Below are the fees assessed for using a CitiGroup Debit Card at an ATM machine in a foreign country to withdraw currency. These fees only apply when using the debit card at an ATM machine in the debit card company’s network. Fees can be higher when using an out-of-network ATM machine. Please see this post for clarification between ATM foreign fees and ATM foreign transaction fees.
CitiGroup Foreign Transaction Fee: 3% (Possible rate skewing as high as 6% — see comments below)
CitiGroup ATM Fee: $1.50
Special Circumstances: No fee when used at bank branches.
There are three questions to ask when determining ATM and debit card foreign transaction fees for a particular card: Does the bank charge a flat fee per transaction, do they charge a percentage of the withdrawal and do they add a fee for converting the currency. Finally, if the debit card carries the Visa or MasterCard logo, it is important to verify with your bank that the foreign transaction fee is the same when using the debit card as a credit card to make a purchase.
For the purposes of this directory we include the foreign currency transaction fee assessed when using the card at an ATM and the ATM fee charged by the bank issuing the debit card. We encourage readers to update listings with supplemental information as necessary. Readers should be well advised that the actual fees charged may be higher than the fees listed because of circumstances described above. With this in mind, it is always a good idea to call the bank before a trip to verify fee structures.
Update Listing (59)
Last updated by
TravelFinances.com 
December 20, 2006
Citibank has announced that it will, beginning 12/6/06, levy a 3% foreign transaction fee on ATM withdrawals outside of the US unless a Citibank ATM is used. Very disappointing!
Very, very dissapointing. And especially when one of the main reasons someone opens an account with that bank is the low foreign translactions rates. They are simply breaking the game’s rules and telling you: “you have till Dec 02 to think if you keep your account with us or not, it is up to you”.
There are some countries, which have Citibank branches, but the ATM service is provided by a third party, that does not count as a Citibank ATM withdrawal, so they will charge you 3% now.
I opened my account in Citibank because I travel a lot overseas. The bank had low fees and no ATM fee for citibank machines. Now that they charge ATM, debit/credit-card fees it is useless. After me CD/s expire I’ll close my account.
I’m furious about this and closing my account after many years! Switching to Capital One!
after 15 years with citinank, I am changing to hsbc
I will change too. 3% of foreign transaction fee is totally absurd.
We live in Italy since 2003 and in about year the cost of using the Citi ATM card has gone from 1,5 percent to 6 percent. And all this without pre-advice from Citibank! Sent the following message to Citibank a few days ago.
I noticed that using your ATM card to get cash and pay for merchandise in the stores here in Italy has suddenly become very expensive. If memory serves me right, in 2005 the conversion rate was more or less 1 to 1,5 percent over the current F/X spot rate and no extra fees were applied.
Then in 2006 I started being charged a foreign fee of 1 percent on top of the conversion of 1 to 1,5 percent over the FX prevailing market value. And now in December (nice Xmas gift!) it seems looking at some recent transactions you have increased the foreign fee to 3 percent and the conversion Euro to USD seems closer to 3 percent over prevailing FX spot rate. Thus from my point of view the cost of using your ATM card for ATM withdrawals/purchases in foreign currencies has gone up by whopping 400 percent in a span of a year and now costs an exorbitant 6 percent! And this happened without the decency of advising customers, which is really a shabby business practice I did not expect from a world-class company.
Citibank.com has listings of its foreign ATM/branch locations.
Does it mean that cash withdrawls overseas at those supposedly Citibank ATMs are not assessed a 3% fee, or it’s still “the ATM service is provided by a third party, that does not count as a Citibank ATM withdrawal”, like one of the posters said.
Does anyone know for sure?
That’s right James! You’ll get a 3% or more foreign transaction fee anytime you the citicard to get foreign cash. Using a nonciti atm means more fees usually. time to find a new card.
“That’s right James! You’ll get a 3% or more foreign transaction fee anytime you the citicard to get foreign cash. Using a nonciti atm means more fees usually. time to find a new card.”
I didn’t ask about that…
Citibank maintains that 3% foreigh fee is assessed ONLY at non-Citibank ATMs overseas. If you are overseas and use the Citibank ATMs, there’s no fee at all if you withdraw US dollars (in any foreign country most ATMs have an option whether to get money in local currency or US dollars).
