HELP HELP! Girlfriend in Japan RIGHT NOW and has a problem!
 

My girlfriend is in Japan (Tokyo) right now and has a problem! She just tried to get cash out of a connivence store ATM using two different cards (Bank of America card and a local credit union card, I know both are debit and have either Mastercard or Visa logos on them) and neither card would work at all! She's completely out of cash and is on a tight time schedule since she's with a group from her school over there and are leaving for Sapporo as soon as they get up. Does anyone know why there might be a problem with both cards? Is there a time limit where ATM's stop working with overseas cards and will she be able to get cash out at like 7am local time? She really needs to have cash on her and this card DID work just the other day, I'm in the process of trying to get ahold of both card's on the phone to make sure there's no holds or anything but she DID tell them she would be in Japan during these dates.

She's staying at Sakura Hotel Ikebukuro --- 2-40-7 Ikebukuro Toshima-ku, Tokyo Japan. Can anyone suggest an ATM location that's within walking distance that I can text her and have her try first thing when she wakes up? Hopefully one that wouldn't require to many detailed directions. I believe she will have to meet her group between 7:30 and 8am so the ATM would have to be open at or before then. Any post office ATM or bank one open that early? Would the 7-11 ATM or AM-PM one work again that early in the morning?

Also, another question, should she get more out then normal since she's going to be spending the next three or four days in Sapporo, would there be less chance of getting to a working ATM there? (One day will be at the Toya Sunpalace so I figure that's outside of town a bit...)

Finally finally, she's leaving out of Haneda Airport Terminal 2, does anyone know if there is a bank or ATM in the terminal that she would be able to use?

Thanks so much guys!! This is her first time over there and our first time apart this long, I'm now worrying like crazy and I'm shocked she seems to be upset but not freaking out that she can't get cash. I'm sure deep down she's starting to worry more and more though.

Seriously? You need to panic about this? Deep breaths are called for here.

She has cards which she can use for nearly anything here and does need cash for the most part. If she does need cash before getting to Sapporo at (and I am guessing here based on your description) lunchtime or a bit earlier have her borrow a few yen from someone in the group. Upon arrival in Sapporo go to the ATM at the airport there or a post office in town.

If she comes across an ATM on the way to the airport or at the airport in Haneda great, if not, back to the deep breaths.

For future reference,a nd this is universally true, packing lists should contain in addition to extra socks, an item called "Enough Foreign Currency". ;)

Good luck.

I don't know why I didn't think of the arrival airport too... I guess she hasn't been able to use a card at most places they have gone to for shopping or food and I know she's taken about $1,000 USD in cash ($700 over and then $300 from an ATM a few days ago) so I think she just wasn't sure how much shopping she was going to do or how much to bring. Do you happen to know the hours of the post offices in Sapporo, she's staying at Hotel Sunroute New Sapporo at Nishi 6-Choume, Minami 2-jo, Chuo-ku.

I can't seem to figure out how to find service info about a specific post office location, or even the location of one. The official pages are either all japanese or don't make sense to me and google maps has no idea what I'm asking. I would just like to be able to text her an address she can ask the front desk or at least know if it's just a block or two away or a subway/bus ride away. Thanks for the deep breaths, she's been gone for 10 days already over there and it sounds like her days are from 7am till 10 or 11pm with almost no contact. I'm going to worry, I have to :p

Here's what may have happened--

Most ATM cards have a daily withdrawal limit, but that withdrawal limit applies to the midnight-to-midnight period in your home area.

I live in the U.S. Central Time Zone. Suppose I had a $200 a day limit on my card and I withdrew money for dinner and a concert at 6PM Tokyo time. This would be 4AM Central Daylight Time.

Now suppose I wanted to withdraw money for lunch at noon the following day, Tokyo time. That would be 10PM, Central Daylight Time, still "the same day" as far as my bank was concerned.

While all convenience stores have ATM, as far as I know only 7-11's accepts foreign cards. A quick glance at the map there's no 7-11 near Sakura Hotel Ikebukuro. There are plenty of FamilyMarts though.

But your GF is in luck. There is a post office nearby, and they do accept foreign ATM cards. It's around the block next door to Denny's. The ATM is open between 8am and 7pm on weekday.

Thanks, I've texted her the details about the 24 hour limit and trying the post office ATM. She mentioned she had to meet at 7:30am but on the itinerary it says 8:15am so maybe she'll have a chance to use the post office one. Thanks guys! You put my mind at rest a good deal since I'm able to give her all this info.

I guess a post office or 7-11 location near her hotel in Sapporo is the only thing left to worry about, hopefully she'll text me saying that there's one close by when she checks in. THANKS!

Foreign cards are accepted at post offices (but the hours are crappy), 7/11s, Shinsei ATMs and Citibank ATMs. There should almost certainly be a post office ATM at both airports and possibly a 7/11 ATM.

Here's a 7/11 ATM locator (in English):
http://www.sevenbank.co.jp/www-cgi/a100.php

I personally have found that only the Citibank ATMs are close to reliable for using foreign cards. Other ATMs will sometimes work, but will also occasionally not.

I always use the post office ones and I never have problems with them.
Make sure she takes out more than she needs. You get hit with fees. Here at my Canadian bank, I get hit $5 each time

+1

+10


Upon reading the title, I thought this was one of those "ESL teachers" being forced to work for the mafia deals...

I don't think the OP has twigged yet that his girlfriend is being forced to teach English to the mafia. No doubt he'll post again when he does.

People still fall for that ?

I fall for it all the time. Just today I opened a thread about being "robbed" by HH customer service reps. I was hoping for an exciting story about masked gunmen with an ambition take you places ... sadly it was just some story about expired points.

There ought to be a law against these misleading thread titles.

Well... if someone can't figure out ATM's....

As mentioned by other Posters:

1. Post Office ATMs or ATMs with the JAPAN POST BANK brand on it.
2. Citibank ATMs
3. 7-11 Convenience Store ATMs (note 7-11 ATMs for international cards can only withdrawal in 10,000yen increments)

4. Shinsei Bank works with some international cards, my Bank of America card works fine at Shinsei Bank ATMs, however my friend's Polish bank card did not.

Also as noted cards usually have a daily withdrawal limit on them, so if she is using any of those ATMs above and trying to pull out a large amount and nothing happens, try pulling out a smaller amount. BoA had me capped at about 70,000yen daily withdrawals before I called them (which was a pain in the butt because of the different times).