Visa Debit Cards abroad

Purpletoes

Just wondering if you can use PTSB visa debit in Italy? Do you have to alert bank first if so??

Hollister11

Yep.

Just inform your bant so they dont block it.

Purpletoes

Hollister11 wrote: »

Yep.

Just inform your bant so they dont block it.

Ok great. I will ring them. Thanks

JohnC.

Won't there be extra fees each time you use it?

tedpan

JohnC. wrote:

Won't there be extra fees each time you use it?

Nope, there are additional charges only for taking out cash from ATMs. Just use your card as you would here. If it's a foreign currency the bank will convert it for you.

Miaireland

Let them know just to be on the safe side.

killbillvol2

tedpan wrote: »

Nope, there are additional charges only for taking out cash from ATMs. Just use your card as you would here. If it's a foreign currency the bank will convert it for you.

If it's a non euro currency you'll be charged significant fees. The bank will be delighted to "convert it for you " as they'll be fleecing you

dudara

Moved to the Banking forum

P. Breathnach

tedpan wrote: »

Nope, there are additional charges only for taking out cash from ATMs. ...

Not in my experience.

whomitconcerns

It's in Italy, there are no extra charges and you don't need to tell your bank anything.

coylemj

whomitconcerns wrote: »

It's in Italy, there are no extra charges and you don't need to tell your bank anything.

If you've never used it outside Ireland before, I'd ring them just in case. I have a Visa debit card for about three years and went to use it abroad for the first time in a McDonalds in the US last year, it got rejected so had to use the Mastercard credit card.

Be sure to not use the 1890 number, the back of the card will have an Irish landline number with an area code, use that instead.

whomitconcerns

coylemj wrote: »

whomitconcerns wrote: »

It's in Italy, there are no extra charges and you don't need to tell your bank anything.

If you've never used it outside Ireland before, I'd ring them just in case. I have a Visa debit card for about three years and went to use it abroad for the first time in a McDonalds in the US last year, it got rejected so had to use the Mastercard credit card.

Be sure to not use the 1890 number, the back of the card will have an Irish landline number with an area code, use that instead.

Visa debit is not as widely accepted full stop especially in the us. But i have used my ATM card all over Asia, the us and Europe and never told the bank first.

As regards actual acceptance that depends on the premises your at not on your bank. For instance my American express is about as useful as a beermat in a lot of countries.

whomitconcerns

coylemj wrote: »

whomitconcerns wrote: »

It's in Italy, there are no extra charges and you don't need to tell your bank anything.

If you've never used it outside Ireland before, I'd ring them just in case. I have a Visa debit card for about three years and went to use it abroad for the first time in a McDonalds in the US last year, it got rejected so had to use the Mastercard credit card.

Be sure to not use the 1890 number, the back of the card will have an Irish landline number with an area code, use that instead.

Visa debit is not as widely accepted full stop especially in the us. But i have used my ATM card all over Asia, the us and Europe and never told the bank first.

As regards actual acceptance that depends on the premises your at not on your bank. For instance my American express is about as useful as a beermat in a lot of countries.

L1011

Irish Visa Debit cards identify as Visa cards. Never had acceptance issues. Pre auth even works but the full amount is withdrawn/refunded which can be extremely awkward.

There's little need but no harm in informing a bank of conventional travel plans.

Nervous Wreck

PTSB actively ask customers to contact them if traveling outside the country. I didn't do so once and my card was blocked after the first transaction. Only took about 5 mins to sort it but better to sort it beforehand I reckon.

coylemj

whomitconcerns wrote: »

Visa debit is not as widely accepted full stop especially in the us.

Save the full stop.

The person serving me in McDonalds said that they did accept Visa Debit for POS transactions but EBS here in Ireland obviously had my card locked for international use unless I informed them of my travel plans. It was my last night in the US and I had run out of cash so I flashed the Visa debit card for a few dollars worth of McDonalds finest fare and it was rejected. In monetary terms it was a trivial amount but that can also be a sign of fraud - toe in the water stuff.

I phoned EBS when I got home and had the lock removed, a few weeks later I used the same card to withdraw €300 from an ATM in the Canaries.

Never happened with my BoI ATM card or Mastercard in more than 30 countries but I think you do need to be cautious when using a card abroad for the very first time.

tedpan

killbillvol2 wrote:

If it's a non euro currency you'll be charged significant fees. The bank will be delighted to "convert it for you " as they'll be fleecing you

Not true, I travel to Turkey regularly and use my aib Visa debit. The same rate as the ATM without the withdrawal charges. Even if I brought cash with me, the cost to change money each time makes it a no brainer.

Purpletoes

Thanks for all the responses. I rang the bank and they made a note of my travel dates on my account to avoid any issues