Originally Posted by
remyontheroad
Galling indeed!
Chase bank in US does charge an out-of-network atm fee and I'm aware of and accept that and have certainly, I'm sure, on occasion, agreed to pay a local atm fee as well (Mexico City come to mind).
It's the absurd markup on the currency conversion that, apparently, they will not allow you to decline that I found shocking.
I'm heading to LHR on Monday, so will report back if I find anything different.
(I also have an HSBC (now CCF) card in France and was actually told recently by friends that I can withdraw from any bank with no fee. I've always thought I can't but that may have just been an assumption on my part. I'm going to investigate that too)
Take a look at the Schwab Bank checking account. It has no fees and no minimums, no foreign conversion markup, and reimburses all ATM fees (except for probably DCC since that's baked into the conversion). It's an excellent option for someone who travels outside the US consistently. I just get a small amount of cash at the airport when I arrive, decline DCC, and not even care about any ATM fees. It's very freeing to know you can use any ATM without worrying about exorbitant fees.