⌛ P200 Charge for use of foreign ATM card

There is now a P200 peso charge for using a foreign ATM or bank card on the ATM machines here in Dumaguete. Not sure if all the banks are doing this, but we tried BPI and BDO, and both are charging the P200 no matter what amount you withdraw.

This looks line another way to extort extra money from foreigners for using their foreign based bank card. Both my pension and SS payments are direct deposits to banks in the US so I have been using my cards to withdraw money from the ATMs here, previously without any charge from the local banks here.

The P200 charge is roughly a $4.50 charge from the local banks, which is a lot, so if you add the local bank charge, plus any charge that the US banks charge for an ATM withdrawal not on their bank ATM, it could add up to a considerable sum.

Sorry for wasting band width if this subject has been covered before, but does anybody have any ideas on how to withdraw money from local bank ATMs without having to pay out so much money?

 

I had the same problem as you since the ATM is my most important "provider" of the urgently needed pecunia to live here in this paradise.
The BDO did charge already since quite some time (and a max. of 5000 Php per withdraw) and since last week also the BPI.
Hope like you someone knows another way to loose less money to those poor banks who of course are doing everything to earn at least enough money to survive :D

 

I got the same nasty surprise about 3 days ago at BPI. Slowly, it seems all of the banks here have started adding this surcharge on foreign ATM cards. Like you guys, I have not yet found a solution to this problem...

This might not work for Jelly, but I thought of opening an account with PNB Los Angeles and having direct deposits made there. Hopefully, one could withdraw from a PNB (Philippine National Bank) ATM here without incurring a fee...anyone have any experience with this?

 

As far as i know HSBC and Citibank don't charge on withdrawals with a foreign bankpass but you only can find them in Manila or Cebu.
They also distribute 40.000 and 30.000 pesos in one time
A roundtrip by bus/ferry to Cebu can be done for around 500 pesos.

 

Last time I tried at either of them, it was a maximum of P20,000 on non-HSBC or Citibank cards...have they increased it?

However, with a local account it is at least P50,000, but either way, it would require a trip to Cebu or Manila.

 

BPI was the last bank in town { as far as I know } that until last week wasn't charging to use a Foreign ATM card. Two Days ago when My Wife withdrew 10,000 pesos I noticed that what should have been $220 U.S. suddenly turned out to be $225 U.S. So You are correct about the $4.50 charge. We used to always use Metro Bank until They started charging the fee. I guess it doesn't make a difference now because I have no choice. I'll just keep using whatever bank allows us to take out 10,000 Pesos at a time whether it's BPI or Metro. I wouldn't be surprised if the charge goes up higher that $4.50 in the near future. By the way, I know where there's a PNB in Los Angeles, but it just so happens to be a two hour drive from where I live here in the Mojave Desert..

 

Good morning everybody, another beautiful day on Negros Island...
As for banks, BPI will set up a direct deposit peso/dollar account specifically for SS/VA payments here, for no charge.
You can have your dollar remittance automatically deposited into your peso account on eagle day at a fairly good bank exchange rate.
Than you don't even have to do the paperwork to change money, just withdraw it in pesos.

Me and Mama have been banking with the BPI here in Dumaguete for over 10 years with no problems and I very much like the folks that work there. Our branch is the one behind Union Drugs.

 

charges

I don't know about anyone else, but BPI has always charged us around $5 USD per US atm card transaction up to 10,000 php. If you are just now beginning to be charged, then I think you are lucky!! Is that a "card" charge on top of the $5 we have been being charged already? Does that mean it will now cost us around $10 to use our BOA card?

 

A friend that is in Manila advised me to get a Paypal atm card. He said there were no fees to withdraw. however that may be different at the banks in Duma. I have picked up a paypal debit card anyway since it is free and will give it a shot when we get there. Also setting up the ability to wire money by phone call but that will cost $30 per transaction so only for larger transactions were it makes sense.

I like the BPI idea and we may move to that once we get there. Do you know if you can open the account in the PH or does the account need to be opened in the states?

 

Bpi

We have Dollar and Peso accounts at BPI. Hubby has his SS direct deposited into his Dollar acct. We like withdrawing ourselves and exchanging (we get better exchange rate than the bank offers) then deposit into peso account. He couldn't get his pension set up that way, so it is direct deposited into BOA in the states and we use ATM to withdraw that here, but the BOA account is still convenient for use in paying bills in the states, anyway. Unfortunately, BPI screwed up our daughter's direct deposit account for her SSI and after 4 months of them not getting it fixed, hubby decided to leave it direct deposit in BOA also. He just set up a new Paypal account with her account, so hopefully we can get her SSI more easily....haven't tried it yet, though!! There are many options, everyone just has to explore what is best for them.