Reply To: US spending – payment card options.

[Luca M]

stevenhp1987 wrote:

Luca M wrote:

For some reason my long reply does not post.
In shorts, ATM fee are always charged by the ATM operator, and in countries like USA, Spain and Greece are common/the majority for using ATM not operated by the bank issuing the card.
BoA does charge non customer but MBNA UK used to be owned by BoA and thus MBNA Horizon is an exception (ATM fee not charged because of it, plus is a forex free card).

So QFFlyer argument was not in line with the discussion had so far. For the US there are only few FEE FREE options for using ATM by UK bank customers: Chase UK debit card at Chase ATM, Santander Select DC and Santander Zero CC at Santander East Coast ATM, and MBNA Horizon CC at BoA ATM, of these options, only the 2 debit cards mentioned would not incur in interest for withdrawing cash from the ATM nor would this be reported to the Credit Agencies.

Santander Select is supposed to not charge ATM fees at Santander US ATMs but it does… Unless it has changed recently (last withdrawal in 2019).

If you ring Santander UK afterwards they will refund it though.

Last used in 2018 myself, downtown Manhattan, but at the counter as the ATM was playing up, and not charged a fee. However there are reports of similar issue in Spain, when using newly converted Santander Branches (from recent acquisitions), but again, fee are easily refunded once contacted Santander UK.

At risk of sounding like a broken record, Chase UK debit card is for me the top option for US trips: in a March, used it virtually everywhere in LA, and came back with about £60 cashback.