Citibank.com has listings of their ATMs globally and my question was whether those Citibank ATMs are not assessed a 3% fee, or it’s still “the ATM service is provided by a third party, that does not count as a Citibank ATM withdrawal”, like one of the posters here said.
Does anyone know???
Anyone know what the foreign transaction fee is for Wachovia?
And as far as Credit Cards go, it seems that CapitalOne does not charge a conversion fee, though I could be wrong.
Haha, disregard my comments above. I just saw that this website is chock full of great info and answered my own questions. Thanks!
Absolutely outrageous!! Their unethical business practices have really messed things up for me this month! In addition to the outrageous increase in foreign transaction fees they have charged me 3% above prevailing fx currency rate! That’s a 5% increase! Everyone should boycott Citibank! They’re greedy crooks! I’ll start looking for another bank first thing tomorrow.
Just wanted those of you who are American citizens/residents living overseas to know that I contacted HSBC and they accept applications to open up U.S. bank accounts in the U.S.. Their foreign transaction fees are 1% and they do not resort to shady calculations of the currency rate resulting in a total ripoff of the customer. This is how you make business to stay in business! Citibank should learn from them or they will vanish with their billions of dollars sooner than anyone could ever imagine.
Here is the contact information for HSBC:
1.877.850.4722 – Toll free in North America
+1.716.841.7542 – Call collect worldwide
us.ibc@us.hsbc.com
Thank you for the info SRW!
The 3% rate is simply outrageous! I’m currently living overseas and have found this new policy very inconvenient. I’m thinking about closing the account.
I am an American living overseas, and I use a U.S.-based Citibank account for banking.
Only by doing some calculations on my latest statement did I discover that Citibank is now charging a 3% foreign currency conversion fee whenever I use a non-Citibank ATM.
As many have posted in other forums, Citibank used to charge 1% for all foreign cash withdrawals, whether at Citibank or non-Citibank ATMs.
The good news here is that Citibank will no longer charge *any* foreign transaction fee, as long as a Citibank ATM is used. That’s no problem for me, as I live in New Delhi, and Citibanks are ubiquitous.
Finally, I want to let others know that I called Citibank and complained that I had not been properly notified — which is true. (I do not receive paper statements and received nothing in the regular mail or by email about the change.) They immediately offered — without my requesting — to credit my account ALL fees since the change went into effect.
Obviously, I’m quite pleased with their response.
Best regards.
This is infuriating. I’ve been using Citibank for 10 years, and switched to them because I was paying high ATM fees on another bank and living in NYC at the time. Since then, of course, I’ve constructed a great deal of my financial life around the Citibank account… with automatic bill pay, a payee database, etc.
And now… living a good bit of the year in France… all that is out the window. I was outraged to see the charges, with no notice, posted to my account (as much as $11 for a SINGLE ATM withdrawal). Use a Citi machine? Right. This International bank only has ONE machine in Paris.
I will hate to cancel my Citi account. I like the website. And I don’t look foward to the day or so of untangling my financial affairs, only to set them up all over again elsewhere. But this is ridiculous.
I meant to add to my post… it sounds like a lot of peope on this comment list are in the same boat as we are… with US-bound cash and Citi accounts that now suddenly feel like poison… I see some suggestions here already about what to do next… could we continue posts on that theme? What’s the absolute best option for people who now need to find an alternative to Citibank?
I am in the same position, looking for a better bank. Citibank charging 3%. I am furious over it. I am trying to get the fees returned. So far no luck. So furious I want the 1% fees returned as well now and everything with interest. I had received no “Proper” notification of such fees. How dare they just help themselves to my money. Outrageous.
I just had Citibank on the phone asking them about the 3% foreign fees, no clear explanation of the increase was given to me. Of course, I felt cheated by Citibank, not having been notify… They ask you to go paperless and still send you paper notices…. and when it comes to notify you about irrelevant stuff or use your e-mail account to send advertising, that seems to work OK!!
I am about to change country (from France to Asia) and look at this as an opportunity to close my Citibank account. Does anybody has a recommendation? HSBC? What about the potential fees of closing the Citibank account??
