www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Wondering if anyone knows if there is a bank in the U.S. that lets you withdraw cash from your account while visiting Costa Rica without incurring foreign transaction charges or any similar B.S.?

Thanks in advance for any assistance!

when I inquired about this with a couple of US Banks they both told me that the 2-3% was international banking "Law"

A CRT member told me that Bank of America (I believe) owns Scotiabank. If you have a US account with the bank that owns Scotia, this member said that using a debit card at the ATM would dramatically reduce fees. Scotiabank has several branches in CR and SJ.

Worth checking into.

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These are just the opinion pages and I am just submitting mine.

Poco a poco la vieja sube el coco.

HSBC should have reciprocating charges between the US and CR banks... at least they do in Canada and England...

Wells Fargo charged me $5.00 per ATM (debit/check card) transaction while in CR.

Scotia Bank Costa Rica is a franchise of the Canadian bank Bank of Nova Scotia which uses the brand name Scotia in Canada. It is not affiliated with any U.S. bank.

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Guess my credit union, located in Florida, is violating International Banking Law. . Don't tell anyone there liable to start charging that fee "required by law".

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

GR---I'm leaving for CR next Thursday and yesterday I called 4 different credit card cos. & my 2 banks to let them know my travel plans and I asked each one of them whether they imposed foreign transaction fees and the answers were a Resounding YES for ALL of them. The least was 3%. Banks are charging and increasing fees up the wazzoo because they sure as hell aren't making loans so fees....fees....and MORE fees is the name of the game for them these days.

Not sure how much of a help this is but my bank in the Boston area didn't charge me anything when I used the ATM at the Colonial Casino last month. Not even the usual foreign ATM fee of $2.00.

I withdrew c50,000 and the deduction to my account was $90.34. At the time I believe the exchange rate was about 554:1. The bank I use is Cambridge Saving Bank http://www.cambridgesavings.com/

SK

There are still a few, but dwindling number of banks who don't charge for using ATMs.

I personally use my debit card from my little local credit union. I use it all over the world and have NEVER been charged a fee by the credit union. The only fees I have had to pay are those charged by the machine's owner.

It may help if you try to utilize machines that are part of the same network as your bank. That is your best chance for avoiding fees. Your network(s) are usually shown on the back of your card. Check their website(s) for other members of the network where you will be visiting.

My card shows that the credit union is part of "Cirrus", "Co-op" and "Star" networks.

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Women are like beers. I've never had one that I didn't like. Just some that I like more than others! --Western

The last time that I checked, there exists no law that says a bank MUST charge a customer for a service. Generally, banking laws provide the limit, i.e., maximum, that a bank may charge a customer. When a bank states that something is "the law," ask for a copy of the actual statute. They can never produce it.

You need to be very careful with bank of america. they only honer the no atm in the country that the foreign bank is charterd. ie: Scotia bank is not chartered in CR so they WILL charge a foreign transaction fee. I reside on the east coast and I us TD Bank. They have no fees worldwide and will even reimburse you up to 350$ per year fees other atm charge you. Works great for me.

possibly "law" is incorrect

But in almost all cases you are going to pay, remember $2 on a hundred dollar transaction is 2%

here are a couple of articles to read

http://www.independenttraveler.com/reso ... category=8

About Debit Card Fees and Overseas Transaction Fees
International ATM machines will charge a fee when you use your debit card; the amount is determined by the ATM owner. Most fees are under $5 -- a notice on the ATM machine will tell you what the fee is. More than $2 is too much -- look for another ATM machine.
The real fee problem with a debit card comes from your own bank -- the card issuer may charge you up to 3 percent for a foreign transaction, including an ATM withdrawal. Call your bank long before you go -- if you don't like the fee, call around and ask what other banks are charging for foreign transactions made with a debit card; be sure to ask what, if any, fees the bank will charge for an ATM withdrawal made on foreign soil, even at an "international bank."

Brothe Malf1204--Thanks for the tip about TD Bank. Being as they took over Commerce Bank all over S. Jersey and are thus everywhere here, I may have to open an account with them.

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

To me TD Bank means Toronto Dominion Bank. Is that the same bank that you are talking about that is doing business in the eastern US as TD Bank?