CitiBank BKK

[arunsakda]

I one has a savings account with may one use Citibank ATMs in Japan without

international ATM fees?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Are you asking, can you use a Thai Citibank ATM card at Citibank ATMs in Japan without fees?

It also depends on what fee you're asking about. For example, in Thailand, Citibank ATMs charge the same 150 or 180 baht ATM fee on foreign cards as all the other Thai banks.

But that's a fee from Citibank Thailand... not a fee from Citibank U.S., for example.

So the first question is, in what country is your Citibank account based. And then, what if any foreign use fees does Citibank in that country charge.

[WitawatWatawit]

I would seriously doubt it. Citibank does nothing for free.

[arunsakda]

I am in Japan pretty much monthly. I have a local account in Chiang Mai so no problem here of course, but when you are talking about international ATM fees it can add up to $12.50 USD in fees just to download some dosh. To be specific I'm thinking of setting up a savings account with Citibank-Th next time I am in BKK because as many of you are aware due to special circumstances unique to Japan, finding an ATM that takes "foreign" cards in Japan can be a P.I.T.A.. Also, a non Japanese cannot open a deposit account with a Japanese bank, under any circumstance, unless one holds a valid Foreign Resident Registration ID Card and VISA.

Yes I made a call but got someone who was unable to answer my question. My Citibank Guam account served me well for years, as I could use Citibank-Jp ATMs with no international fees**. This month however I got a letter that Citibank-GU are pulling out of the deposit account business and I actually have to close my account by Feb 28, 2014.

**Interesting this ability to withdraw cash in Asia without international charges is because Citibank-Guam is on the Citibank "Asia" network. I think If one has a Citibank account from a US state such as California international fees do apply when using Citibank ATM in India, Japan, Thailand etc. I thought of setting up a Citibank account next time I am in SFO but I think this may or may not be possible as I no longer have a "US" address.

Next question then, does anybody who holds a US based Citibank account know if they can use their card at Citibank ATMs in Japan with no fees?

http://www.guampdn.com/article/20131127/NEWS01/311270017/Citibank-discontinue-some-services

Edited December 22, 2013 by arunsakda

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

So, there are two issues here.

1a. Will Citibank Thailand charge one of their own accountholders a foreign currency fee when you use their Citibank Thailand ATM at a Citibank in Japan. I believe the answer to that is YES...because last time I checked, Citibank Thailand had FCF for any use outside Thailand. But you ought to be able to double check that via Citibank Thailand and/or their website.

1b. Will Citibank U.S. charge one of their own accountholders a foreign currency fee when you use their Citibank U.S. ATM card at a Citibank in Japan. Likewise, last time I checked, the answer to that was YES, unless you happen to have a higher level Citi account like CitiGold or higher, where they waive a lot of those kinds of fees.

2. Will Citibank Japan charge you a foreign ATM fee for using their Citibank Japan ATM with a non-Citibank Japan card, whether it be Thai or U.S.-based. That one, I don't know.

In general, when traveling, you have to watch out not just for one fee, but for two: whether your cardholding bank charges you a FCF, and whether the foreign ATM you're using charges you a fee because you're a non-member of their network.

And actually, those typically are two different kinds of fees:

--the foreign currency fee (FCF) is usually based on a % (like 2-4%) of whatever amount you withdraw via an ATM and is charged by your card issuing bank.

--the ATM use fee is usually a flat amount and charged not by your card issuing bank but by the foreign bank that owns the foreign ATM you're using.

Edited December 22, 2013 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[arunsakda]

2. Will Citibank Japan charge you a foreign ATM fee for using their Citibank Japan ATM with a non-Citibank Japan card, whether it be Thai or U.S.-based. That one, I don't know.

Other than Citibank as far as I know the only ATMs that accept foreign cards in Japan, AT ALL , are the "Yuuchou" Postal Banking System (limited hours and locations) and 7-Bank, which are found at 7-11 convenience stores and some airports. What I am looking at now is getting an ATM card for my Charles Schwab investment account, supposedly they refund all ATM fees. I know it sounds convenient, but if you are out of the main cities and all they have is Seicomart, you are effed.

I guess I could always go back to goddamned travelers checks, like when I started out in Shinjuku in 1987. The Japanese invented the ATM, but at that time when the bank closed at 6PM on Friday they pulled a giant metal door over the thing and you could not use it until the bank opened on Monday. Never made any sense to me at all..

Edited December 22, 2013 by arunsakda

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Charles Schwab U.S. does reimburse all foreign bank ATM transaction charges, usually automatically at month's end, when you use a Schwab VISA debit card to pull the funds.

Schwab also doesn't themselves charge any foreign currency fee when their VISA debit card is used outside the U.S.

[arunsakda]

I began in the pre ATM period, we had travellers checks and super costly phone calls.

