baron
Junior Nomad
Posts: 76
Registered: 1-29-2008
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US BANK DEBIT CARD
Wondering if the US Bank card will be usable to obtain pesos down in the baja It has PLUS, INTERLINK AND MONEY PASS on the back.
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bajabass
Super Nomad
Posts: 2016
Registered: 10-4-2006
Location: La Paz,BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: Want to fish!!!
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YUP!
Keep your eyes on the road, and your hands upon the wheel!
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DianaT
Select Nomad
Posts: 10020
Registered: 12-17-2004
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Two suggestions---
Tell your bank you are going to Mexico and will be using the card. Our bank does not cut us off any more---but it has happened in the past.
Also, check on your daily limit---we had to have our's raised.
Same thing if you plan on using a credit card. Sometimes when an unusual charge happens, they will put a fraud alert on the card.
Have fun!
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bajabass
Super Nomad
Posts: 2016
Registered: 10-4-2006
Location: La Paz,BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: Want to fish!!!
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Good points Diana! I had both happen before I straightened out my bank!!
Keep your eyes on the road, and your hands upon the wheel!
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mcfez
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8678
Registered: 12-2-2009
Location: aka BN yankeeirishman
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Oh yes! Very good advice
| Quote: | Originally posted by DianaT
Two suggestions---
Tell your bank you are going to Mexico and will be using the card. Our bank does not cut us off any more---but it has happened in the past.
Also, check on your daily limit---we had to have our's raised.
Same thing if you plan on using a credit card. Sometimes when an unusual charge happens, they will put a fraud alert on the card.
Have fun! |
Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
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KASHEYDOG
Senior Nomad
Posts: 649
Registered: 2-21-2007
Location: CARLSBAD,CA 619-990-0270
Member Is Offline
Mood: SO MANY TACOS, SO LITTLE TIME... Gotta Go, See ya there.... 
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DianaT
Two suggestions---
Tell your bank you are going to Mexico and will be using the card. Our bank does not cut us off any more---but it has happened in the past.
Also, check on your daily limit---we had to have our's raised.
Same thing if you plan on using a credit card. Sometimes when an unusual charge happens, they will put a fraud alert on the card.
Have fun! |
Absolutely great advise. In fact if you want to be sure call them every time you go down just before getting to the border. I've had it noted on my
accounts but have still been blocked while down there. Typically what happens is you get to use it once and the second time it's blocked. So, I've
programmed the banks customer service or fraud department number in my phone and I'll call on the way down. They are always very helpful and want to
know how many days you're going to be there, so I usually give them a couple of days longer just in case. Works well that way...
Don\'t mess with the old dog...... Age and skill will always overcome youth and treachery! Brilliance only comes with age and
experience.....  ....  ....
Are you getting the most out of life OR is life getting the most out of you ?? 
Twenty years from now you\'ll be more disappointed by the things you didn\'t do then the things you did.
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DianaT
Select Nomad
Posts: 10020
Registered: 12-17-2004
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Glad to see we are not the only ones who had the cut you off bank or credit card problems. I loved it when I called one of the credit card companies
from Mexico and they told me that I should have answered their calls to me on my cell phone---the US cell phone which does not work in Mexico! I
asked them if I could list my Mexican cell phone with them to call next time-----answer, no way. 
Also baron, another heads-up to consider. I don't know where you are going, but please be aware that after the San Quintin area, the next bank and
ATM is in Guerrero Negro---unless I have missed one??? Also, there are no ATMs or banks in most of the rural areas and credit cards are useless.
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baron
Junior Nomad
Posts: 76
Registered: 1-29-2008
Member Is Offline
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Muchas gracias a todos!
Great info.
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mcfez
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8678
Registered: 12-2-2009
Location: aka BN yankeeirishman
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Yes...I got caught in Mexico with a "stop action" card too. American Express card! So much for those ads of....use it anywhere :-)
Np......went to use my other card. :-(
Yeah......fun day.
| Quote: | Originally posted by DianaT
Glad to see we are not the only ones who had the cut you off bank or credit card problems. I loved it when I called one of the credit card companies
from Mexico and they told me that I should have answered their calls to me on my cell phone---the US cell phone which does not work in Mexico! I
asked them if I could list my Mexican cell phone with them to call next time-----answer, no way.
Also baron, another heads-up to consider. I don't know where you are going, but please be aware that after the San Quintin area, the next bank and
ATM is in Guerrero Negro---unless I have missed one??? Also, there are no ATMs or banks in most of the rural areas and credit cards are useless.
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Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
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Iflyfish
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3747
Registered: 10-17-2006
Member Is Offline
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Best exchange rates are via the bank machines, US bank is my bank and I have used it all over Mexico, including Baja.