Funny how in a growing global economy a bank like Citibank is going reverse!!
Someone asked if the 3% foreign transaction fee applies to US Citibank customers withdrawing money at overseas Citibank ATMs. The answer is no. I live overseas and get quite good exchange rates using my local Citibank branch’s ATM machine. Regarding HSBC, they seem to charge a 1% foreign currency fee plus $1.50 ATM fee unless you use a bank with which HSBC has an agreement. Then no ATM fee. So, if I am near a Citibank branch I use their ATM machine, if not I use HSBC.
Just want to let you all know that since my last post I have opened up an account with HSBC, and I’m VERY happy! The process was very smooth. HSBC fedexed the application to me at no charge. They answered my one hundred telephone calls with questions with great courtesy. I opened up this account without having to set my foot in the U.S., and it all took a little less than a month.
The good news is that I got two cards! One HSBC MC-debit card and one regular HSBC debit card without MC/Visa logo. I’m using the regular debit card for cash withdrawals at ATM’s here in Stockholm, and thus I don’t need to pay the high currency rates of MC/visa. I really recommend HSBC. I also did not close my Citibank account, since it’s always good to have an extra account. You never know in today’s world – It may come handy for whatever reason some day.
SRW, thanks for the info!. Do you mind if I ask how you were able to open an HSBC account while not in the US?
Did you have a US forwarding address or something? I didn’t know US banks and credit cards allowed people to add new accounts while outside the country.
Question: Where is the one international Citibank in Paris? I’m going to Paris in 3 days – not enough time to open a HSBC account in time. I have a Citibank account and am shocked by the 3% foreign fee + $1.50. Will change as soon as i get back from Europe. I travel a lot for business so this has a huge effect on me.
“Effective Jan 26, 2008, we (Citi) will impose a fee equal to 2% of the transaction amount on all ATM and debit card transaction outside the US… This fee will apply to transactions made at Citibank and non-Citibank ATMS.”
I cannot believe this. I opened up my account 3 months ago, because I going to be abroad for over a year. When I opened the Citi account, I was under the understanding as long as I withdrew $ from a Citi ATM, there would be NO fees.
I’m going to look into HSBC. Geeez!
I can give you another reason not to use Citibank for credit cards, checking accounts, or anything at all… it’s a pretty long story, which is why I started a website, to tell the whole story.
It’s at http://www.boycottcitibank.com
Citi is an evil company.
when I travel to Florence Italy I use my Citibank debit card to withdraw cash at a Citibank office and am charged no fees. I take out $1000.00 US dollars every few days and pay for all my purcheses in cash ( euro’s). I think it is a good deal. If you want to use credit in a foreign company it will cost you. Use cash!
here is the address in Florenc- Via Leone X, 9 Florence 50129
Ed MOtter
Hello,
Please do you have ATM machine that can convert and exchange currencies (cash). E.g. you put USD cash and it converts it to Naira cash (the local currency) based on the set exchange rate.
Regards,
Junai
Ugh.. just got off the phone with Citibank and found out what unfortunately we all know about the 2% ATM on all bank ATMs(Citibank included). I live in Argentina and specifically opened the account in December 2007 to avoid the fees.. What a waste of time. Anyone have a suggestion for another bank that doesn’t charge ATM fees at its foreign branches?
Looks like I’ll be looking elsewhere too! HSBC, hmm, not a bad option, any other choices?
Looks like I’ll be looking elsewhere too! 3% or more! Outrageous. 1% at HSBC, hmm, not a bad option, any other choices? Let me know!
If only Europe accepts Discover…
I used only Citi ATM’s during my trip to Sydney in April, when I returned found 2% foreign transaction fee attached to each withdrawal and $1.50 on top of that. On one occasion (at Sydney airport) the exchange rate was 6% higher than at another ATM in the downtown, and then they added 2% + 1.50 on top of that. What’s interesting is that the customer agreement online still states that there’s no fee if Citi ATMs are used. Customer rep told me that they have not yet made new agreements ready and that i cannot get an updated copy by mail.
