Debit Card Use Abroad.

Markove

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Can I use my Visa Debit Card - issued by Permanent TSB - as normal while on holiday in the United States and would I need to notify the bank before travelling?
 
Yes, you will be able to use the card. However, take note of the fees you'll be charged, including poor FX rates. If you've time, I'd recommend getting a Revolut or N26 card before you travel as they'll work out cheaper. There are lots of threads on cheapest way to use cards abroad.

You can notify them of travel, and it should prevent your card being blocked. I don't bank with them, but I've never had issues with cards being blocked even in random countries, without notifying.
 
Yes, you will be able to use the card. However, take note of the fees you'll be charged, including poor FX rates. If you've time, I'd recommend getting a Revolut or N26 card before you travel as they'll work out cheaper. There are lots of threads on cheapest way to use cards abroad.

You can notify them of travel, and it should prevent your card being blocked. I don't bank with them, but I've never had issues with cards being blocked even in random countries, without notifying.
Do you happen to know if Revolut or N26 would be widely accepted as payment for hotel stays and car hire and, also, is there a daily limit over there to the amount of cash you can withdraw by Atm? Thank you.
 
For withdrawing cash, it's not cheap once you go over 200 per month. But remember no card is.
Otherwise it works exactly like any debit card - you need a large balance that can be blocked for car rental / hotel.

Have a look at the fees & charges of PTSB. I think it's 1.75% for fx, but a max of about 11.60 per transaction. That's in addition to margin on FX rate of 1%.
 
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I find the N26 very useful, it's a MasterCard so no problems as it is accepted world over. If you are going to hire a car you will need a Credit Card as car hire companies wouldn't accept Debit cards as guarantee
 
If you are going to hire a car you will need a Credit Card as car hire companies wouldn't accept Debit cards as guarantee
I'm not sure what it's like in US, but I've hired cars throughout Europe with a debit card. Once you've a big enough balance that they can block I think it works.
 
I find the N26 very useful, it's a MasterCard so no problems as it is accepted world over. If you are going to hire a car you will need a Credit Card as car hire companies wouldn't accept Debit cards as guarantee
Most car rental companies will accept Debit Cards as guarantee when renting at airport locations but you will also need to provide proof of your travel itinerary i.e. a return plane ticket.
 
Get a Revolut card, you are going to need very little cash, use your card to pay for everything, I have booked to hire a car on my credit card then paid by debit card but generally for car hire you need a credit card.

I am not long back from Sweden, I brought no local currency and used my Revolut for everything, I think it was a glimpse into the future where we will be a substantially cashless society, a good thing in my view.
 
Get a Revolut card, you are going to need very little cash, use your card to pay for everything, I have booked to hire a car on my credit card then paid by debit card but generally for car hire you need a credit card.

I am not long back from Sweden, I brought no local currency and used my Revolut for everything, I think it was a glimpse into the future where we will be a substantially cashless society, a good thing in my view.
Yes, especially since Tax compliance would be improved, if everyone insisted on cards/iban transfers like in Finland
 
Most car rental companies will accept Debit Cards as guarantee when renting at airport locations but you will also need to provide proof of your travel itinerary i.e. a return plane ticket.

Am just back from renting a car - you can pay with debit cards but they won't accept debit cards for cases where you aren't taking their enhanced insurance and they need to put a hold on the card for any excess - usually about €1k.
 
Out of interest, what country was this in?

Spain (Tenerife). But I had also booked a car in Italy for later this year - same thing. I have hired in the US previously.

I believe the rationale is that they can put a "hold" on a credit card (as hotels do) which effectively reserves part of your credit card limit until released. You can't do that with a debit card - you either transfer money or you don't.
 
I believe the rationale is that they can put a "hold" on a credit card (as hotels do) which effectively reserves part of your credit card limit until released. You can't do that with a debit card - you either transfer money or you don't
Interesting. I've hired cars here and in France with only a debit card. Last year the guy at Sixt desk when I was picking up didn't think it'd work, but put card in machine and it went through. I always carry a credit card with me just in case, but I haven't taken it out if my wallet in 3 years.

Of course you can 'hold' funds on a debit card. That's how for example self service petrol pumps work - when you give card, the machine reserves 100 euro. You fill car and then the block is replaced with the exact amount of the transaction, releasing the original held amount. There is a time limit though on how long the funds are held before they're automatically released, but it's about 30 days.
 
nteresting. I've hired cars here and in France with only a debit card. Last year the guy at Sixt desk when I was picking up didn't think it'd work, but put card in machine and it went through.
Any chance you pre-booked it online using your credit card details though ? and just paid for it on pick up ?
 
Any chance you pre-booked it online using your credit card details though ? and just paid for it on pick up ?
No, definitely not. I've just double checked and I had prepaid the full amount using debit card.
But I had enough funds in my current account for a hold to be put on it. I think from memory there was 1,200 funds reserved.

Edit. Looked at receipts - I had insurance included in rental, with an excess. They blocked the amount of the excess plus a full tank of fuel on debit card when I picked up.
 
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No, definitely not. I've just double checked and I had prepaid the full amount using debit card.
But I had enough funds in my current account for a hold to be put on it. I think from memory there was 1,200 funds reserved.

Edit. Looked at receipts - I had insurance included in rental, with an excess. They blocked the amount of the excess plus a full tank of fuel on debit card when I picked up.

Ok I was going to ask that.

The reason it came up for me - I had booked and pre-paid the rental. I have annual excess insurance seperately so wasn't going to take their insurance. A couple of days before travelling, a suspicious transaction went across my credit card which the bank picked up and cancelled the card so I was oeprating off debit card only. When picking up the car, the booking was fine but if I was refusing to take their insurance, I had to have a credit card - no problem with the booking and the fuel reserve was taken from the debit card and will be refunded (you can't put a hold on a debit card - self service fuel pumps don't operate on a hold - they have your card details and will debit the amount if you leave. Not the same as a hold).

In effect - losing the credit card meant I had to pay their daily insurance premium. Maybe it could be taken from teh debit card and then refunded but the firm I was dealing with wouldn't do that (and I'm not sure I'd want them to tbh)
 
you can't put a hold on a debit card - self service fuel pumps don't operate on a hold - they have your card details and will debit the amount if you leave. Not the same as a hold
Of course you can put a hold on a debit card. It's called a pre authorisation (if you read you current account terms & conditions you should see it referenced). Having card details is of no use to a service station if you've no money in the account.
They do an authorisation for 100 euro before you can use the pump.
 
I hired a car last July through Indigo using a debit card. I paid nothing up front when I booked on line and paid the rental fee plus a €250 security deposit at the Enterprise desk ( the actual car rental company ) at Toulouse airport. Had a full /full petrol deal and organized the excess myself. Completely hassle free experience and the deposit was returned within a few days.
 
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