This thread has been really helpful to me. I am rapidly closing in on ER and DW and I have decided to travel much more as we move toward that date. I'm planning a two-week vacation in Spain next May and want to have my cash needs met. I think I'm good to go with my BarclayCard arrival+ credit card (It's supposed to be chip and pin when needed and several people have reported success). It has an annual fee but the 2% cash-back toward travel makes it attractive to me. ATM use is another story. I have used the CapitalOne360 debit card in the past but they have no partner ATMs in Spain...
This thread has encouraged me to open a Schwab account to get their fee-free (or in reality fee-reimbursed) debit card for ATM cash. Given it works with any ATM network it looks like a great deal.
I thought I'd share this deal for others who also are exploring this account. If you deposit $10k in a new account and use offer code REFER you get a $100 bonus from Schwab. They obviously want you to use the brokerage account, but there is no requirement to do so. This 1% reward nicely offsets any penalty associated with moving cash to this account from any online bank (meets or exceeds their annual interest rates). The only downside I see is the hard credit check (and the need to monitor/maintain yet another account).
Clearly you won't want to use your Barclay Arrival+ credit card for you cash needs due to cash advance fees.
If you don't need the chip, I got the no annual fee version of the Arrival card (non-plus) which has reduced points (1 point except 2 on travel and dining) but otherwise virtually the same other benefits including free FICO score and no FTF.
Contrary to what is being reported in many ngs, the Schwab debit card IS available without a companion brokerage account. Simply apply for a savings account instead. (I have one!)
State Farm Bank is also a great debit card (but no chip) - no fees and reimbursed ATM fees, including balance inquiries, which Schwab may not cover, and allows deposits via ATM (Schwab doesn't and even provides mailers to mail checks in). I have not ever had a non-chip debit card rejected at an ATM for cash withdrawal, so no chip shouldn't be much of an issue with State Farm Bank.
For my upcoming 5 week trip in April, I zeroed in on:
Debit cards:
1. Schwab chip card (no offline pin so won't work at offline terminals like train ticket kiosks) - no fees and [only] ATM cash withdrawal fee rebates.
2. State Farm Bank NON-chip debit card - no fees and ALL ATM fees rebated plus allows deposits via ATM.
Note: BofA debit cards, as of Nov 2013, charge 3% PLUS $5 at non-Global Alliance ATMs!
Credit Cards (chip):
1. Andrews no AF/FTF Globtrek Rewards Credit Card with ON and OFFline PIN support - for train ticket kiosks (rewards program minimal).
2. BofA no AF/FTF fee Travel Rewards VISA - 1.5% cash back against travel purchases and no fees - not for use for cash advances! No purchase PIN capability (yet?)
3. Delta Skymiles (has AF/no FTF) Business (free bag, airmiles, other Amex perks)
Although Barclaycard Arrival Plus ($450 total signup bonus) works at offline terminals, when $89 AF posted I moved credit to no-fee Arrival to get additional $210 total signup bonus (Andrews provides OFFline PIN support)
I replaced Chase Sapphire Preferred (40k signup bonus?) at AF posting with business Ink card to get large 70k signup bonus - both converted 1:1 to United Airmiles instantly. The CSP, without ANY PIN support except for cash advance, given that they missed promised PIN support in 2014, is just not competitive, and the darn metal card was heavy and a pain to destroy! They even send a return envelope because of that issue.
NOTE: I applied and got both of the replacement card types shortly BEFORE dropping prior card so that I could move credit from existing card if needed (Barclay did) to qualify for replacement. Also, assure that all points are redeemed or converted to airmiles before canceling account to avoid losing them!