Cash or Card? Countries where you still need cash.

[SYD]

None of the ATMs mentioned anything about DCC at the withdrawal stage; they all did state there was a 13.5% commission. None of them indicated there was a way to avoid it. It was only on the receipt that DCC was shown.

It was only because I had abandoned +1 in the restaurant for more than half an hour while I searched for a fee-free ATM that I reluctantly accepted the withdrawal.

From now on I'll ask if they accept cards before sitting down (forgot on this occasion), and if the line goes down when it's time to pay I'll tell them they can phone me when it's working and I'll come back.

Yes, it pays to ask about accepting CCs in Portugal. It’s surprisingly common and annoying that some more authentic places don’t.

However, do look closely at the ATM, as above there will be some option or button to bypass DCC. If not, press Decline and move on.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Yes, it pays to ask about accepting CCs in Portugal. It’s surprisingly common and annoying that some more authentic places don’t.

However, do look closely at the ATM, as above there will be some option or button to bypass DCC. If not, press Decline and move on.

Yeah, revisited the ATM today as a test. Managed to avoid the commission and fee by continuing to push "decline" a number of times.

My mistake yesterday was to hit "cancel transaction" too early and look for a different ATM.

Mind you, even without a fee or commission, the exchange rate wasn't great.

 

[SYD]

Mind you, even without a fee or commission, the exchange rate wasn't great.

Was there a local ATM fee (maybe a couple of Euro)?

Because usually you should be within about 0.3% to 0.5% of the spot rate.

NAB charge a hefty OS ATM usage fee on most accounts, but I thought the legacy Citi card was exempt?

 

[Lynda2475]

Was there a local ATM fee (maybe a couple of Euro)?

There shouldn't be any on the multibanco; unless something has changed recently. I didnt pay any fees last visit.

Because usually you should be within about 0.3% to 0.5% of the spot rate.

Agree

NAB charge a hefty OS ATM usage fee on most accounts, but I thought the legacy Citi card was exempt?

It is supposed to be but I wonder if something has gone wrong with the flag for being an ex citi customer?

Next trip OS I will compare the Macquarie Bank with the citi replacement NAB; as it may be best to continue to preference Macquarie and only have NAB as one of the back-ups.

 

[SYD]

Next trip OS I will compare the Macquarie Bank with the citi replacement NAB; as it may be bets to continye to prefernce Macquarie and only have NAb as the back-up.

I’ve used my new NAB (Citi) DC overseas side by side with UBank and ING (also 28° MC) and they were all with cents of each other for the same purchase (you do see day to day variation between VISA and MC - all the VISA DCs were basically the same). No 3% int fee.

I don’t recall if I used the Citi card in an ATM and whether it dodges the NAB fee - which is about $10! (and actually no uncommon)

 

[Lynda2475]

Yeah I meant check in an ATM, not that I will need any cash in Auckland, when there this year most places I dined were card only, and no where I dined had a card surcharge (so I am still carrying 1 lonely NZ20 note that I've had in my travel wallet for at least a decade).

 

[SYD]

Yeah I meant check in an ATM, not that I will need any cash in Auckland, when there this year most places I dined were card only, and no where I dined had a card surcharge (so I am still carrying 1 lonely NZ20 note that I've had in my travel wallet for at least a decade).

As mentioned earlier, most restaurants in AKL are now passing on 2% card surcharge.

I don’t know why they just don’t build it into the price because everyone pays buy there…

 

[Jacques Vert]

Was there a local ATM fee (maybe a couple of Euro)?

Because usually you should be within about 0.3% to 0.5% of the spot rate.

NAB charge a hefty OS ATM usage fee on most accounts, but I thought the legacy Citi card was exempt?

No ATM fee: it appears the AUD has gone south the past couple of days. The rate I got was about 0.23% off the spot rate. It initially looked bad because it was about 1.6% lower than I have been averaging for the past couple of months.

Thanks to everyone for their comments; I'm on top of it now. Hopefully I won't need to make any more withdrawals from ATMs while I'm here.

 

[Jacques Vert]

I don’t recall if I used the Citi card in an ATM and whether it dodges the NAB fee - which is about $10! (and actually no uncommon)

The NAB (ex-CitiPlus) card has been my goto card for ATM withdrawals while in Europe. Never been charged a fee by NAB and until yesterday I had managed to avoid all local ATM fees. However, note that I have only made 4 small withdrawals since July.)

My main payment card has been the NAB signature rewards which has no overseas transaction fees and has worked fine.

 

[Flashback]

Yeah I meant check in an ATM, not that I will need any cash in Auckland, when there this year most places I dined were card only, and no where I dined had a card surcharge (so I am still carrying 1 lonely NZ20 note that I've had in my travel wallet for at least a decade).

Of course that 20 NZD note is worth less now due to inflation.

 

[SYD]

Of course that 20 NZD note is worth less now due to inflation.

We just offloaded NZ$45 from Feb 2020(!) at the AKL departures DF (paid for some booze as a mix of cash and card).

Previous NZ trip in 2022 we went cashless for 2 wks driving around the South Island and those notes and some coins flew over with us and home again. I fed my coins into a supermarket cash register…

 

[Lynda2475]

Of course that 20 NZD note is worth less now due to inflation.

Exactly which is why I prefer to pay card everywhere and avoid that pesky cash.

 

[Lynda2475]

As mentioned earlier, most restaurants in AKL are now passing on 2% card surcharge.

I don’t know why they just don’t build it into the price because everyone pays buy there…

If so very recent as certainly wasn't the case earlier this year, but as I said I mainly dined at places that did not accept cash, so since card was only way to pay no surcharge (also only used debit not credit).