Originally Posted by
drvannostren
Details:
- Canadian
- Bank with TD
I just wanna know what the situation with ATMs is going to be. I know travelling in Colombia my card works only at certain brands of ATM. But because I'll be in Sao Paulo and Rio, neither too long but I'd love to just KNOW ahead of time which machines would likely accept my card, especially since I don't speak the language.
I bank with Bank Of America in the US, and was able to use the Santander and HSBC ATMs. These are international banks, I suspect you will be able to use these without trouble.
Of note, on my first trip I tried a Brasilian bank, and it didn't work. I was at the airport and there were several ATMs, so I went to HSBC and had no issue. But then someone was able to spoof my card and steal quite a bit of cash from my account (almost everything as I had a high limit)! I suspect that someone installed a card reader in the ATM that did not work, and was watching me put in my PIN. It was Banco do Brasil or Itau... can't remember which. Luckily I took out a lot of cash and was able to get through my trip but it could have been a real issue. My Bank eventually reinstated the amount.
So, I think you will not have major problems, but inspect your ATM carefully!