bridgeair

Yes you are right. I found this on the discover.com website:

travelsg

BoA website still claims no fee for using CCB ATM. Are you sure the party is over? (Not arguing, but just want to make sure...)

Copied from this link:
******
What are some tips for using an ATM in foreign countries?
Check the network: You can use your Bank of America debit card or ATM card anywhere you see the CIRRUS symbol. In addition to CIRRUS, you can use ATMs with the MasterCard or Visa symbols. The symbol on the front of your card will indicate if your card is MasterCard or Visa. To find the nearest MasterCard/CIRRUS ATM, please visit http://www.mastercard.com/atm
To Find the nearest Visa ATM, please visit http://www.visa.com/ATMlocator

Understand the types of fees charged: The non-Bank of America ATM usage fee is $5. This fee is assessed for each withdrawal, transfer or balance inquiry performed at a non-Bank of America ATM in a foreign country. In addition, the ATM operator may charge an access fee for cash withdrawals.
Your deposit account statement will reflect the U.S. dollar equivalent of your foreign ATM withdrawal. Bank of America will assess an international transaction fee of 3% of the U.S. dollar amount for all ATM withdrawals processed in foreign currency.footnote3 International ATM operators may offer to do your currency conversion for you, but they may charge a higher fee for conversion. To insure that your currency conversion does not incur a fee higher than the one stated above, you may refuse the ATM operator's offer to convert the amount of the transaction. The fee is assessed as a separate transaction fee on the posting date of the withdrawal.

You can avoid the non-Bank of America ATM usage fee and ATM operator access fee by using one of our international partner ATMs in the corresponding countries listed below:
Barclays (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Jersey, Guernsey and the Channel Islands)
ABSA (South Africa)
BNP Paribas (France)
BNL D’Italia (Italy)
UkrSibbank (Ukraine)
TEB (Turkey)
Deutsche Bank (Germany and Spain)
Scotia Bank (Canada, Peru, Chile and the Caribbean including: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Mexico, Saint Maarten, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands and U.S. Virgin Islands)
Westpac Bank (Australia and New Zealand)
China Construction Bank (Mainland China)
Santander (Mexico)

moondog

They tack 3% onto the transaction now.

travelsg

Seems that has been (conveniently) left out on BoA's website. But thanks for pointing that out.

I'm aware most credit cards will charge 3% foreign transaction fee (with the exception of a few Chase cards). So it would make sense for the debit cards to be in the same boat.

I really don't want to open a new bank account just for this.. So I might just eat the 3%...

shingu79

For a short stay, say under the 72 hour period, do you really need cash?
Do taxis not take credit card?

moondog

Yes.
No. Uber does, but you can't always count on Uber.

Loren Pechtel

I have never seen a credit card scanner in a Chinese taxi although I will admit to not being a heavy taxi user.

tentseller

I would be careful if the taxi have a credit card "READER" for you to use.

tauphi

Ironically Citi is the only bank I'm aware of in Australia that offers a fee-free debit card for ATM withdrawals. Of course you're still right as they are a tiny bank retail-wise in Australia.

TheBroad

Prior to a 10-month stay (split between Kunming and Shangri-la) in 2010 I opened up a Capital One account. Transfers from our primary account were a little clunky, taking 5 days to clear, but we were charged no transaction fees (I even checked the rate to see if they just factored it in, but nope) and could use multiple ATMs. I think our usual bank was a China Construction Bank (i.e. "The Blue One") but we also use Bank of China, ICBC, and Agricultural Bank of China ("The Green One"). We are nearing the end of 7 months in Kunming again, and the only issue we had was up in the county town in Weixi. There was an ABC, but it did not accept foreign cards. It was way off the beaten track and not at all a tourism destination.

Plus, if you get the awards account, you get a point for every $20 you have in there each month and can combine it with rewards from a Capital One credit card. It adds up very quickly.

jamar

Uh, I should note that there are exceptions.

1. Eating at a Watami with some friends in a shopping mall in Shanghai. Swipe my Discover card and the terminal just shows "Restricted Card". Doesn't even ask for an amount, doesn't even ask for a PIN, just errors out like that and asks for another card. Discover says they saw nothing.

2. Computer accessories kiosk in Xujiahui. Same thing except this time the error was "C2- BIN Restricted".

hessinger

I'll take that 7$ commission. The Guangzhou international arrivals area has an exchange and charges at 25$ fee. Cheapest to use ATMs or the illegal money traders everywhere. :-/