Using Fidelity debit card in Greece

[audreyh1]

We just returned from Europe and used Fido debit card to get cash at ATMs from our cash management account in both Paris for euros and London for pounds. All good as stated by others before, but one wrinkle/question I'll add.

In Paris where we were first, there was an in network ATM a couple of doors down from our hotel that I saw the first day when walking. Great! Used it. But then in London I didn't see one, and when trying to use the online locator I kept getting different answers. It said there was one in a nearby train station but I couldn't find it, though the ATMs said no fees I was not sure about trying, figured I was missing something else that might add cost (maybe credit card only, etc.). Anyone ever try one of those?

As luck would have it, I asked at the hotel desk about their exchange rate, which was not in my favor, amounted to close to 10% fee, and the person behind the desk asked if I'd check the ATM in the concierge room. Located in the back almost in a closet, who would ever find that thing! Turns out it was in network, though I never found it on my online search attempts.

Since I converted some cash at much less favorable rates in order to have money on arrival for a taxi, I decided even paying a fee was probably better than converting at the crappy rate offered by the cash exchange.

In Europe, I just look where the banks are. That’s where the ATMs are. There are usually tons of banks in the tourist areas. I try to only use ATMs at banks when the banks are open, just in case of a problem getting back my card, plus I avoid ATMs not at banks anyway for security reasons. But I haven’t run into a machine eating my card over several years.

I have occasionally used the VISA locator but it tends to list fewer banks than are available. If an ATM says VISA, it’s in network.

Well, OK I have used bank branded ATMs at airports as sometimes needs must upon arrival. I just give them a good look over and be sure to cover my hand when entering the PIN.

We had a scare recently when someone was acting suspicious around us near an ATM. My husband told me to stop, but I had already entered the PIN. A guy that had been hanging out nearby with his phone but left before we started, returned and sat down behind us looking at his phone while we were using it. We walked away a bit and watched. He then got up and used the ATM, but spent a lot of time entering stuff, raising his phone to the screen several times, and after all that he left without withdrawing any money. We wondered if it was a compromised ATM, and the fellow was using Bluetooth to talk to it. We were close to our hotel, so I immediately checked my account and changed my ATM PIN by calling in to the automated system. Never had anything weird happen to my account, but changing your PIN is the way to cover yourself if you ever decide you might have used your card somewhere you shouldn’t have in hindsight.