I have a friend who first came to BKK on the hippie trail in the 1970s. (Claims he was one of the first Tourists to hit the beach at Samui but .., lets let him have his story). Apparwntly back then you carried everything from Europe, and if you got jacked, you were in a pickle unless somebody could wire you some dosh

Got me thinking, how did people manage cash in the old old days before travellers checks? I imagine royalty travelled with stringboxes full of cash/gold with manservants, what about those if morw modest means?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I used to use traveler's checks when I first visited here in the early 2000s. I think they were already going the way of the dinosaurs at that point. But once I got the lay of the land, and the convenience and prevalence of ATMs here, those quickly gave way to ATM cards.

Unfortunately, it took just a bit longer for me to realize that bringing just any ATM card, like those belonging to most of the major U.S. banks, was an ATM fees ripoff waiting to happen. And that time, of course, was also before the Thai banks began adding on their own 150/180 baht per withdrawal fee on foreign cards.

So, therein began the crusade to find and use no foreign currency fee debit and credit cards (including those that also reimburse other banks' ATM use fees), of which there are plenty for anyone willing to do a bit of research and looking.

Edited December 22, 2013 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Beardog]

I am in Japan pretty much monthly. I have a local account in Chiang Mai so no problem here of course, but when you are talking about international ATM fees it can add up to $12.50 USD in fees just to download some dosh. To be specific I'm thinking of setting up a savings account with Citibank-Th next time I am in BKK because as many of you are aware due to special circumstances unique to Japan, finding an ATM that takes "foreign" cards in Japan can be a P.I.T.A.. Also, a non Japanese cannot open a deposit account with a Japanese bank, under any circumstance, unless one holds a valid Foreign Resident Registration ID Card and VISA.

Yes I made a call but got someone who was unable to answer my question. My Citibank Guam account served me well for years, as I could use Citibank-Jp ATMs with no international fees**. This month however I got a letter that Citibank-GU are pulling out of the deposit account business and I actually have to close my account by Feb 28, 2014.

**Interesting this ability to withdraw cash in Asia without international charges is because Citibank-Guam is on the Citibank "Asia" network. I think If one has a Citibank account from a US state such as California international fees do apply when using Citibank ATM in India, Japan, Thailand etc. I thought of setting up a Citibank account next time I am in SFO but I think this may or may not be possible as I no longer have a "US" address.

Next question then, does anybody who holds a US based Citibank account know if they can use their card at Citibank ATMs in Japan with no fees?

http://www.guampdn.com/article/20131127/NEWS01/311270017/Citibank-discontinue-some-services

I have a Citibank acct in the U.S. Here is what I found out from the Citibank in BKK. Even though the name is the same it is NOT the same type of Citibank.

I checked in the U.S. that year & they said the same seperate & you will be charged the U.S. fees as well as the Thai fees if applicable. So in essence it is not treated as a U.S. to a U.S. Citibank like logic would dictate. But this is LOS & logic does not ever apply to any situation. That and any of the banks would rather make a buck on transactions. The best way is to open a forex acct or a similar account to avoid the bank charges. But that needs to be done stateside & not here.

I had a buddy that used his fidelity acct for avoiding bank fees (at least the U.S. transfer fees)

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

U.S. folks can use a Fidelity brokerage account and its associated VISA debit card to make ATM withdrawals abroad with no foreign currency fee charged by Fidelity, and they also reimburse other banks' ATM fees.

Fidelity says they charge a 1% FCF. But based on reports from members here, at least right now, they don't charge that for ATM withdrawals, but they do charge it for POS purchases.

https://www.fidelity.com/cash-management/fidelity-cash-management-account/overview

Edited December 22, 2013 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[arunsakda]

As for FOREX accounts are these guys for real? Some rich yank in a bar told me he used them to transfer money when he wanted to buy a house in Niseko.

http://www.ozforex.com.au

[callcharlie2001]

When I noticed CitiBanks here on my first trip, I opened a Citi account in USA in hopes of minimizing charges. What I learned on my 2nd trip here, is the that local CitiBank Thailand did NOT charge the 150/180 bhat ATM fee, but CitiBank USA did charge a 3% FCF, which was more than the 1 or 2% that other American banks and credit unions charged. I did not try my other American cards in the CitiBank Thailand ATM, so I don't know if they charged the 150/180 ATM fees.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Re Citibank's ATMs in Bangkok, they used to NOT charge the 150/180 baht withdrawal fee when I used various of my U.S. debit cards in them.

But then, that changed some months back, and suddenly when I went to use those exact same U.S bank cards in the Citi ATMs in BKK, they warned that I'd be charged a 150 baht fee (back then, the Thai banks' hadn't yet begun charging the higher 180 baht fee against MasterCards).

So at this point, Citibank ATMs in BKK are OFF my list, and I stick strictly to AEON ATMs.