From: rmo@sei.cmu.edu (Robert Ollerton)
Newsgroups: rec.travel
Subject: ATM machines
Date: 13 Aug 92 12:34:25 GMT
Organization: Software Engineering Institute

I recently posed the following question to rec.travel.

> Does anyone know what ATM cards are likely to be accepted in Great
> Britain?

Some of the responses say that PLUS or Cirrus ATM cards are accepted 
in Great Britain.  My remaining question I is whether anyone has personally 
used either of these cards in Great Britain which draw cash on an account 
in a US bank?

Here are the replies I received.

-----

From: morton@ceres.rm.fccc.edu (Dan Morton)
Subject: Re: ATM machines
To: rmo@sei.cmu.edu (Robert Ollerton)
Message-Id: <9208101311.AA14642@ceres.rm.fccc.edu>

Both Cirrus and PLUS MAC's are accepted, as well as
Visa and MC.  Call your bank and prevail upon them
for a booklet listing locations in Europe -- I did,
and they sent me one promptly.  I'm going to Britain
at the end of the month.  Who needs traveler's checks?!

	Dan

-----


From: mstenhou@mrc-crc.ac.uk (Mike Stenhouse x3293)
Message-Id: <626.9208101607@crc.ac.uk>
To: rmo@sei.cmu.edu (Robert Ollerton)
Subject: Re: ATM machines

Visa, Mastercard, American Express and lots of others.  It depends on 
the bank that owns the ATM which are accepted though.  Getting money in 
the UK is easy.  Banks are open 9am until 3.30pm on weekdays. Some banks 
open until 12 (midday) on Saturdays.


Hope this helps.

Mike 

------


From: yoram@panix.com (Yoram Eisenstadter)
Message-Id: <9208110145.AA24525@panix.com>
To: rmo@sei.cmu.edu (Robert Ollerton)
Subject: Re: ATM machines

I was in Britain recently and found ATMs in London
and Leeds that were on the Cirrus network (they
were at National Westminster Bank; there may be
other locations).

By the way, they aren't called ATMs in Britain;
they're called "Service Tills".

Cheers..Y

-----

From: Gregory Watson <gjw@access.digex.com>
Message-Id: <9208110205.AA06592@access.digex.com>
To: rmo@sei.cmu.edu
Subject: Re: ATM machines

-----

	Cirrus, Plus (a little less common), Visa and Mastercard.
Also Amex at certain bank machines.

			Gregory Watson
			gjw@access.digex.com (preferable)
			gjw1@midway.uchicago.edu (if the above fails)

-----


From: berryman@Orca.Drep.DND.Ca
To: rmo@sei.cmu.edu
Message-Id: <0095EEED.4FE734E0.7735@Orca.Drep.DND.Ca>
Subject: Re: ATM machines


It is nearly impossible to determine in advance if your Bank
card will work in another contries ABMs. The problem is that
no one locally knows for sure, and even if they say it will
work, what are you going to do if they are wrong??? Another
glitch that can occur is that a foreign bank might place a
restriction on the amount of cash you can draw out of your
bank account; while, you could get much more out as a cash
advance. They  want to force you into getting a cash advance
they can charge interest on (this has happened to us).

My father is currently doing an extended (several year) tour
of Europe, and faced the problem of getting money form
Canada to where every he happened  to be that day. The only
reliable and FREE method it by use of VISA. As long as you
have a PIN on your card it can be feed into most countries
ABMs and you can easily get a cash advance. To do this and
not get charged for interest run your account with a
POSITIVE BALANCE. For my father I deposit a predetermined
amount of money into his VISA every month, and he spends
accordingly. Occasionaly phone calls or letters correct for
overspending.

If you are going on a holiday just deposit your estimated
expenses into  VISA. If you spend to much you only get
charged for the excess.

Note that some European countries are dominated by
MASTERCARD, or you won't be able to find the VISA ABM, so
have both available. Remember to have PIN  numbers on
both!!!

If for some reason the machine won't except your card, which
can happen if your card is form a small bank, go into the
bank and get a cash advance from the teller. This will work
for sure but requires getting to a bank during banking hours
(whatever they are locally).

The other option is Travelers Cheques. Unfortunately these
usually encur a  fee when you buy them and when you exchange
them. These fees could outway the a credit card interest
charge (on the short term). Also not all retailers will
accept Travelers Cheques and you always have to deal with a
bank teller.


Maybe you could post this to REC.TRAVEL  I can read the news
but not post.

Hope this helps.




Don Berryman
Defence Research Establishment Pacific
Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt
Victoria, BC, CANADA, V0S-1B0
604-363-2731    604-363-2856fax
berryman@orca.drep.dnd.ca

-----

Thanks to all who responded

Bob
From: rog@hpscit.sc.hp.com (Roger Haaheim)
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 20:34:25 GMT
Subject: Re: Duluth, Minnesota
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Santa Clara, CA