debit cards

tomtom33 says on Nov 29, 2007, 03:05:

Leave the Colombian banking "system" alone. I use a CapitalOne debit card (capitalone.com). There are no fees and you get around 4.75% on your money. The card is part of the Plus network. So far the card works at BBVA, Bancafe, and AV Villas in Colombia.

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Mononoke28 says on Nov 29, 2007, 14:10:

I used my Credit Union and Wells Fargo credit cards while last year and this year and never had any problems. It was easier for me to go to an ATM machine, get all the money that I needed and then pay cash for stuff.

Diana

Diana

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ACBlessing says on Nov 29, 2007, 16:55:

I've used my Bank of America card many times in the past and always got ripped off with ATM fees and transaction surcharges. Even when the ATM was out of money, I'd get charged $5 just for trying. Also, not all ATMs give out the same maximum of money.

That's why I use Citibank now...it's in the U.S. and Colombia and I can get a million pesos for the weekend when needed. I was also considering Banco De Bogota as well because they have an office in Miami to open an account but I don't know enough about it to advise.

I think economic sense comes down to how long you plan to stay in Colombia. If it's just for the weekend or a month, ATM fees and/or currency exchange fees won't amount to much but if you plan to live in Colombia for awhile, best use a bank with a presence in Colombia.

Just plain poor

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tomtom33 says on Nov 29, 2007, 17:20:

AC, presence in Colombia doesn't mean much, and Citibank US and Citibank Colombia are different banks.

You are right on about the fees. It doesn't matter how much an ATM gives per transaction when you have zero fees. You can do 10 transactions of 100K and get a million pesos. I can take, at the current exchange rates, 1 million pesos per day.

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ACBlessing says on Nov 29, 2007, 18:51:

Perhaps its time to look into Banco de Bogota then, not sure about the details though. I never got charged ATM fees at the Citibank in Zona T even though my account is was based in the US

Just plain poor

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lpdiver says on Nov 30, 2007, 03:46:

I used a prepaid visa card that I purchased at AAA several years ago and it worked fine. Currently I use my ATM and my wifes ATM cards from a different bank. There are no ATM fees and I get great exchange rates.

However, some institutions do charge fees AND give crappy rates so check ahead of time.

t

"cook some rice!"

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panthdave says on Nov 30, 2007, 17:47:

Tom Tom Correct Capital One Debit card is the best but don't use ATH ATM's anymore that now accept Plus Cards..they will nail you with a fee buried in the amount they send for the conversion over the plus network..I use Citibank and Colpitra for my Capital One Debit..Card..

Best prepaid card from the States I have used is the Western Union Prepaid card but they are 2.00 plus 1% but all ATM's will work...This is for PREPAID Debit Cards.. You will not be able to load this card at a WU in Colombia only in the states you can load via WU Office or a Direct Deposit via payroll..in the States only...I think the max is 2500.00 on the card at all times..and 10,000 per month..

panthdave Miami

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