am nomadic. That seems to have died out about 10 -15 years ago. Even going places further afield than Europe such as India, China, Japan and South America.
It depends on whether you use an ATM (don’t think the rate differs), or a counter (just don’t do it) !
This might vary because this isn't my experience with Australian banks. It only takes a phone call to your bank to check whether they want to be informed about where you are travelling. I would rather have them knowing where I am going to be travelling so transactions from those places don't set off alerts while others still do.
Sure understood hence why I specified why I was a UK cardholder. My last recollection was of doing this via an online form maybe 15 years ago. Thankfully most banks in UK no longer require it, and to be honest not even something I would think of…not even sure my bank has a phone contact… guess they must have. The USA banking system purely from what I gather on here seems still ‘old school!’ around stuff like contactless, and phoning up! Btw Australia is definately the best country I have been to re ‘contactless’! Didn’t even handle any money in a recent 6 weeks there (albeit in major cities)!! Fantastic!
Thank you. The only place I have had any really difficulties is South American ATMs. Not all banks seem to accept UK cards and assume other European countries too.It is not relevant for the majority of forum members but for what it is worth, I have debit and credit cards from banks in different EU countries and I have never ever heard that one has to inform one‘s bank that one travels abroad and will spend money there. Of course, because we live on a small continent with dozens of countries, spending money abroad is something that happens a lot more often than when you live on a larger continent with larger or more isolated countries …
It is a very long time ago but I remember those days when you could only draw cash abroad from an ATM by using your credit card and not by using a debit card - question of payment networks. A comment on point of sales and not ATM - even in recent years, I’ve encountered situations in EU countries where I could not pay by credit card (and it had nothing to do with the owner wanting to avoid commission fees) but only by debit card and vice versa. My hairdresser, strangely enough, has one of these standard small devices, just like anybody else, but it takes only credit cards. which is quite unusual around here.
Major payment networks of Spanish banks are Servired, Euronet 6000 and Telebanco 4B. Customers don’t need to know about it but it is entirely possible that there is an issue of incompatibility in some rare occasions and combinations of ATM and card issuer.
Australia again - with ANZ I can go to my online account and log my travel plans at any time - great if you have a change of itinerary. ANZ have a particularly robust card security system and question anything that looks irregular or dodgy - so I don't want them thinking I am still at home when I am not.
Here‘s what I mean (see below screenshot of a list of ATMs of a few banks in Melide on the Camino Francés with indication of the interbank payment network to which they are connected). Standard US debit cards of major banks will work without an issue. Whatever the reason for the problem aired on FB is, we are unlikely to ever know. It appears to be a rather isolated problem of a small group of travellers from the USA on a short stint in Spain on the Camino from Sarria.
Sure though I would guess that the fact that European banks don’t ask for this detail doesn’t mean they are less secure. Certainly when someone tried to use my card overseas a few year back the bank were alert to it, despite me not notifying!Australia again - with ANZ I can go to my online account and log my travel plans at any time - great if you have a change of itinerary. ANZ have a particularly robust card security system and question anything that looks irregular or dodgy - so I don't want them thinking I am still at home when I am not.
It depends upon your card.
Tom, I have not heard of a "cash contact." What is that?
Just checked Fox News and CNN, and various newspapers, expecting headlines of ‘US citizens denied Euros due global banking crisis’ and no sign of anything!I had another look at the FB posts. It is a rather amazing exchange. The poster in question remains very unspecific about details of their ATM/debit card issue, can’t speak to [sic] exchanges in big cities or airports - just the ATMs very recently on the Camino, declares it to be a major growing issue and feels a duty to warn all new pilgrims but as far as I can make out the poster made all these surprising discoveries after about one or two days on the Camino in Galicia and other posts about meals and tipping make me think that this is this poster's first time on Camino in Galicia ...
I am hoping for a post that says that it has worked now but experience tells me that positive feedback is much rarer than negative feedback and online feedback after a problem having been solved is the rarest of all.
It is a generic term for a chip enabled, debit card in Europe. In the US, and elsewhere, we just call them debit or ATM cards.
Indeed! Nothing wrong with having multiple issues btw! But probably don’t assume that it’s everything else or everyone else and not you, and spread all sorts on social media.
In the UK known as ‘contactless’. Huge growth in Spain recently, 25% over a small period of time for various reasons.
That's how it's known in the US too.
May be something to this. I have been traveling around Spain for a Month and have withdrawn Euros on my Debit. However, this morning in Pamplona I was denied twice.
I had problems last year with my Canadian debit (ATM) card not working in quite a few of the banks along the CF. When I reached my bank (Yes! I had let them know I was going to be travelling in Spain), I was advised I had to check the logos on the bank machines with the logos on the back of my card --- once I did that, I was fine.
What happened the third time? Do you also hope this issue is temporary and not part of the plan to push folks into the CBDC system? I read this on Facebook from the person who had, or may be still has, the debit card/ATM issue.
My pin is 5 digits (Canadian bank - you can choose 4-6 digits) and I had no problem with withdrawing funds all along Camino Frances.
Follow up, I was able to get Euros from my debit card in Puenta la Reina.What happened the third time? Do you also hope this issue is temporary and not part of the plan to push folks into the CBDC system? I read this on Facebook from the person who had, or may be still has, the debit card/ATM issue.
Thank you for the follow-up. Much appreciated and Buen Camino!
Thank you for this information.
Thank you for this confirmation.
Yes, and you need to be aware there are two factors. Your own bank will set a limit for daily withdrawals, but ATMs may also have a lower limit. This should mean that, although the amount you can withdraw in one transaction will be lower, you can make another withdrawal up to your bank's daily limit.
Thank you. That is new information for me.
I used mine this morning in Padron: worked fine. Santander bank.
We had no problems last year. We did notify our bank the time period we would be out of the country and in Spain. Wonder if that could be part of the problem with cards being rejected?
