Japanese bank (Mizuho, Tokyo Mitsubishi, etc etc) ATM cards can be used in Europe?

[amdg]

Title sums it up. Anyone have any experience using their Japanese ATM cards overseas. Seems like if its possible it might be a nice way to avoid commissions, and rip-off exchange buy/sell rates.

[Hokuto-shinken]

If it has not got a VISA or Mastercard logo on it (Visa or Debit card) you can`t use it aboard as far as I know. However you can make transfers and check your accounts balance by using their online banking service.

[Greji]

If it has not got a VISA or Mastercard logo on it (Visa or Debit card) you can`t use it aboard as far as I know. However you can make transfers and check your accounts balance by using their online banking service.

I could use my J-visa in all locations in the USA with no problems. Most surprising for me was that last time I was in Phoenix, I was also able to draw some dust on my JCB card, but that was at an actual bank using their ATM machine. I don't know about outside ATMs.

[Boris]

Travelling a lot with different types of credit cards in Europe/US, I would say with Visa/Mastercard, there should be no problem in most parts of Europe for ATMs.
In shops, in France, no problem if it is more than the limit fixed by the shop (from 1 to 15 euros, below, cash mandatory). In other countries, it depends on the shops.
For non Visa/Mastercard (like Maestro/Cirrus and other "low end" debit cards, I would say it greatly depends on the ATMs/shops: my dutch Maestro works sometimes in shops in France but not for ATMs, in Belgium nothing accepts it. My belgian Maestro card doesn't work either in France or in the Netherlands. My French Visa works in Belgium and Germany but a few dutch ATMs don't accept it. My american Visa works nearly everywhere for ATMs but not in France (you need the chip/PIN code for french ATMs). So even with european transactions, you can have trouble.

So to sum it up: try and pray
In France, don't expect the ATMs to work if your card doesn't have the chip.

[amdg]

Thanks - I'll say a few prayers but also bring along cash then. Ta!

[Jack]

There is a diffrence between a Visa and Mastercard and an ATM card. Credit cards will likely work if you have setup a PIN number for them. Any cash you get from a credit card is counted as cash advance and you'll pay the high interest rate from the date you make the withdrawal plus there is a Visa and Mastercard fee of 2.5% on top of the lousy exchange rate. If you have not setup a PIN you will need to get a cash advance at a bank teller.

An ATM card from Japan unless it is member of the Cirrus, Maestro or Plus networks it will not work.

[amdg]

There is a diffrence between a Visa and Mastercard and an ATM card. Credit cards will likely work if you have setup a PIN number for them. Any cash you get from a credit card is counted as cash advance and you'll pay the high interest rate from the date you make the withdrawal plus there is a Visa and Mastercard fee of 2.5% on top of the lousy exchange rate. If you have not setup a PIN you will need to get a cash advance at a bank teller.

An ATM card from Japan unless it is member of the Cirrus, Maestro or Plus networks it will not work.

Yeah Jack, that's exactly what I thought would be the case.

But I was just hunting around for travel tips and someone recommended using ATMs at the airport in Paris to withdraw cash in order to avoid currency exchange rapery. I thought WTF?? What did they do - set up a French bank account, wire transfer the money to France and then use their French card there? I was tres confused.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Yeah Jack, that's exactly what I thought would be the case.

But I was just hunting around for travel tips and someone recommended using ATMs at the airport in Paris to withdraw cash in order to avoid currency exchange rapery. I thought WTF?? What did they do - set up a French bank account, wire transfer the money to France and then use their French card there? I was tres confused.

Don't listen to anything Jack says. Even if he's correct, he's still a douche bag.

[GomiGirl]

I use my MUFJ card overseas all the time. I hate the prices the travelex people charge for currency exchange.

Just check with your bank before you leave the country to make sure it is suitable. Cirus and Maestro are the symbols on the back of the card you need to have an just confirm that the ATM has the same symbols. But pretty much all the ATM's I have seen overseas have this so have never had a problem.

[Jack]

Yeah Jack, that's exactly what I thought would be the case.

But I was just hunting around for travel tips and someone recommended using ATMs at the airport in Paris to withdraw cash in order to avoid currency exchange rapery. I thought WTF?? What did they do - set up a French bank account, wire transfer the money to France and then use their French card there? I was tres confused.

When I travel I always use ATMs at airports for cash. The exchange rate is always better than at currency exchange centres. Even with the high ATM fees you are much better off using airport ATMs, just make sure you withdraw a large amount so that you don't have to keep using ATMs and be charged $3 or more user fee per transaction.

[IkemenTommy]

Good discussion. I always wondered which offered the better rate.. the ATM or the exchange service. It would make more sense out of the ATM because it is all automated and you don't have the physical people involved counting money and such. I just never opted for the ATM because of the notorious ATM fees that rapes you from behind.

[Jack]

Good discussion. I always wondered which offered the better rate.. the ATM or the exchange service. It would make more sense out of the ATM because it is all automated and you don't have the physical people involved counting money and such. I just never opted for the ATM because of the notorious ATM fees that rapes you from behind.

The ATM will often get you the bank's wholesale rate which is usually much better than the rate you get at an exchange counter. There are some exchange places where they offer very attractive rates but unless you live in the city you don't know where those are. That's why the ATM are your best bet. The $3 ATM fee is not bad consideriing that many exchange places get you two ways: First they screw you on the exchange rate particularly in airports, and then they charge you a commission or transaction fee that is often higher than the $3 ATM fee. By the way, US$3 per transaction at ATMs seems to be standard all around the world.

[IkemenTommy]

The ATM will often get you the bank's wholesale rate which is usually much better than the rate you get at an exchange counter. There are some exchange places where they offer very attractive rates but unless you live in the city you don't know where those are. That's why the ATM are your best bet. The $3 ATM fee is not bad consideriing that many exchange places get you two ways: First they screw you on the exchange rate particularly in airports, and then they charge you a commission or transaction fee that is often higher than the $3 ATM fee. By the way, US$3 per transaction at ATMs seems to be standard all around the world.

By the way, have you ever notice how tourist unfriendly this great city of Tokyo is.. compared to say.. Germany, Italy, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, etc? You will not find any money exchanger anywhere here except the shitty Narita. Yokoso my fuckin ass!

[GomiGirl]

By the way, have you ever notice how tourist unfriendly this great city of Tokyo is.. compared to say.. Germany, Italy, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, etc? You will not find any money exchanger anywhere here except the shitty Narita. Yokoso my fuckin ass!

All the big hotels will do it of course. Plus there is a money exchange in the top of Roppongi Hills shopping plaza.

[IkemenTommy]

All the big hotels will do it of course. Plus there is a money exchange in the top of Roppongi Hills shopping plaza.

I'm talking about just the plain street corners of Omotesando, Harajuku, Shinjuku, etc. You won't find them like you do in the countries I mentioned above. Sure, the hotels will exchange for you at a horrible rate.

[Samurai_Jerk]

All the big hotels will do it of course. Plus there is a money exchange in the top of Roppongi Hills shopping plaza.

Not to mention lots o' the banks.

[Charles]

By the way, have you ever notice how tourist unfriendly this great city of Tokyo is.. compared to say.. Germany, Italy, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, etc? You will not find any money exchanger anywhere here except the shitty Narita. Yokoso my fuckin ass!

Hey, no complaining about the Narita exchange booth, it's a special case. They have the best exchange rate you can get anywhere on earth, it's fixed by law at the "Corporate Rate" so you're not getting the usual poor bank rate, you're getting the same rate that corporations get when they exchange billions of yen, and no surcharges.