Yes, being charged high ‘Foreign ATM charge’ in Vietnam for use of USA issued Citibank ATM card at Citibank ATM machine in HCMC. Did Citibank distribute the new terms?
From my research online and speaking with HSBC… HSBC charges a 3% foreign transaction fee and no ATM fee with withdrawals at an HSBC ATM machine. Citibank charges a 2% foreign transaction fee at CITI machine.
in feb 2007, i used my Citibank ATM at a non-Citibank ATM..the fee was $15 USA dollars…for a $300USD withdrawal using Bank of china in china.
hsbs is now at 3% does anyone know any bank that plays fair
In 2008, I used Citibank banking card at a citibank atm in China. The foreign fee was 2%.
Oh man. I set up my wife with a Citibank account so I could hand off money to her in Taiwan using her local Citibank ATM. It was free last year, but they’ve now tossed in the 3% fee even though she’s using the CITIBANK ATM.
The exchange rate use to be excellent when they weren’t charging the additional 3%.
Does anyone know if the Taiwanese Citbank will let her do a withdrawl inside the bank using the ATM card and not charge the fee?
I’ve had a Citibank account for 5 years. I go to Germany and use my Citibank card to withdraw money. They used to have no transaction fees and excellent exchange rates, if you used their Citibank branch. This time I used by ATM card in Germany at a Citibank branch I got charged 3% transaction fee and the and the exchange rate was down 15%. I called their 1-800 number to get an explanation. I explained that I understand the transaction fee of 3%, but don’t get a clear answer about exchange rate difference.
When I get back to America, I’M GOING TO CLOSE MY ACCOUNT.
I had a similar experience as many of you. Prior to going to Vietnam in April 2008, I was told by a Citi representative that I would be charged no fees for using a Citibank ATM anywhere in the world. Not only did they charge me a 3% transaction fee, but the exchange rate was appalling. I would have gotten a better rate exchanging at a store or hotel, which usually has the worst rates! I hate Citi and the refused to reimburse me even though I was misinformed by their own reps!
To open up an US bank account while living abroad is not only possible but it is now against the law to prohibit you from opening up an account. As long as you have the credentials to verify your identity they should allow you to open up a account. Now if the banks does not allow you to do such then keep everything in writing for you should be corresponding with them in this fashion and you should go directly to their head quarters to file an official complaint.
Ah,To open up an US bank account while living abroad is not only possible but it is now against the law to prohibit you from opening up an account. As long as you have the credentials to verify your identity they should allow you to open up a account. Now if the banks does not allow you to do such then keep everything in writing for you should be corresponding with them in this fashion and you should go directly to their head quarters to file an official complaint.
I just opened up a US Citibank account while living abroad. It took me a total of three months to get things rocking and still no direct deposit in affect. It took three attempts to mail my card to me in Hungary plus a rack of charges but I complained and got it all reversed plus some credit into my account. Now I was told that I cannot use Citibank Global Transfer because Hungary does take part in the service but on their homepage it list other countries $10.00 charge. They want me use their International Wire Transfer. Why should I? For I have a Hungarian Citibank Account. Here is the url:
https://online.citibank.com/US/JRS/pands/detail.do?ID=InterCiti
Sometimes banks just do not get thier communications correct.
I spoke to someone at Citibank and they said the 3% fee is charged on every ATM transaction outside the US, even if the ATM is at a Citibank branch. According to the supervisor I spoke to, the fee is charged by MasterCard and Citibank withdraws this fee from our account to pay them.
Update about HSBC. I am an HSBC customer living in Argentina. Two weeks gao, I noticed that I was being charged $3.00 per transaction for withdrawals at non-HSBC machines. So, I started going out of my way to use an HSBC machine. No charges for 3 weeks. Then, today, when I went to withdraw 200 pesos (about $45 bucks US) for shopping I saw a new message at the final step before the cash was disbursed, advising me that the transactin would cost $11.97 pesos and requiring me to accept the charge before proceeding. So, please amend your understanding of HSBC’s supposedly more customer-friendly ATM policies. The times, they are a-changin’
I know this is an old article but I just thought I would post an update on the Citibank shenanigans.
