Siam Commercial Bank overseas ATM withdrawals

[VBF]

I decided to test my SCB card in UK, just in case I ever need to get my Baht out of Thailand when I'm here.

I knew it would cost me in terms of fees but I don't quite understand how they've done it.

I withdrew just £10 (it was only a test) and didn't know whether to expect a 100, 200 or 220 Baht fee as all 3 amounts have been told me by SCB at various times.

 

Exact procedure I followed was:

 

Inserted card (happened to be HSBC in UK)

Entered PIN

Requested balance - not available which is quite understandable as SCB probably has no arrangement with HSBC

Withdrew £10, having requested and received a receipt.

Took card back - FINISHED

 

When I later logged onto SCB internet banking it showed this:

 

 

So 2 fees of 100 Baht, plus my £10 at approx rate of 42.

 

So my question - anyone know why they charged me 2 x 100 Baht, instead of just charging 200 Baht?

Was the first one because i requested a balance?

 

Or any other known reason?

 

Edited January 14, 2019 by VBF

[Chivas]

You may have an error there. Whilst it was some time ago I to was charged 100 baht by SCB for the facility plus whatever the rate was at the time

Just enquire next time you are in Thailand

Edited January 14, 2019 by Chivas

[Pib]

Since you implied you also did a balance inquiry that was the other Bt100 charge.  When looking at the SCB Thai language fee schedule on their debit card and letting Google Translate do its thing it says a 100 baht fee is applied for "Withdrawing money and/or doing a balance inquiry"

 

Google Translation

Quote

Transaction fees in abroad
• Withdraw money / ask balance in the account 100 baht / transaction

 

[VBF]

5 hours ago, Pib said:

Since you implied you also did a balance inquiry that was the other Bt100 charge.  When looking at the SCB Thai language fee schedule on their debit card and letting Google Translate do its thing it says a 100 baht fee is applied for "Withdrawing money and/or doing a balance inquiry"

 

Google Translation

 

Thanks @Pib I had a sneaking feeling that might have been it! If it's in the T&C, then I suppose it's my error but it does seem very unfair (not to say unusual) to charge for enquiries within 1 session. Having said that my test was successful inasmuch as I know what happens.

 

I'm in Thailand late this month so I shall attempt to find someone at SCB to comment, however being as "TIT", I'm expecting to ask 3 people and get 3 different answers! 

 

Still open to receiving other opinions folks.

Edited January 15, 2019 by VBF

[Pib]

And when within Thailand and say you do a balance inquiry against your account "using another bank's ATM" that balance inquiry may count as one of your free fee-free withdrawals under the "ATM Pool" program....that balance inquiry will count like an actual withdrawal.   The ATM Pool program among participating Thai banks (most banks do participate) allow 4 free withdrawals/inquires per month at another bank's ATM within the same banking region. I've seen posts from Bangkok Bank folks where they started getting hit with the 20 baht withdrawal fee on the 4th (or earlier withdrawal) because they had already done some balance inquires that month which used up some of their free ATM Pool withdrawals/inquires.

[Chivas]

VBF

I wouldnt be concerned over the extra 100 baht bearing in mind the others posters response over the additional fee

Now you know it works (as mine did at same fee) than you can always check via online banking what your balance is.

I do wonder if you had a big balance just how long say £500 withdrawals would continue out of country based on my SCB atm limit of 20,000 baht daily and Sterling at 40. Would the bank pick up on possible fraud. Am guessing they might and block card

[VBF]

4 hours ago, Pib said:

And when within Thailand and say you do a balance inquiry against your account "using another bank's ATM" that balance inquiry may count as one of your free fee-free withdrawals under the "ATM Pool" program....that balance inquiry will count like an actual withdrawal.   The ATM Pool program among participating Thai banks (most banks do participate) allow 4 free withdrawals/inquires per month at another bank's ATM within the same banking region. I've seen posts from Bangkok Bank folks where they started getting hit with the 20 baht withdrawal fee on the 4th (or earlier withdrawal) because they had already done some balance inquires that month which used up some of their free ATM Pool withdrawals/inquires.

Well well...learning all the time! I never knew anything about that, always assumed  that any activity using "another bank" was chargeable and therefore always used SCB's machines; to be honest, when actually in Thailand, there's usually an SCB at hand.

