| Pages:
1
2 |
vernezze
Newbie
Posts: 9
Registered: 1-4-2011
Member Is Offline
|
|
Cash vs. ATM vs. Traveller's Checks
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
Select Nomad
Posts: 10020
Registered: 12-17-2004
Member Is Offline
|
|
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
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
Member Is Offline
|
|
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
Senior Nomad
Posts: 663
Registered: 1-28-2010
Member Is Offline
|
|
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
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
Member Is Offline
|
|
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
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
|
|
| 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
Senior Nomad
Posts: 980
Registered: 11-5-2009
Location: BAJA SUR
Member Is Offline
|
|
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
Nomad
Posts: 317
Registered: 4-22-2008
Member Is Offline
|
|
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
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
Member Is Offline
|
|
| 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
Senior Nomad
Posts: 980
Registered: 11-5-2009
Location: BAJA SUR
Member Is Offline
|
|
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
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2802
Registered: 5-15-2010
Location: San Francisco & Palm Springs
Member Is Offline
Mood: Waiting
|
|
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
Super Nomad
Posts: 2116
Registered: 11-7-2002
Member Is Offline
|
|
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
Nomad
Posts: 105
Registered: 10-29-2009
Member Is Offline
|
|
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.
|
|
|
roadhog
Nomad
Posts: 105
Registered: 10-29-2009
Member Is Offline
|
|
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
Nomad
Posts: 105
Registered: 10-29-2009
Member Is Offline
|
|
| 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
Nomad
Posts: 105
Registered: 10-29-2009
Member Is Offline
|
|
| 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.
 |
|
|
|
BajaWarrior
Super Nomad
Posts: 2307
Registered: 9-27-2006
Location: Mission Bay, San Diego. Playa Hermosa, San Felipe.
Member Is Offline
Mood: Anxious to get south
|
|
3 weeks? Stash your cash in one week increments.
Haven't had a bad trip yet....
|
|
|
CaboMagic
Super Nomad
Posts: 1127
Registered: 4-30-2005
Member Is Offline
|
|
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
Senior Nomad
Posts: 725
Registered: 2-14-2006
Member Is Offline
|
|
| 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
Select Nomad
Posts: 13242
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
Member Is Offline
|
|
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.
|
|
|
| Pages:
1
2 |
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
