Problems Using Charles Schwab Debit Card

[SeaMike01]

I'm an American teaching abroad in Thailand. After clearing some difficult residency and address hurdles I finally got my Charles Schwab debit card activated. When I attempted a trial run to do a "balance inquiry" at local SCB and Krungthai ATMs today, I was unsuccessful. Has anyone had any experience with using one of these cards in Thailand? I know it's a "chip" card. Does it go into the same slot for withdrawals? Also, the menu options seem problematic. There are three: a.) Savings b.) Current Account and c.) Credit Card. Which is the correct option to withdraw or make an inquiry?

[rodknock]

is your card visa or mastercard?

if it is you need to register the card.

it should work after registering the card.

 

[Bagwain]

For a moment there I thought you meant Klaus Schwab. Sh@t myself thinking it has already happend. Got my breath back!  

????

[Guest TerryS123]

I use my Charles schwab atm all the time in Thailand.  Current account. ALWAYS let CS bank do the conversion. You get hosed using the Thai bank currency conversion.  Atm fees reimbursed on the last day of the month.

Edited October 10, 2021 by TerryS123

[SeaMike01]

1 hour ago, rodknock said:

is your card visa or mastercard?

if it is you need to register the card.

it should work after registering the card.

 

It's a visa. I did register it when it arrived a few months ago. But for some reason the ATMs declined the transaction.

[SeaMike01]

So I can choose to have to have Charles Schwab covert to Thai baht first? In their app?

[pseudorabies]

I can second what TerryS said.

I've never used it for a balance inquiry, only withdrawals.  According to one website, the daily withdrawal limit is $1000 USD.  Has anyone actually done this successfully?  

[pseudorabies]

7 minutes ago, SeaMike01 said:

It's a visa. I did register it when it arrived a few months ago. But for some reason the ATMs declined the transaction.

Did you set up the PIN?  For me it was a challenge using my Google voice phone.  I had to spend over 30 minutes with an agent. For some reason their automated system wouldn't accept input from the Google Voice app.

[SeaMike01]

Yes, I set up a PIN. That's what I used to attempt a balance inquiry. I haven't tried setting up a Google voice yet.

[calbts2]

I have been using my Charles Schwab debit cards at local ATMS as my main method of bringing money into Thailand for many years now.

You can find out the exact VISA exchange rate usually to the penny here  https://usa.visa.com/support/consumer/travel-support/exchange-rate-calculator.html

I have both a brokerage account debit card which you use the "current" option and a savings account debit card - "savings" option.

The brokerage account ATM fees get refunded after one or two days while the savings account ATM fees get refunded all at once at the end of the month.

When convenient - I try and use AEON ATMs as they charge only 150 baht (used to be zero) vs the higher charge(200-220 baht) at other local Thai bank ATMS as even though I still get all fees refunded - I do want to save Schwab some money from the greedy Thai Banksters as a thank you for saving me so much in ATM fees over the years here in Thailand. And also a hope that they never stop refunding these ripoff fees. Schwab has really been a godsend to US expats here over the years.

Of note I also have a US based Citibank ATM card that essentially collects dust here as I only use that when I am in the US visiting.

 

 

 

[VocalNeal]

2 hours ago, SeaMike01 said:

When I attempted a trial run to do a "balance inquiry" at local SCB and Krungthai ATMs today, I was unsuccessful.

I am hardly surprised. Why would you expect to be able to get a balance from a foreign bank from a machine in Thailand. How does SCB get access to your account in the first place. 

If you do internet banking with your bank you should be able to get a balance but not from a foreign ATM. 

[Tom F]

I have been using a Schwab debit card  in Thailand for years, with zero problems.   To withdraw, use "Current Account" menu option.  I never bothered to just check the balance; I don't even know if that is possible.  Ordinarily, when withdrawing cash, the ATM will offer the option of a paper receipt.  On that receipt will be your balance at Schwab, usually.   If a particuIar ATM does not provide a paper receipt with the balance, the problem is with the Thai bank that owns the ATM, not Schwab.  If you want a trial run on everything, just withdraw 5k baht, or so..  Since Schwab reimburses all fess, no downside to doing so.  Withdrawal limits?  I think that Schwab's is $1,000.  However Thai banks have lower withdrawal limits.    SCB's is 20,000.

 

One possible hangup.  Does Schwab know that you are in Thailand?  If not, their fraud prevention algorithm might be blocking the transaction.  You can notify Schwab through your online account, or by phone.

[gk10012001]

1 hour ago, VocalNeal said:

I am hardly surprised. Why would you expect to be able to get a balance from a foreign bank from a machine in Thailand. How does SCB get access to your account in the first place. 

If you do internet banking with your bank you should be able to get a balance but not from a foreign ATM. 

He would expect to be able to get a balance for the same reason he expects to be able to withdraw money. The systems know somehow if there is enough money in the account to allow for the withdrawal.  I point out that even here in the USA some ATMs in some places will NOT display my balance on inquiry. why?  I have no idea.  It is just something I have seen now and then.  Sometimes it does not allow the inquiry, sometimes it does not print the balance on the receipt.  Other times it does. 

[bikerlou47]

All this talk is worthless..just call  and talk to a rep they are very good and all your questions will be answered.

[skatewash]

When it starts working for you, I recommend using Krungsri Bank (the yellow bank) as their ATMs allow withdrawal of up to 30,000 baht which is more than most other Thai ATMs.

I use it occasionally to withdrawal 30,000 baht from my Schwab Checking Account.  Never had any issues.  I've never attempted to do a balance inquiry.  If I want to know my balance I would use the Schwab website or phone app.

[VocalNeal]

12 hours ago, gk10012001 said:

here in the USA

????

 

But as many Americans on TV/Asean haven't quite figured out yet, Thailand is not like home.

Just to be inclusive, a lot of Brits haven't either.

Edited October 11, 2021 by VocalNeal