Thanks for that info though.....knowledge is power. ????

[VBF]

3 hours ago, Chivas said:

VBF

I wouldnt be concerned over the extra 100 baht bearing in mind the others posters response over the additional fee

Now you know it works (as mine did at same fee) than you can always check via online banking what your balance is.

I do wonder if you had a big balance just how long say £500 withdrawals would continue out of country based on my SCB atm limit of 20,000 baht daily and Sterling at 40. Would the bank pick up on possible fraud. Am guessing they might and block card

Having thought about it, @Chivas I quite agree - life is too short!  And you're right, I had already checked my balance online, I just thought, or rather assumed it would be free as it would be in UK - so now I know better and the education only cost me 100 Baht - bargain!

 

However, that's a very valid point about continuing to withdraw overseas although the scenario in which I'd do it is if i wanted to empty the account, and when I leave Thailand, I only generally leave 10-12,000 Baht in it anyway. I sort of implied that (obliquely) in my OP. ????

[khunPer]

On 1/14/2019 at 3:22 PM, VBF said:

So my question - anyone know why they charged me 2 x 100 Baht, instead of just charging 200 Baht?

Might well be a fee to the bank in Britain, and a fee to the bank in Thailand. It's the same when using a European ATM card like Visa in Thailand, your own home country bank will charge a fee, and the bank operating the ATM will also charge a fee. Furthermore there could be a (higher) mark-up on exchange rate, depending of it's a cash card, or a credit card.

[cme]

On 1/15/2019 at 1:53 PM, Pib said:

Since you implied you also did a balance inquiry that was the other Bt100 charge.  When looking at the SCB Thai language fee schedule on their debit card and letting Google Translate do its thing it says a 100 baht fee is applied for "Withdrawing money and/or doing a balance inquiry"

 

Google Translation

 

I have the SCB app (in English) on my phone and it's really good, works well in Europe and you can do a balance Check without having to login to the app. Can top up your or other phones without cost. Have used the card and it was same as using a UK/EU card.

[VBF]

Thanks all. ????

Just FYI, the bank in Britain does NOT charge for any card withdrawals - I enquired - that's the easy bit!

Anyway, I got answers to my OP in posts 5 & 6 and responded to both.

When I next find myself in a SCB I might ask the question if there's a good English speaker on the staff, but I'm fairly sanguine about what I've been told.

[heybuz]

i can't withdraw with my scb card overseas does this have to be setup with scb first

thanks.

[VBF]

1 hour ago, heybuz said:

i can't withdraw with my scb card overseas does this have to be setup with scb first

thanks.

Yes. Its like online banking - you need to request it at SCB which as far as I can see means you need to be in Thailand to set it up, unless you already have online banking and can see a way to do it there - I don't know but I imagine that if you could set it up on line, the OTP to a phone thing would be necessary.  Actually, for security, I hope it would be necessary!

 

I've had a SCB card for several years - the reason i tested it, and started this whole thread, is that in 2016 my card was due to expire so I went to SCB to get a  a new card.  At the time I requested overseas use which the expired card did have, but I'd never tried to use the present one outside Thailand and I just wanted to check - see my OP.

 

Now, my card has the wording "HIP CARD" on it, as did my old one. I have no idea what "HIP" stands for, but here is an image from a Google search of its appearance (not going to put my card in here obviously!)

 

 

Also, despite having the MasterCard logo, it will NOT work for online purchases - I once tried to book a flight in Thailand on Thai Air Asia using it.

SCB told me that that's because it’s not a credit card. It’s a Debit Card - obviously, their definition of a Debit Card differs from the UK banks!

Apparently it can be used in retail outlets, but I've never tried. I was offered a Chip & Pin but declined as I only use the SCB card to get cash anyway so for me it's solely an ATM card.

 

And finally, and this may or may not be relevant, my account is classed as a Savings account (says so on the book and internet banking).

 

Please note that I have NOT confirmed this but apparently some ATMs ask you if its a Savings or Current account so you need to choose appropriately. When I tested mine the question was not asked hence I cannot confirm it.

