BajaNomad

Cash vs. ATM vs. Traveller's Checks

vernezze - 1-7-2011 at 01:52 PM

As I contemplate a budget for a three week road trip into Baja staying at budget hotels and occasionally camping, I realize this involves more money than I feel comfortable carrying in cash. My guess is that the hotels I am contemplating staying at do not take credit cards either. Travelling in Europe and Asia, I generally rely on my ATM card. I imagine such machines are not exactly abundant in much of Baja. Nor do I imagine travellers checks are very popular. So what is standard operating procedure? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

DianaT - 1-7-2011 at 01:56 PM

Forget the travellers checks.

Depends on where you are as to if they accept credit cards at the hotel.

Easier to pay in pesos and there are ATM machines in many places to replenish your cash.

But there are many places without ATMs----not sure about El Rosario, but I doubt it.

Catavina, no
Bahia Asuncion, Tortugas, Abreojos, La Bocana area ---no, only Guerrero Negro or Viscaino in that area
San Ignacio, no

Have different places to hide the money.


[Edited on 1-7-2011 by DianaT]

Bajahowodd - 1-7-2011 at 02:07 PM

Totally agree. Especially on the Travelers' Checks thing. As for ATMs, I note that verneeze is looking forward to three weeks. Pretty much a matter of how far off Mex 1 and for how long you will be off Mex 1 as to how much you might need to carry and hide. As was noted, with a couple of exceptions, ATMs can be found all along the main highway. My only caution would be that in some cases, there may be only one or two; almost always co-located with a bank. They can run out of cash, so it's wise to plan to hit the ATMs during regular banking hours.

As for hotels and credit cards, it's a mixed bag. Maybe if you list some names, folks on here can chime in as to whether they take plastic. Sure helps cut down the amount of cash you need to carry, if you know the next place you stay takes plastic.

goldhuntress - 1-7-2011 at 02:24 PM

Also call your credit/debit card company and let them know you'll be in MX. My boyfriend banks with Wells Fargo and every time he goes over the border it sends up a big red flag and they freeze his account. He even called first and told them and it still happened. So finally someone on the other end of the line told him there was a paper to sign and send in that would "give permission" for them to not freeze the account for one year. He did that and will soon find out if that worked, he just went over yesterday.

Bajahowodd - 1-7-2011 at 02:34 PM

Another good point. It can depend on the bank involved. For instance, when it was Wamu, I never notified them or had a lick of trouble using my card for any foreign travel. Walk up to an ATM in Athens, and it worked. However, I found out the hard way after Chase took them over, and had to make a phone call to the international toll-free number from Loreto when I tried checking in to a hotel there and got the card rejected.

DENNIS - 1-7-2011 at 02:41 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by goldhuntress
Also call your credit/debit card company and let them know you'll be in MX. My boyfriend banks with Wells Fargo and every time he goes over the border it sends up a big red flag and they freeze his account.


That's happened to me as well. It could have been at a very inopportune time, but no real harm. I didn't even know about it until my card was rejected for an online purchase.

BAJA.DESERT.RAT - 1-7-2011 at 04:00 PM

atm's are pretty prevalent in baja and we have been advised to carefully look at each machine for any alterations and to check our credit accounts when we get back as there have been hits to regular credit cards as much as 6 months later.

costco in cabo was having it done pretty regularly and people were getting their accounts hit from mainland mexico. just do not let your card ( s ) out of your sight if possible and use the atm's at a bank if possible.

i would advise you to carry at least two atm cards as i had one " eaten, shredded " at a bancomer machine and my account was in perfect order. i now have 5 different debit accounts with my bank just in case as i am in baja for 6 - 8 months.

don't forget to buy MEXICAN auto insurance before crossing the border along with your passport.

HAVE A GREAT JOURNEY

BIEN SALUD, DA RAT

maspacifico - 1-7-2011 at 04:33 PM

It is amazing how many places will take credit cards now. Anything mainstream will. Use ATM's for cash, they usually give you a good rate as well. Good tip about using the ones at banks.

