Originally Posted by mahasamatman
I made comparisons in Israel and Spain in December, and came to the conclusion that my ATM card gave the best rate, followed very closely by MBNA.
Absolutely, if you can get an ATM without fees. For foreign purchases billed to USD either MBNA (mastercard) or National City (visa) don't charge over the 1% default fee. The exception is MBNA Canada, which charges 2.5% in addition, so be careful! Any suggestions out there for CDN credit?
I also recommend having an account with a global ATM alliance member: Scotiabank (Canada), Bank of America, Barclays (UK/Africa/Everywhere else), BNP Paribas (France), Deutsche Bank, Westpac (Austr.). These banks offer no-fee access via ATMs to one another's accounts. So, for example, I can withdraw Cedis at Barclays in Africa from Scotiabank in Canada at the best exchange rate with no fees! The only trouble I've can see is that Bank of America stinks.