Everyone seems to be useing the VISA "logo-ed" ATM debit cards. What about Mastercard "logo-ed" ATMs sporting the Maestro and Cirrus (among other) systems?

Oh - And I assume if you have any ATM (no logos) affilated with the Maestro/CIrrus, etc. systems, that these would also work....?

Thanksamundo!

[This message has been edited by SpainSpud (edited 02-17-2001).]

The quickest way to guarantee that your ATM card will work in Spain is to determine if it is on the accepted list at visa.com. If it is, you're sailing. If not, you can always open up a temporary account at a different bank, where they will issue the appropriate card. Remember the one answer that was given...... only 4 digit PINs work in Spain, and the best place to use the ATM card is at the bank ATM machines. They usually work.

On the issue of not being protected if there is a theft of an ATM card. Make sure you have the web address of the bank you deal with back here, and arrange that you can send them an email to cancel that particular card if it disappears. In our case, we always take two different ATM cards with different PIN numbers for each account with us. That allows us a second access to the same account.

On the question of being able to withdraw from savings vs checking account. We arranged through our bank to have them automatically make deposits at their 2 PM closing of business from our savings into our checking account. They were free transfers and we had them establish the checking account at $250 each day, for each of the three accounts we use. We never got caught short on a trip, and never had any problem whatsoever. That also limited any losses we may have encountered if a card was lost.

When it comes to "buying things," don't use the debit cards. Use a credit card. But not because you won't have recourse on a sale because I don't see how you can have it after you get home. Instead, because you can get the 16% VAT tax put back into your account on the items you buy, after you get home, by filing the proper documents when you leave Spain. That more than covers all the usage you have on the ATM cards, during a month long trip.

Wolf

I travelled to Madrid from February 9 till 19th, and just before my depart I called all my credit cards, in two of them I will be going to be charged for every purchase I make overseas. but with the third one there is no charge, the same with my ATM. So I decided to use that credit card for all I needed, I used money just to take the metro, or going to the theater, very small things, and for almost everything I used my credit card, and kept my ATM just in case I needed cash. And because that credit card has an interest of 16 % once I got the statement I made a transfer to the other credit card in which I have 1.9 %.
about the money. in all the places I changed money the rate were about 170 pesetas per dollar. and one Sunday when all the banks were close, the only place that was opened was in one store at Atocha station and they wanted 150 pesetas per dollar. And with my credit card when I got the statement, making the calculations the rate was 180 pesetas per dollar.
Rafael

Will they also accept Discover or other CC, or does it need to be VISA?

They definitely do not take Discover card in Spain. This is strictly for USA use (maybe Canada too). The MOST popular credit card, worldwide I belive, is the VISA card. Second would be...oh... Mastercard, then American Express, and I know some places, a few take Diner's Club. Safest bet is to take the Visa credit/debit card though.

OFFTOPIC (WHAT? ME??!!): One of my credit card companies, Citibank, sent me a cheery letter saying something like "We're working harder to make your life simpler so we're changing your Visa to a Mastercard and raising your credit limit!" I called them immediately, complained, and they "let" me keep my Visa card.

Saludos, MadridMan

Is it acceptable to pay for hostales with traveler's checks (in pesetas), or does it *have to* be cash? I would rather keep my lodging money separate from the rest of my travelling money without opening another account.

Thanks

Regarding el Corte Ingles, they have a sign up that says they are taking 5% on bank notes and 3% on travelers checks, but from my experience they take nothing.

For $100, el Corte Ingles gave 17,200 pesetas. The Exchange Office on Puerta del Sol next to Mallorquino Pastry shop offered to give 18,000 pesetas BUT they were going to take 3,000 pesetas as their commission, leaving me with 15,000. Once I saw what they intended to charge for the exchange, I returned to el Corte Ingles. There was no 5% taken from the exchange that I could see in the paperwork they gave me. (February '01)

When I travel with my students, they line up at el Corte Ingles to exchange their money.

We have also exchanged at Barajas airport, where they have given a better rate on the bank notes than the travelers checks, and also at the hotels.
http://www.geocities.com/srasofia/fiesta.html

I think Hostales is a family business, and it is probably that a great percentage only acept Spanish currency. I stayed at Hostal Castro in calle Leon. I is a nice place, very clean, rooms have enought space and the bathroom is nice. the hostal is owned by a Spanish woman and her daugther, and they do not acept credit cars or even dollars, only Spanish currency, and they do not speak English, on one ocasion there was a german guest that didn't speak Spanish and as I was walking to go out I noticed the problem and helped to communicate talking in English with the German and in Spanish with the local

Rafael

Yes, but if I buy traveller's checks *in* Spanish pesetas, they should not have to be changed, right? So wouldn't hostal owners be more apt to accept them? I thought they were like cash...?

[This message has been edited by Kimberley (edited 03-21-2001).]

Kimberely, One trip to Madrid about 3 years ago, I was "stupid" enough to buy some traveller's cheques in Spanish pesetas here in the States...Let me tell you, I could not cash them anywhere, even in El Corte Ingles in Barcelona!!!!We finally went to a casa de cambio and changed them into hard currency, losing even more to commission rates...I will never, ever do that again. We now use our ATM/VIsa debit card when we go!!!!