Iflyfish
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KASHEYDOG
Senior Nomad
Posts: 649
Registered: 2-21-2007
Location: CARLSBAD,CA 619-990-0270
Member Is Offline
Mood: SO MANY TACOS, SO LITTLE TIME... Gotta Go, See ya there....
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DianaT
Glad to see we are not the only ones who had the cut you off bank or credit card problems. I loved it when I called one of the credit card companies
from Mexico and they told me that I should have answered their calls to me on my cell phone the US cell phone which
does not work in Mexico! I asked them if I could list my Mexican cell phone with them to call next time-----answer, no way.
Also baron, another heads-up to consider. I don't know where you are going, but please be aware that after the San Quintin area, the next bank and
ATM is in Guerrero Negro---unless I have missed one??? Also, there are no ATMs or banks in most of the rural areas and credit cards are useless.
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Don't know what carrier your using but I know that Verizon and Sprint / Nextel both will put you on an Baja plan at no charge so their phones work
where there is cell phone coverage. You only get charged for the calls as long distance and Mexican charges. But at least they work. Only bad part is
there's no caller I.D. so you can't screen them. Give them a call and ask about Baja coverage. Works for me.....
Don\'t mess with the old dog...... Age and skill will always overcome youth and treachery! Brilliance only comes with age and
experience..... .... ....
Are you getting the most out of life OR is life getting the most out of you ??
Twenty years from now you\'ll be more disappointed by the things you didn\'t do then the things you did.
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danaeb
Senior Nomad
Posts: 991
Registered: 11-13-2006
Location: San Diego; El Centenario
Member Is Offline
Mood: groovy
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Another thing about using credit cards in Mexico - the foreign transaction fee varies from bank to bank. I was very suprised to learn that my AmEx
charge is substantially lower than my Barclays MC. It's good to ask when you notify your CC company about your travel plans.
Experience enables you to recognize a mistake every time you repeat it.
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BAJA.DESERT.RAT
Senior Nomad
Posts: 980
Registered: 11-5-2009
Location: BAJA SUR
Member Is Offline
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Hola baron,
may i suggest you getting a couple of extra debit cards from your bank. you'll have to open them as new accounts.
i had my debit card " EATEN " by a bancomer atm in los barriles. there was nothing wrong with my account and the bank manager just told me it was "
POLICY " ???
fortunately, i had opened another account with my bank before heading south.
when i returned home, i opened two more and another with a different bank. JUS IN CASE !
it has been recomended to use an atm at a bank. as in the states, always check the area you place your card to make sure it hasn't been altered.
BIEN SALUD, DA RAT
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BAJA.DESERT.RAT
Senior Nomad
Posts: 980
Registered: 11-5-2009
Location: BAJA SUR
Member Is Offline
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P.S. by EATEN, the machine shredded the card internally and the manager did return my card parts when i asked for them.
BIEN SALUD, DA RAT
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mcfez
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8678
Registered: 12-2-2009
Location: aka BN yankeeirishman
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by BAJA.DESERT.RAT
Hola baron,
may i suggest you getting a couple of extra debit cards from your bank. you'll have to open them as new accounts.
i had my debit card " EATEN " by a bancomer atm in los barriles. there was nothing wrong with my account and the bank manager just told me it was "
POLICY " ???
fortunately, i had opened another account with my bank before heading south.
when i returned home, i opened two more and another with a different bank. JUS IN CASE !
it has been recomended to use an atm at a bank. as in the states, always check the area you place your card to make sure it hasn't been altered.
BIEN SALUD, DA RAT |
Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
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Bajajorge
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2604
Registered: 10-13-2005
Location: Topaz Lake, NV/San Felipe
Member Is Offline
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I've found that some banks require that you notify them that you will be in Mexico for security reasons. BofA locked my card out one time due to my
being SOB and not notifying them.
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durrelllrobert
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7393
Registered: 11-22-2007
Location: Punta Banda BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: thriving in Baja
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Iflyfish
Best exchange rates are via the bank machines, US bank is my bank and I have used it all over Mexico, including Baja.
Iflyfish |
even with the 20.98 pesos the MX ATM charges for using their machine, and the $5 that Wells Fargo
charges for using someone elses machine, I got a rate of 13.59 peso/$ yesterday.
Bob Durrell
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tjBill
Senior Nomad
Posts: 516
Registered: 10-6-2007
Location: Tijuana
Member Is Offline
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US Bank ATM card is the worst card to use abroad.
They charge a 3% foreign currency transaction fee plus a $2.50 foreign ATM service charge. 
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