I live in Baja. 6 years and Chase can't get it right. They are THE WORST, unfortunately they are our United Miles carrier. I can't even count the number of times we have had to call to get our card unfrozen. And, it's getting worse not better. I go into town every two weeks and I can use the card once....the second time it will be denied. If it wasn't for the miles I would love to tell them where to put their card.

Bajahowodd - 1-7-2011 at 05:17 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BAJA.DESERT.RAT
atm's are pretty prevalent in baja and we have been advised to carefully look at each machine for any alterations and to check our credit accounts when we get back as there have been hits to regular credit cards as much as 6 months later.

costco in cabo was having it done pretty regularly and people were getting their accounts hit from mainland mexico. just do not let your card ( s ) out of your sight if possible and use the atm's at a bank if possible.

i would advise you to carry at least two atm cards as i had one " eaten, shredded " at a bancomer machine and my account was in perfect order. i now have 5 different debit accounts with my bank just in case as i am in baja for 6 - 8 months.

don't forget to buy MEXICAN auto insurance before crossing the border along with your passport.

HAVE A GREAT JOURNEY

BIEN SALUD, DA RAT


You mentioned that you had a card eaten a shredded. Someone correct me if I'm wrong here, but my experience has been that every ATM I've visited in Mexico is of the type that takes your card in and holds it until the transaction is completed. At least, these types of ATMs are seemingly not as vulnerable to people attaching external card readers that will allow cloning of your card.

Recently, we were in Cabo, and had a friend who had never been South of Ensenada. She was a Chase customer in California. Chase ATMs have the configuration where you swipe your card to start the transaction, as opposed to retaining the card in the machine during the transaction.

Anyway, while on our way to dinner one evening, she wanted to stop and get some cash. We went to a Bancomer a block from the restaurant. Next day, she told me that she had lost her card. Long story short, I drove her back to the bank and she retrieved her card. Those machines automatically hold cards that are not retrieved in a matter of seconds. She was so conditioned to the way her Chase ATMs worked that she argued with me about the possibility that she had left her card in the machine.

BAJA.DESERT.RAT - 1-7-2011 at 07:07 PM

Hola,

it was a BANCOMER atm in los barriles that took my card internally, gave me my money but did not return my card and that was on mother's day, a sunday, U.S. observance.

i went back on monday and the gentleman at the desk pulled a 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper with about six halves of cards taped on it. i asked him why this happened and he said " policy " !!!! i told him everything was in order at my bank as my wife checked from the states. again, " policy ".

fortunately, i did open an extra account with my bank and another extra one with bank of america for " just in case " !

this year, i opened 3 more accounts with my primary bank " just in case ". i now have 5 debit accounts with my primary bank with just a minimal amount required in each account.

at least the banamex atm IN LOS BARRILES is a machine that just allows one to swipe the card, not taking it internally.

if i didn't have the backup, i would have been S.O.L.

unfortunately, monies need to be transferred from the pimary account to the secondary account until i got back to the states to retrieve a duplicate primary card.

BIEN SALUD, DA RAT huh ????

Marc - 1-7-2011 at 07:21 PM

I never use ATM or credit cards. Strictly pesos and backup USD. I carry my money on me. If I am in the water it's in a sealed pouch.
That being said; I call my banks and let them know I am traveling if I ever should need to use one of my cards.

