| BANKING
SERVICES |
| COUNTRY
QUICK LINK A-D • E-H • I-L • M-P • Q-T • U-Z |
| ARGENTINA |
|
| • Exchange
rate favorable for U.S. dollars. ( 1 US: 3 pesos) |
| BRAZIL |
|
| • They
have the worst bank services. • Traveller's
checks are extremely hard to cash and not widely
accepted. ATMS are the best choice. • Exchange
rate good and have many ATMs. • Exchange
rate is favorable for those with dollars. |
| CANADA |
|
| U
Alberta: • Multiple
ATMs available, but not all connect to U.S. bank
so conversion fees charged. |
| CHINA |
|
Shijiazhuang: • Banking
with a debit card is very inconvenient. The
school is not in an urban setting so some things
(transportation, banks, medical services) are
inconvenient. Chinese government/bureaucratic
sanctions inconvenient. • ATMs not in
Shijiazhuang. Banks will give cash advance
on credit cards, sometimes on check cards.
|
| COSTA
RICA |
|
• Bank
lines are really long on Mondays and Fridays.• Banco
Nacional was the most accurate bank for ATM use.
Banco de Costa Rica wouldn’t accept my
Bank of America Visa check card for ATM, I used
it for cash advances inside the banks. • Be
prepared to wait in line at the bank. • Banking
hours are inconvenient-the school could have
helped more with that.• Make
sure you bring a good amount of money on you
because ATMs are a little tough to find if you
need funds from an institution here. • Dollars
are accepted but get bad exchange rate (best
rates at banks). • Banks closed on Saturdays.
|
| ECUADOR |
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• Find
ATM machines in more respectable part of Quito.
Some ATMs run out of money and a refund with
a failed transaction is impossible. • Take
plenty of small bills. Large bills and travelers’ checks
are difficult to change.
|
| EGYPT |
|
•
You
can't have a bank account unless you are 21 and
going to
be here for longer then 3 months. But as far as
ATM's go, you just have to walk around and find
ones, the
fees aren't too bad, but you need to tell your
bank that you're out of the country. Oh and if
you exchange
money or travelers checks, the people working there
rip you off and short change your money. They skim
off an extra fee for themselves, so you should
just stick to the ATM to get L.E. |
| GUATEMALA |
|
| Quetzeltenango: • Be
careful with traveller's check since banks are
very picky about the way you sign your name. |
| ITALY |
|
| • Make
sure your ATM works at international locations. |
| JAPAN |
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• Usable
ATMs for American banks are very limited. • Make
sure that you have cash money when you
arrive! Many of the stores will not take
traveler's
check. |
| KOREA |
|
| • Financial
system and processing is extremely slow. |
| MEXICO |
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Playa
de Carmen: • ...
money exchange was convenient. Cuauhnahuac
(Cuernavaca): • ... currency exchange
provided on campus. • ... options terrible. • School
provides money exchange during the week so
no need to use bank. Fenix: • Withdraw
a lot when using ATM to avoid multiple fees
and take credit card as backup. • Could
have used guide to hours banks (and post offices)
are open. • ... paid tuition with traveler's
check when I arrived, but carried ATM care and
took out money from local bank as needed. • Be
careful with banks since my credit card number
was stolen by a bank worker. ICO
(Oaxaca): • Traveller's
checks hard to cash in the area. |
| NETHERLANDS |
|
| Utrecht: • On
your own to set up bank account. |
| SPAIN |
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•
Bring plenty of Euros to get by for one month.
Open a foreign bank account (Barclays) to avoid
fees. • Bad
exchange rates. • Buy
currency before you go. • ATMs
will take debit cards, but remember
that ATMs charge fees.• The
only way to use traveler's checks is to open
a bank account and swap them. |
| UK |
(England,
Scotland, Northern Ireland) |
| • ATM
fees can add up quickly. |
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