# Withdrawing cash from Portuguese ATMs



## Pauljenny (Oct 8, 2019)

They have fitted a new ATM in our village.
When I use my UK Card, it puts up a message, offering me a guaranteed conversion rate..With a friendly Union Jack alongside. 
When I press the Reject rate button ,it repeats the warning that this rate is not guaranteed..
The difference between the 2 rates, is currently 11%..
A Euro costs me 88.7 pence .
Their guaranteed rate would charge 99.7 pence.
How many tourists are falling for this scam..?
Don't be one of them..!


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## phillybarbour (Oct 8, 2019)

Many card transactions when outside the UK now offer the £ rate first and you have to reject to get the € rate.


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## daygoboy (Oct 8, 2019)

What is it with Portuguese banks and dosh exchange, I can remember in the days
of Travellers Cheques, when they would separately charge about £6 for any size transaction.
Which in reality meant you were tempted to redeem cheques for much  larger amounts than
really required, which in turn negated the advantage of T.Cs. ie no necessity to carry large
amounts of cash!


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## jacquigem (Oct 8, 2019)

You have to be very careful , we have been ripped off in both Spain and Poland recently . They seem to be getting very clever at putting on misleading messages


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## alcam (Oct 8, 2019)

jacquigem said:


> You have to be very careful , we have been ripped off in both Spain and Poland recently . They seem to be getting very clever at putting on misleading messages


The no conversion has been standard advice for a long time now . What else are they
 doing ?


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## Clunegapyears (Oct 9, 2019)

Had to get some cash out yesterday ts a tourist town in the Peloponnese, Greece. Offered the same deal. I rejected the sterling conversion only to see that there was an automatic charge of €2.50 if not accepted the conversion. They got you one way or the other. Couldn’t find another bank that didn’t do this


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## Pauljenny (Oct 9, 2019)

Yes they have altered the graphics and given this prominent warning, then asked the question again.
I'm drawing the maximum of 500€ per day from a Halifax Clarity Card.. A gain of 50+€  just for  ignoring their "advice "
Even using a normal credit or debit card, you're  better off refusing the offer


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## jacquigem (Oct 9, 2019)

alcam said:


> The no conversion has been standard advice for a long time now . What else are they
> doing ?


Not sure exactly, I think it was like a double negative thing. It certainly confused us! We were aware of no conversion but got fooled


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## TeamRienza (Oct 9, 2019)

I would agree with the fact that the wording is confusing and almost (cynically) designed to trick. When you read it a couple of times to make sure that you have indeed chosen to refuse the exchange, you are presented with a small screen asking again to confirm the non conversion. I have had a machine simply spit out my card without explanation at one atm in Spain. Some of the French banks are at it as well. I try to remember which do simple withdrawals but inevitably forget. I do look for the La Poste atm’s. They are straight forward. Haven’t spent enough time in Portugal so far to need an ATM.


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## John H (Oct 9, 2019)

We have been coming across this message for many years now, all over the world, so it is not just Portugal. Some banks do seem to be getting very aggressive about it but you just keep pressing the "no" button and things will be fine. 

As an aside, we were once told, by an incredulous Spanish campsite owner, that when he offered the choice between pounds and euros that came up on his machine, the customer said proudly "Pounds of course, I'm British!" There's no fool like a xenophobic fool


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## alcam (Oct 9, 2019)

jacquigem said:


> Not sure exactly, I think it was like a double negative thing. It certainly confused us! We were aware of no conversion but got fooled


No hope for me then !


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## Glass man (Oct 10, 2019)

Also BEWARE of machines that run out of money.
We have come accross ones that only give you a maximum or €50 with a Stirling card but allow us €200 or more with our Euro card!
Hard to believe that the economy of many areas depends on tourists. Well it get better with Brexit?


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## Fisherman (Oct 10, 2019)

All of this would have been avoided if we used the euro.
But then it looks like travelling and driving in the EU is set to get more difficul.


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## Dougbobbill (Oct 11, 2019)

Pauljenny said:


> They have fitted a new ATM in our village.
> When I use my UK Card, it puts up a message, offering me a guaranteed conversion rate..With a friendly Union Jack alongside.
> When I press the Reject rate button ,it repeats the warning that this rate is not guaranteed..
> The difference between the 2 rates, is currently 11%..
> ...


I'm very green on this money subject and confess I have absolutely no idea what you mean in this post but everyone else seems to. Am I the only one? As I gather from your post, you ask for cash and the machine gives you an exchange rate, which you refuse, and it then gives you a better rate. What happens if you refuse that one?


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## Private (Oct 11, 2019)

Dougbobbill said:


> I'm very green on this money subject and confess I have absolutely no idea what you mean in this post but everyone else seems to. Am I the only one? As I gather from your post, you ask for cash and the machine gives you an exchange rate, which you refuse, and it then gives you a better rate. What happens if you refuse that one?



You don't get a third choice.
The first rate you are refusing is that set by the cash machine operating company (bank most likely). You are there as a captive market. You need money, they have it, so they offer you a really poor exchange rate. They know your card supplier will offer you a better rate; but you may not know that, or even if you do they hope to confuse you to take their poor rate. 

You choose the card you wish to take away with you whilst you have time to choose one with a good daily exchange rate (at least you should do!).
You then choose to use your card supplier's exchange rate (which you know is as good as you can get) over the one the machine operator is offering.  

For example: 
Card machine rate (£ rate) means for 20 euros given out as cash they will deduct £19 from your bank account.

Card suppliers rate (Euro rate) means 20 euros given out as cash they will deduct £17 from your bank account.

In this example you will be £2 better off taking your card suppliers rate (Euro rate).

(The figures above are not based on actual rates.)


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## Dougbobbill (Oct 11, 2019)

Ta for that. I see the light....


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