Packoderm - 1-7-2011 at 07:46 PM

Take all three. Carry just enough in traveler's checks to stash away for reserve funds in case everything goes wrong. Carry at least enough in traveler's checks to be able to buy a bus ride back home from your farthest destination in Mexico. Regardless of what many here have repeatedly said, the major banks in Baja will cash traveler's checks after a bit of hassle. This hassle should serve as a deterrent to safeguard you against the temptation to use them as a general source of funds. Cash is king, of course, and will get you what you want wherever you are, but I'd hate to lose or be robbed of my cash. I'd carry just enough in pesos and dollars that it would take to finish out my vacation in a bare bones fashion, and use my debit card to occasionally replenish the cash fund in order to keep the vacation enjoyable. I'd plan on cashing back the traveler's checks at your local bank where you originally bought them.

roadhog - 1-7-2011 at 09:16 PM

TRAVELER checks died with the color copier birth.
Bank with a BOA debit account. BOA links with Santander.
Search the web for ATM Mexico/Baja or BOA ATM worldwide.
Copy the Baja ATM sites inot your GPS Streets and Trips or BiciMapas/Garmin.
Exchange dollars for pesos at Costco-where is that Costo south of San Diego ?
deposit Pesos in your BOA account.
Ask BOA - online or telephone - if non BOA pesos are deposit able.:yes:

roadhog - 1-7-2011 at 09:20 PM

also-visit a UPS store, Color copy and blow up your drivers license -registration -credit and debit cards. Place in a red folder with whatever paperwork -tourist card - you need. When the gendarme ask for ID, pull out the red folder....
Get the tourist card with your passport, if your on the road, after COSTCO, at Tiajuana.

roadhog - 1-7-2011 at 09:27 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Another good point. It can depend on the bank involved. For instance, when it was Wamu, I never notified them or had a lick of trouble using my card for any foreign travel. Walk up to an ATM in Athens, and it worked. However, I found out the hard way after Chase took them over, and had to make a phone call to the international toll-free number from Loreto when I tried checking in to a hotel there and got the card rejected.


yes, if you have an ACCOUNT let the Bank know where you're headed. There are personnel there paid to watch over Bank security.

roadhog - 1-7-2011 at 09:32 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by vernezze

If in La Paz, go to Sears on the strip - GPS - the Santander/ATM is across the street. Ask the ATM for $1000.
Amazing.
:lol:

BajaWarrior - 1-8-2011 at 06:31 PM

3 weeks? Stash your cash in one week increments.

CaboMagic - 1-8-2011 at 06:54 PM

Good information provided thus far.

Consider opening a <no cost> Bank of America online account and funding it with what you would like to have available for your trip. The sister bank for BofA is Santander. You can withdraw from Santandar in the bank or at a Santander ATM (make sure it is on the banks premises - vs freestanding) with no fees. You can check to see if there are Santander branches along your anticipated travel route on their website. Convenient and safe.

We stopped accepting travllers cheques back in 2002 when after several months of processing, travellers cheques were returned because the counter signature didnt match original signature .. took us another several months to get full payment.

Be sure and let your ATM issuer you will be travelling. Also know that some freestanding ATM machines charge large user fees, and, the bank from which you are withdrawing may as well .. Hence the BofA/Santander suggestion.

Hope this helps. Safe travels and enjoy your trip.

mojo_norte - 1-8-2011 at 07:26 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by CaboMagic
. The sister bank for BofA is Santander. You can withdraw from Santandar in the bank or at a Santander ATM (make sure it is on the banks premises - vs freestanding) with no fees. You can check to see if there are Santander branches along your anticipated travel route on their website. Convenient and safe.


Santadar bank or ATM locations? are there any between Ensenada and La Paz?

BajaBlanca - 1-8-2011 at 07:46 PM

ATMs in guerrero negro and vizcaino amd santa rosalia and altho I have never used it there, I imagine in Mulege and Loreto. yes in Ciudad Constitution.

western union as a last resort in almost every village.

remember that gas stations do NOT take plastic in Mexico.

money must not be torn or missing corners - it will NOT be accepted.

DENNIS - 1-8-2011 at 08:21 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaBlanca
money must not be torn or missing corners - it will NOT be accepted.



Yeah....be careful about that. They'll refuse it even with a pin hole.
When I get torn bills in change, I Scotch Tape it together and use it for restaurant tips. The new bills mend well and it's hard to see the old tear.
Anyway, by the time they did see something wrong, I'd be a mile down the avenue.

