# What's the Best Debit Card for Americans Abroad?



## latfla (Jul 1, 2013)

What's the Best Debit Card for Americans to Use Abroad? I heard Schwabs' good.


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## Elyles (Aug 30, 2012)

latfla said:


> What's the best (US) debit card to use in Spain? Thanks. lane:


 We use our MasterCard with a chip and pin. HSBC in New York offers them with accounts.


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## Elyles (Aug 30, 2012)

latfla said:


> What's the Best Debit Card for Americans to Use Abroad? I heard Schwabs' good.


 I advise against using American Express here. I am off to the gym and pool, be back later and figure out how to add you to accept pm's and send you info. Also, try establishing an account with a local bank such as Santander


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

Visa or MasterCard


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## latfla (Jul 1, 2013)

Elyles said:


> I advise against using American Express here. I am off to the gym and pool, be back later and figure out how to add you to accept pm's and send you info. Also, try establishing an account with a local bank such as Santander


Elylles & Isobella, thanks for your response.

Better than those mentioned (AE/MC/V), are cc where you do not pay ATM fees at home or abroad. No interests either. Schwabb's is an ex. The thing is you have to have your residency in the US.

Other suggestions?


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## Elyles (Aug 30, 2012)

latfla said:


> Elylles & Isobella, thanks for your response. Better than those mentioned (AE/MC/V), are cc where you do not pay ATM fees at home or abroad. No interests either. Schwabb's is an ex. The thing is you have to have your residency in the US. Other suggestions?


 if you open a bank account here you should get a debit card


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## latfla (Jul 1, 2013)

Hi. The issue is how to best have access to US banks via ATM abroad, other than pensions deposited at a bank in Spain, as mentioned, or using the usual (AE/V/MC), cards, for which you have to pay outrageous fees So far, as shared Schwab's is the only one I know of, with the limitation mentioned previously. Other suggestions?


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## latfla (Jul 1, 2013)

Elyles said:


> We use our MasterCard with a chip and pin. HSBC in New York offers them with accounts.


Do you pay ATM fees for HSBC? Also, do you need to have a US address? Thanks.


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## Elyles (Aug 30, 2012)

latfla said:


> Hi. The issue is how to best have access to US banks via ATM abroad, other than pensions deposited at a bank in Spain, as mentioned, or using the usual (AE/V/MC), cards, for which you have to pay outrageous fees So far, as shared Schwab's is the only one I know of, with the limitation mentioned previously. Other suggestions?


 We have no ATM fees with HSBC but opened a substantial account with them for that purpose. I have my SS direct deposited in Santander and the US government charges no transfer fee.


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## Elyles (Aug 30, 2012)

latfla said:


> Do you pay ATM fees for HSBC? Also, do you need to have a US address? Thanks.


 No US address necessary with HSBC. We had a bit of a quagmire regarding the address issue. We were using my step daughter's address in Boston but Merril Lynch suddenly required that we have a permanent US address which would have cost us State taxes in a State we had never lived in. We already had the HSBC account set up and transferred everything there. I can understand the reason being to not support terrorism but we had to end a 20+ year relationship with Merrill. We are satisfied with HSBC and they have an officer to deal with expats


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## latfla (Jul 1, 2013)

Elyles said:


> We have no ATM fees with HSBC but opened a substantial account with them for that purpose. I have my SS direct deposited in Santander and the US government charges no transfer fee.


Ditto to SS; just made the arrangements.

Need to research HSBC

Thanks!


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## latfla (Jul 1, 2013)

Elyles said:


> We have no ATM fees with HSBC but opened a substantial account with them for that purpose. I have my SS direct deposited in Santander and the US government charges no transfer fee.


Tried to PM you but got this: "Elyles has chosen not to receive private messages or may not be allowed to receive private messages. Therefore you may not send your message to him/her."


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## Elyles (Aug 30, 2012)

latfla said:


> Tried to PM you but got this: "Elyles has chosen not to receive private messages or may not be allowed to receive private messages. Therefore you may not send your message to him/her."


 hopefully just fixed this

Contact Arancha Casara

Asesoría y Servicios Jacetanos
974355702


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## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)

Two threads for the same question by the same poster

Mods, can you merge the threads, I'm getting older and get easily confused.


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## latfla (Jul 1, 2013)

ah this is great. Will research. Thanks much.


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## latfla (Jul 1, 2013)

hahaha am the one that's really gotten older and terribly confuded...sorry about that...


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## latfla (Jul 1, 2013)

Elyles said:


> No US address necessary with HSBC. We had a bit of a quagmire regarding the address issue. We were using my step daughter's address in Boston but Merril Lynch suddenly required that we have a permanent US address which would have cost us State taxes in a State we had never lived in. We already had the HSBC account set up and transferred everything there. I can understand the reason being to not support terrorism but we had to end a 20+ year relationship with Merrill. We are satisfied with HSBC and they have an officer to deal with expats


ah this is great. Will research. Thanks much.


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