So are you saying that you can use any debit card for a counter cash advance inside a foreign bank and not pay an ATM fee(from your home bank) or forex fee? Including the Visa/MC 1% fee? Or the bank's add on 2% fee? That sounds great! I've always been able to use my BofA debit card in France with no fees except the 1% Visa/MC fee. However, we are going to other countries this trip that have no relationship with BofA. So I'm looking to find another bank or better way of getting cash since BofA ATM charge is $5 plus 3%.
Just to clarify, at non-Global Alliance banks (whether via ATMs or at the counter), BofA will charge $5 plus just a 1% "international transaction fee". The fee won't be charged at the time of receiving the cash, but will show up later on your statement. The 3% ITF applies only if the card is used as a credit card for a purchase. See
this page for lots of good ATM FAQ's. One answer explains how to contact them to increase your daily allowance for withdrawals, which means you wouldn't have as many $5 charges during your travels.