![]() If you can, request to have your euros delivered in small bills, as some European businesses might not be able to break larger notes. Also consider that most banks have a minimum amount of euros that you can order, usually €250 or more. Try to place the order a month before your trip, if you can. Keep in mind that your bank probably doesn't carry euros on-hand, so you'll want to allow at least three weeks for the currency to arrive. Other times, you might have to visit a financial center, as is the case for Bank of America credit card holders who don't also have accounts with the bank. dollars online with their debit card or checking account– Bank of America and wells fargo, for example, permits customers with checking and savings accounts to order foreign currency on the bank's website. Some banks allow their customers to order euros from u.s. ![]() Many (especially in the east) are privately owned and charge incredible fees, not to mention the possibility of having your account information in the hands of a non-secured third party.The best way to avoid huge currency fees when you're buying euros in the United States is to do it all through your personal bank account. The worst thing you can do is assume that all ATM's are linked to a reputable financial institution. In Spain, Banco Popular has been the best. In France, for instance, the post office ATM's have been the best for my experience. Once you have your domestic account in place, then it's time to see which European financial institutions have the best fees and rate of exchange. It's all about identifying which one's not going to make you bend over the most often.ĭo your homework and find out which ATM is going to stick it to you a bit less. Believe me, there are no free lunches when dealing with financial institutions. For instance, the exchange rate may be $1.30 to 1 euro, but the sell rate is $1.39 while the buy rate is $1.15. It's usually at least 1% of transaction amount with a minimum fee of $25.Īlso, there's a difference between "exchange" rate, "buy" rate, and "sell" rate. I've never heard of a bank not charging a transaction fee for currency conversion. That's pretty close, do what feels best for you. So, if you get cash from an ATM over there, you'll pay about 3½% vs 5% for cash over here. This is exactly what happens with Well Fargo's rate vs Interbank. I suspect they started in the morning with an interbank rate slightly lower than that day's average and applied 5% to it, and the interbank rate went up slightly during the day. ![]() I looked up yesterday's average interbank rate on, and Chase's rate for cash was just under 5% over. If you do a good job of that (moneybelt, neckwallet), then you are not going to lose the cash.Īs for the cost of getting cash over there, from ATMs, there are many small banks, credit unions, etc, that charge 1% plus a few $$ for ATM withdrawals (my bank in Denver charges 1% + $2, about 1½% overall). It just emphasizes, you have to protect those things. Justice, if you didn't carry much money, relying on your card, and you got pickpocketed, and they got your card, that might be potentially worse, with no money and no way to get more. It may cost more but it is worth the peace of mind. Is it worth at most a few hundred dollars to take the chance at losing even more money and ruining your trip, probably not. The Chase Manhattan Bank was formed upon the 1955 purchase of Chase. However, like most banks, Chase sells foreign currency to customers with a margin added onto the exchange rate. I would have gotten more myself but I figured that if it costs me say an extra $100 for my trip if the exchange rate goes up I can live with that, but if I was to get say 3000 euros for my whole trip and got pick pocketed and lost all my money my whole trip would be ruined. is an American multinational and universal bank and financial services. Chase Bank buys and sells foreign currency at the mid-market exchange rate in the foreign exchange market, which is the exchange rate you’ll find on any given day via Google or Reuters. You may not get a better total exchange rate in Europe, including all the fees imposed by Chase, if the rate goes up at all before you leave, but how much money do you really want to carry around. I did not get all the money I will need from chase for my whole trip, enough for my first 7 to 10 days or so. It is going to cost you about 3.5% to 4% including all fees when you get Euros from an ATM in Europe. Chase charges about 5 extra cents to buy Euros from them. I also bank with Chase and did the same thing about 2 weeks ago, my rate was just under $1.35 per Euro when the real exchange rate was around $1.30.
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