four digit pin numbers

[wdayna]

I know its been said many times that you need a four digit pin number for your debit or credit cards to work in Mexico. My question is to take out cash advances on our new credit card the pin is five digits, when we called to tell them you can only use four digits in Mexico, they told us even though is says you can only use four digit pins you can usually put in your five digits and it will work or only put in the first four digits, they said this will work? Has anyone tried this, and does it work, or are we being misled. I don't want to get into an emergency situation and not able to use my credit card if need be. Thanks for any input.

[big guy]

Some friends had a card with a 5 diget pin # last year and they couldn't use it at any bank machines that they tried,only 4 diget pins.Unless it's changed from last Feb.

[D2Wilsn]

We only take a credit card for any emergencies when we go to PV. We always take travelers checks and have never had a problem. Besides, the fees now for using ATM machines start at $5.00 per transaction in PV. My brother has traveled with us three times now and two out of the three times he has relied on his credit card, and either the machine ate his card, or he lost it, and he had no money for the rest of the trip. We ended up giving him some of our vacation money and he had to spend frugally the rest of the trip. This upcoming year he will definitely be buying travelers checks!

[teduardo]

D2Wilsn (Dec 14, 2004 09:19 a.m.):ATM machines start at $5.00 per transaction in PV.

When did this start? Who is making the minimum $5.00 charge?

We were there the last two weeks of October, and I was charged $3.50 USD by my bank for each of my 3 international withdrawals.

[matt]

Hi Ted,
I received a notice from Bank of America a while back that said they would start charging $5 USD per transaction for international ATM transactions made after Nov. 19, 2004. This charge even applied to checking your account balance through the ATM!!! They went on further to state that the charge would be waived if you used an ATM of one of their international partner banks (which they called the Global ATM Alliance). If anyone is interested, they should contact Bank of America.

[Jennybean]

I guess it should probably be clarified then that not ALL banks are charging $5.00. Mine charged me only $3.00cdn, and some people have monthly fee packages where they pay no fees for an international withdrawal. It really depends on your bank.

As for the 5 digit pin issue, I can't say I've ever seen an ATM in Vallarta that takes one. 4 digits only.

What might be easier on your pocketbook is instead of taking out cash on the credit card, use the card to purchase travelers checks or pesos before you go. Taking out cash advances on a credit card gets pretty expensive, and is usually a higher interest rate. If you plan to do it a lot I'd go the travelers check route first, much cheaper and the exchange rate difference is negligible.

[bzy1inpv]

If you bring your credit card and do need a cash advance, please remember your pin#!
You can go to a bank to get cash from your CC but you MUST know your pin # and the credit card company will not give it to you over the phone. I just had two different clients that had this happen to them and we tried everything. Finally one was able to get her "dog watcher" to go through her desk and find the paper the card was attached to that had the pin# on it.
Best bet, use an ATM card from your bank, bring some cash and maybe a couple travelers checks....

[matt]

Thanks for the clarification, Jenny. I was specifically referring to Bank of America customers in my post above.

[susana]

To clarify ATM charges come from your HOME bank not the <banks in PV>.

Unless you are lucky enough to be staying in Puerto Vallarta for more than 1-2 weeks, I have never had any problem taking a few hundred in US cash & change it at a casa de cambio or your hotel front desk + my ATM card to withdraw peso direct. I have only ever used a charge card or travelers checks to pay the hotel bill (the TC's one time/place that did not accept CC's).

[stew]

If you bank at Citicorp (or what ever they are called this week) they are connected to Banamex so you are allowed one with drawel a day at no cost at any Banamex branch. I did this last year.