Can I use a debit card

[janice2348]

Sorry if this question has already been asked. Can a debit card be used in shops in Bermuda? It has a Visa logo. Trying to avoid carrying a lot of cash. Thanks in advance!

[bermuda triangle]

Sorry if this question has already been asked. Can a debit card be used in shops in Bermuda? It has a Visa logo. Trying to avoid carrying a lot of cash. Thanks in advance!

 

Most shops, restaurants and hotels in Bermuda take debit cards. Additionally most ATMs disperse cash for Visa debit cards. Be prepared to pay international charges from your bank. It is good to contact your bank to find out who they have reciprocity with in Bermuda ahead of time if you plan on using ATMs.

Laura

[styles27]

As long as you choose "credit" and not "debit" at the point of sale you won't incur any international charges.

[cruiserssandr]

When using my debit card at an ATM in Bermuda I was not charged a fee because it was part of the NYCE network. I did have a fee when I used it at Swizzle Inn and at a store in Hamilton. Fee was 3%.Be sure to let your bank or credit union know you plan to use your card out of the country so they can flag your account.

[janice2348]

Thank you all for the info. :D

[nouveaucruiser]

When using my debit card at an ATM in Bermuda I was not charged a fee because it was part of the NYCE network. I did have a fee when I used it at Swizzle Inn and at a store in Hamilton. Fee was 3%.Be sure to let your bank or credit union know you plan to use your card out of the country so they can flag your account.

 

 

a big +1

[dread_pirate]

As long as you choose "credit" and not "debit" at the point of sale you won't incur any international charges.

Not necessarily true. All my credit cards, other than Capital One and Discover, charge a "foreign transaction fee." And Bermuda counts.

 

OP, check with your bank for any fees that you might be charged. Foreign transaction fees, and fees for using non-affiliated ATMs, vary from issuer to issuer and even from account to account.

[cathhduh]

ive used my debit card the last three times ive been! there are some little shops in which you cant use it at, and i dont use it at bars because i want to set a limit on myself! but besides that yes ive used it almost everywhere!

[janice2348]

Thank you all-will definitely check with my bank-no doubt they will charge a fee.

[cruiserssandr]

Thank you all-will definitely check with my bank-no doubt they will charge a fee.

It's actually VISA that charges the fee (about 3%). Also check with your bank or credit union to see if the card can even be used out of the country. One of the credit unions I belong to has blocked all out of country transactions. No exceptions.

[njhorseman]

It's actually VISA that charges the fee (about 3%). Also check with your bank or credit union to see if the card can even be used out of the country. One of the credit unions I belong to has blocked all out of country transactions. No exceptions.

 

That's not true...each bank determines its own fee structure...and often an individual bank even has different fees for the various cards it issues. I have two MasterCards issued by the same large national bank...one charges a 3% foreign transaction fee, but the other doesn't...same bank...same "brand" of card.

[cruiserssandr]

That's not true...each bank determines its own fee structure...and often an individual bank even has different fees for the various cards it issues. I have two MasterCards issued by the same large national bank...one charges a 3% foreign transaction fee, but the other doesn't...same bank...same "brand" of card.

I take care of everything to do with debit cards at a small credit union. The foreign transaction fee (or ISA fee) is charged to us and we just pass it along to the members. We make nothing on these fees. There is so much fraud going on out of the country that sometime this week we will block all out of the country transactions that are not pin based.

[njhorseman]

I take care of everything to do with debit cards at a small credit union. The foreign transaction fee (or ISA fee) is charged to us and we just pass it along to the members. We make nothing on these fees. There is so much fraud going on out of the country that sometime this week we will block all out of the country transactions that are not pin based.

 

You may want to read the following from VISA. The gist of it is that while VISA does charge international transaction (ISA) fees of 0.15 to 1% to banking institutions, not cardholders, (note they do not charge anywhere near 3%) it is strictly the decision of the financial institution whether to charge its customers and if they do charge, what percentage to charge.

 

As you a small credit union, your institution probably pays at the top end of the scale, while large banks no doubt pay at or near the minimum. The bank then has the option to charge its customers nothing, as is the case for one of the cards I hold, or whatever percentage the bank deems appropriate.

 

http://usa.visa.com/personal/using_visa/exchange_rates_faq.html

 

What is Visa’s fee structure for international transactions?

Visa Inc. does not assess any fees to cardholders or merchants. Visa applies International Service Assessment (ISA) fees ranging from 0.15 to 1 percent to its financial institution partners for their use of the global payment system.

 

The fees are paid by financial institutions on transactions that require the use of our global infrastructure. Since Visa does not assess any fees to cardholders or merchants, we have no involvement in financial institution pricing to cardholders or merchants. If financial institutions or merchants decide to assess a foreign transaction fee to their customers, they are required to provide details to their cardholders and consumers.

 

As part of Visa’s international functionality, Visa has offered international processing services to its financial institutions for more than twenty years. Over the years, Visa has become a symbol of international acceptance, and Visa views its global support services as paramount to providing its cardholders with superior value and benefits.