Marc - 1-8-2011 at 09:46 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote:
Originally posted by BajaBlanca
money must not be torn or missing corners - it will NOT be accepted.



Yeah....be careful about that. They'll refuse it even with a pin hole.
When I get torn bills in change, I Scotch Tape it together and use it for restaurant tips. The new bills mend well and it's hard to see the old tear.
Anyway, by the time they did see something wrong, I'd be a mile down the avenue.



If you need to travel outside the US with cash ALWAYS take fresh bills. I have been in situations, once in a BCS bank, and in SE Asia, where old bills were not accepted. The bills were not torn but just wrinkled up old.

snowcat5 - 1-9-2011 at 08:16 AM

Last month, at Costco in Cabo, my credit card ( the only place I used it in Mexico, was hit for four non-authorized charges totlaling about $900. USD. The cashier and the line manager ran my card thru 4 times saying it didn't work and made me pay cash to get my stuff- about $80. worth. Visa called me that evening to inform me what had happened- they hit my card 4 times, six seconds apart. My card was promptly cancelled. Next week, I went in Costco to discuss this with the store manager. At first he spoke excellent English but when I told him what was up, he no longer understood English! I pointed out the floor manager and the cashier but he refused to do anything. Since then I have emailed, written and called the US corp. office and have had no response. My biggest point is that I pay a membership to shop there and the Costco management does not care if their customers are getting ripped-off. I have a feeling that the whole store management is in on the rip-offs. Visa also told me that Costco's, Soreono's, Mega's and Homedepot's ATMs have had issues- many people's bank accounts have been hit for un-authorized withdrawls. Only use ATM cards at banks- they check their machines often.

BajaBlanca - 1-9-2011 at 04:05 PM

snowcat5 - that is just WRONG :fire::fire::fire:

I can't believe they did not do someting about it immediately.

Don't stop writing and making a stink - someone must stop this blantant highway robbery.

Bajahowodd - 1-9-2011 at 04:44 PM

The last bit of advice is golden. Limit your ATM use to those co-located with the bank. Even better, only use them when the bank is open.

DENNIS - 1-9-2011 at 05:04 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by snowcat5
Next week, I went in Costco to discuss this with the store manager. At first he spoke excellent English but when I told him what was up, he no longer understood English!



Not in defense of anything irregular in the Costco market, but the manager probably had no idea of what you complained about. I'm sure he had some, or all, English, but this credit/debit card stuff is all new to them and far beyond the managers field of expertise.
You probably confused him to the coma stage. Besides, it wasn't his job to attend to your credit card problems.

I've been screwed by ATMs a half dozen times here and I never go to the manager of the facility. I go to my bank online. The situation is rectified immediatly.

Sometimes it's difficult to bring cutting edge electronic methods to new areas. It takes them a while to get up to speed, but in my experiences, all they want to do is help....if only they know how....or what......or

snowcat5 - 1-10-2011 at 07:54 AM

Hi Dennis, When I went into Costco I asked to speak to a manager that speaks English. Umberto, introduced himself to me as the store manager and said, '" I speak excellent English, I lived in the U.S. for 12 years". He then asked for my membership card ( I used it the past week..) and told me that it was not valid when I presented it- it had expired. Then he said he couldn't/ wouldn't help me if I didn't pay $35 USD to renew. Then, in English, said he didn't speak English and walked away from me, into a back room. Again, my biggest problem with all of this is that I, in fact, have paid two memberships- one in the US and in Mexico because last May Costco Mexico made me buy a second membership when they wouldn't honor my US card. When they take membership money they are making a deal with me to not rip me off- so far Costco couldn't care less about me. In fact, Visa wanted me to take the policia to Costco to make a report. I didn't have enough money to hire the cops, they all shop at Costco. I have two separate friends that had their ATM cards ripped-off at Mega just last week. Another had their ATM number stolen at the Leys market also.

monoloco - 1-10-2011 at 08:31 AM

I use my US Costco card all the time at the Costco in Cabo.