 

 

Edited January 16, 2019 by VBF

[heybuz]

thanks, my card looks different ,no hip just says smart  in large letters and where hip is on yours it says SCBdebit . thanks for your reply

Edited January 16, 2019 by heybuz
deleted a bit

[Chivas]

VBF

Mine works for online purchases when am in the uk (pay first night hotel or whatever) but they ask for a one time password (OTP) which they send to your thai number. In otherwards it needs to be roaming to pick up the SMS. Works perfectly. Make sure voicemail is deactivated on your phone

Just used again yesterday. I have another Samsung where the True sim stays inside switched on 24/7 albeit you only need to switch it on pre SMS if you wanted to

Saves having to put sim in your main phone etc etc

Edited January 17, 2019 by Chivas

[VBF]

2 hours ago, Chivas said:

VBF

Mine works for online purchases when am in the uk (pay first night hotel or whatever) but they ask for a one time password (OTP) which they send to your thai number. In otherwards it needs to be roaming to pick up the SMS. Works perfectly. Make sure voicemail is deactivated on your phone

Just used again yesterday. I have another Samsung where the True sim stays inside switched on 24/7 albeit you only need to switch it on pre SMS if you wanted to

Saves having to put sim in your main phone etc etc

Just out of interest @Chivas is yours a HIP card like mine? I only ask because mine most certainly will not work online - as I said, I've tried and SCB confirmed it and I don't need it to ....... would be interesting to know though.

[Chivas]

2 minutes ago, VBF said:

Just out of interest @Chivas is yours a HIP card like mine? I only ask because mine most certainly will not work online - as I said, I've tried and SCB confirmed it and I don't need it to ....... would be interesting to know though.

No mines a Mastercard Debit Card but it does have "Hip Card" in addition bottom left hand corner. This one was issued July 2014 valid for 10 years

[VBF]

2 minutes ago, Chivas said:

No mines a Mastercard Debit Card but it does have "Hip Card" in addition bottom left hand corner. This one was issued July 2014 valid for 10 years

So like the picture I posted above? Actually, thinking about it, it might have been my OLD card that I tried online but as SCB issued the current one as a direct replacement I would have thought it had the same facilities.   Sorry......being logical again. 

[Chivas]

5 minutes ago, VBF said:

So like the picture I posted above? Actually, thinking about it, it might have been my OLD card that I tried online but as SCB issued the current one as a direct replacement I would have thought it had the same facilities.   Sorry......being logical again. 

Sorry didnt notice earlier. Yes marginally different design but clearly identical card

[Chivas]

Have you got a registered Thai number with SCB ??  Without it it definately wont allow online transactions anyway

[VBF]

1 minute ago, Chivas said:

Have you got a registered Thai number with SCB ??  Without it it definately wont allow online transactions anyway

Absolutely. I've used the OTP facility to add payees and pay people with accounts in other Thai banks. I've also set up a link to my AIS phone so i can top up the phone from my SCB account if I want to. My Thai phone does roam too.

 

All that works OK but it's just what the card will or will not do that's confusing. I'm in danger of overthinking this because, as I say, I only really need my SCB card to use in ATMs.

[PREM-R]

vbv.scb.co.th/debit/activate

[VBF]

5 minutes ago, PREM-R said:

vbv.scb.co.th/debit/activate

Thanks @PREM-R  Looked at that and, FYI, should actually be https://vbv.scb.co.th/debit/activate/  (The all important secure site)

So clearly then, setting the card to work online is another option which at some point @Chivas has set, or SCB set it for him.

[Chivas]

3 hours ago, VBF said:

Thanks @PREM-R  Looked at that and, FYI, should actually be https://vbv.scb.co.th/debit/activate/  (The all important secure site)

So clearly then, setting the card to work online is another option which at some point @Chivas has set, or SCB set it for him.

Am guessing SCB set it up originally automatically.

Have no recollection of contacting SCB other than when I changed my True Sim number

[VBF]

17 minutes ago, Chivas said:

Am guessing SCB set it up originally automatically.

Have no recollection of contacting SCB other than when I changed my True Sim number

They must know you're a Platinum TV member - one of the privileges perhaps? ????????

[VBF]

As the OP, I thought I'd update by saying that I visited my SCB branch and confirmed that what @Pib said in #3 is exactly correct - there is a charge for checking your balance using a foreign ATM, and as i discovered, this applies even if the foreign ATM is unable to display the balance.

 

As discussed, pretty much irrelevant if one has internet banking but question answered and there was NO problem with the system. ????