They do charge an foreign fee for a citibank atm internationally, the fee simply is substantially lower then using a non-citibank atm. What is interesting is that on the online banking records they still claim a citibank atm inside a citibank branch is a non-citibank atm.
I just moved over to PNC who will either reimburse you or charge no atm fees at all worldwide depending on which type of checking account you have.
I’ve been following these postings and wonder if anyone has had experience dealing with ATM charges in France. My daughter is living there until Jan. 2010 and we are getting very mixed responses from Citizens Bank here re: options. She has been using her ATM card for store purchases, is charged a small fee, and then has traveler’s checks which have almost run out. Any advice?
Anyone know what’s the most common bank in Barcelona Rome and Paris? I need to travel back and forth there from New York throughout the year. I need a popular bank where I can find ATM’s in all 4 cities.
I have my Suvidha Citibank account.
Can I use the card in UK?
Is it free or should I need to pay some amount per transactions.
please let me know this.
Most banks these days have foreign/international transaction fee. It depends on the bank. Wachovia had 3.5% fee. Citibank has 3% transaction fee. Citibank withdrawals work on any Citibank ATM but you must be sure that it is a Citibank ATM and not a Contracted ATM acting on behalf of Citibank. This notice must be somewhere so you will notice before performing your transaction. If you have a Citibanl USA account you can use your card at any ie.. Citibank Hungary ATM’s for example and be charged 3% but the amount done will be showing the total amount with your choice and the 3% fee. Wachovia never did this and they could charge the fee a few days later and this could add up due to conversion fee changing from day to day. I really like that Citibank does this at one time for this is more managable for me and others. I have a Citibank account in the USA as well as Hungary but I cannnot use the Citi Global Transfer that would cost me $10.00. Then I would not be charged the 3% fee. Instant deposit as well.
To avoid the underhanded “foreign transaction fee” imposed by greedy banks like Citibank…DON”T bank at Citibank.
I signed up at Citibank and they told me there were no foreign fees if I used a Citibank ATM. NOT TRUE. There is always a 3% charge at least even if I use a Citibank ATM.
All banks will charge a fee if you use your credit card because of Visa and Mastercard fees..But Citibank has no reason to charge the 3% at a Citibank ATM. They do it because they make millions from it.
Luckily,some banks , such as Bank of America have affiliations with foreign banks such as China Construction bank in China. There is NO fee whatsoever if I withdraw money with my B of A card at a China Construction Bank in China. There is only a charge if I use the check card as a credit card.
Does anyone have information about ATM exchange rate? If I buy foreign currency in US, the rate is about 7% to 20% lower than the posted rate depending on the bank. Someone told me the rate will be better if I use ATM to withdraw in a foreign country. Is that true? By the way, I was told by CitiBank customer service that the 3% ATM fee can be waived if I have CitiGold membership.
Opened a combination debit card/checking account at Citibank today with all kinds of assurances that it will work at their ATM in Paris. Citi gave me an address for the ATM. Did some Googling and found that it moved, and that it rarely worked.
Called Citi at 1-800-321-CITI, spoke to a representative. After checking she assured me that CITI does NOT have an ATM in Paris, affirming their ATM Locator site.She gave me an 800 number to call USA from France to inquire further. 4/20/2010
Caveat emptor
Howie
I’ve been sending money weekly for years now to South America (have a daughter over there).The Colonial Bank was charging me $ 2 a transaction.Now BT&T is taking over, and guess what? the fee goes up to $ 5. For me, this means $ 260 a year. Can somebody recommend me any other bank? Thanks to everyone!
All the major banks charge now around 3% for foreign ATMs and other transactions. ONLY my credit union bank card charges 1% fee for foreign transactions (they charge it due to VISA charges), taking nothing for themselves.
If you travel a lot, credit union banks can save you lots of money. With major banks now being interested in recovering their lost cash, it will come out of your pocket from the fees, be sure.
Hey guys got a question. My wife and I currently live in Orange County and we are moving to Paris for two years. My wife will be paid in European Currency so we will need to open a Paris account. We currently bank with Wells Fargo. My question is, what bank do you recommend? What kind of credit card should we open? Do you recommand American Express? Or a Airline Credit Card?
Please let me know