Can you withdraw money on your credit or debit card at travel exchanges with chip/pin

annab1984

rather than cash points when abroad?

I have a paranoia about my card being swallowed by the machines and me being without cash when I am there lol. I am going to India alone and this would be a nightmare!!

I am wondering if you can withdrawn funds by chip and pin at travel exchanges.

Going to take a few travellers cheques incase this happens but don't really like travellers cheques as I have had problems getting them cashed in the past.


Thanks

Only 3 weeks till I go!!!!

Nick-H

Do you mean money changers?

I don't think so.

aviram

Anna,

I think your question is a little confusing but I'll attempt to answer it.

1. You can use our Debit card to withdraw money from any compliant ATM machine in India (any machine that is VISA, Master, Cirrus, Maestro etc. compliant). This means that you can visit most large banks' ATMs and withdraw money from there. You will be only charged a nominal transaction charge for using another bank's services.

2. You can use a Credit Card for shopping at outlets. You can ALSO use a credit card for withdrawing money from an ATM (same rule as above), but it will mean that you have made a cash advance. You will charged an exhorbitant interest rate of something around 22% a month on your advance. Not advisable, but CAN be done in an emergency.

3. At some tourist places, if there is no ATM where you can use your debit card, some shops may offer a swipe for cash service. So, you use your CREDIT CARD at their outlet as if you purchased something...but in reality...u don't. The shopkeeper deducts a commission and pays your what you swiped for in cash...and he then claims the money from your bank just like a normal transction. His gain is the small commission..yours is the convenience.

4. About your phoebia of losing your card to a card eating ATM, avoid using your card at smaller Indian banks' ATMs. Stick to CITI, HSBC, HDFC, ICICI, SBI, AXIS for your withdrawals. Here, if your card doesn't work for some reason, it will be returned to you and not retained in anycase.

Hope this was useful...

PS: I had also sent a PM to you a few days ago, about my trip to ladakh in september (in response to your thread looking for a travel partner), but you didn't reply...may be you can now

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wonderwomanusa

Aviram, that was very well said!

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delhiwala

Very good reply by aviram, may be except this:

In India now an ATM Card holder can withdraw money from any bank's ATM without any charge. This has resulted in heavy increase of inter bank ATM usage, and I have seen that notices have propped up at all ATMs that captured cards of other banks' will be destroyed and not returned to the user.

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Travel only with thy equals or thy betters; if there are none, travel alone. - The Dhammapada

Nick-H

...Foreigners are often charged by their own bank for overseas ATM usage.

Debit cards can often be used for shopping too. I've even used PIN&CHIP (ie you have to enter your PIN into the card machine to confirm the transaction).

Casey

I usually bring my debit card and my credit card. I have always been able to get advances on my credit cards, even in pretty small places. They charge a commission but really it's not that much. What I do is then transfer the money immediatly to my credit card and avoid paying any interest.

Haylo

Some ATMs don't take your card all the way in - look for machines that have a card slot with two semicircles cut out in the centre, to allow you to take your card back.

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The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful - E.E. Cummings, poet (1894-1962)

atala

I always take a few hundred Dollars or Euros in cash with me for this case, that if I am stuck without money, or if there is a bank-holiday, a strike, or I am stranded out in a village without bank-access, or in a stopped train, or ... , ...

Even in a remote village you will find someone who will give you Rupees for Foreign Exchange.

anillakha

I Toured The Jammu And Kashmir 2 Weeks Ago. I Took Along Dollars And Had My Credit/debit Cards With Me. I Found That The Banks And Money Changers Wanted To Much Commission. I Used My Cards To Draw Out Cash All Over India And It Was And Painless.