<p>My D will be leaving for Denmark in 6 weeks! Was wondering about debit and credit cards oversees. Have heard good things about the Charles Schwab debit card (no ATM fees) but I am concerned about how to keep it filled. Charles Scwab is an online service so we would need to electronically send money to an investment account and then transfer into checking. I am thinking about TD Bank - keep $2,500 in at all times and you can use any bank's ATMs without a fee. Heard that European credit cards now have a chip in them and that US cards will not be accepted oversees. Is this true? From what I read, the BOA Student card does have the chip and there is no conversion fee. </p>
<p>Any one with experience with debit or credit cards in Europe?</p>
<p>I am surprised at how little activity there is on this study abroad board. I don’t really have an up-to-date answer because my son has used a USAA bank card on his trips abroad for the past 4 trips (Denmark semester, Russia for a college class, Germany with his high school, and Brazil with a friend). He and I share a bank account with separate ATM cards that he uses for emergencies and he has a separate pre-paid card that was set up when he was still a minor. Although I don’t think that he needs my oversight anymore, he hasn’t complained, so I haven’t gotten around to changing it. The system has worked well; I deposit money to my account and then just shift it to his account. I think there is a foreign transaction fee on ATM withdrawals but it was not noticeable. That probably is no help to you but it is how we handled it.</p>
<p>I was sorting through some papers on my desk the other day and found the packing information sheet from DIS. Have you received that yet? It was rather generic but it might give you a better idea of what to take. I don’t think they sent that info until a couple of weeks before departure. My son is going to Korea/Japan for a class in two weeks. They have to limit their packing to a carryon and a backpack for an 18 day trip. I think after all of his short trips with DIS, he has learned the art of packing light.</p>
<p>My daughter spent a year in the UK and my other daughter a semester in Scotland. They both used a BOA debit because they had less fees having an affiliation with a bank there. They also used a Chase Sapphire that didn’t have fees and we got points for plane and other purchases. That was an extra card they gave me for them but I was the card owner. The debit was an acct they had in their name but I was on the account so I could put money in through the ATM when they needed extra.
It worked for them very well. They only had trouble once with a store not taking one card but the other one was fine. They would withdraw a hundred or so when traveling as to cut down on fees at the ATM’s but mostly, it was stress-free in that area.</p>
<p>They had about 300 dollars in pounds when they left and a little cash.</p>
<p>Good luck to her, it will be quite an experience.</p>
<p>Download the viber app - if you both have wifi or g3 you can talk and text with no fees. Notify any credit card in advance the time and place of travel - so they don’t shut down the card. Check on the conversion fees, etc. Some are cheaper or have none - we got our son a different credit card for south america - but can’t remember which one right now.</p>
<p>I am using my iPad with a poor 3G connection and lost your message. Hope this gets thru or I will have to wait until I am home Tues. Son bought a duffle because suitcase was too large and backpack too small. As far as I know, it was the largest of something that he thought that he needed that he didn’t take with him.</p>
<p>Hanover Research is conducting a study on the use of banking services by Americans studying abroad. If you are an American citizen studying overseas, we want to hear from you.</p>
<p>Please note that this study is for research purposes only and that your responses will remain completely anonymous. Furthermore, this survey is hosted on servers located outside of the United States.</p>
<p>Participants completing the survey may enter Hanover’s drawing to win an iPod Touch.</p>
<p>Hi NewJerseyMom. My son just opened a Schwab account for his study abroad (Hong Kong) and travel around Asia. It’s very easy. Open the account online. You wind up with an investment account and a checking account. You don’t have to use the investment account at all. Once the account is set up, you can use the smartphone app to take pictures of checks and deposit them directly into the checking account. After you make the first deposit, they automatically mail you an ATM card, with no fees. There are no currency conversion fees either (just whatever the conversion rate is the day you withdraw money in local currency). Just today, my son received paper checks from Schwab. We weren’t expecting that, but it’s a nice bonus. Included were deposit slips and mailing envelopes, so I can mail/deposit his final summer paycheck to Schwab (he’ll already be out of the country when the check comes). </p>
<p>You can also link the account to an “outside” account to transfer money. We didn’t bother because he will have all his funds in the account before he goes, and he’ll also have a credit card for other purchases as necessary.</p>
<p>Schwab customer service has been very helpful over the phone when my son had questions, too.</p>
<p>Hi axw - how long did it take to receive the debit card? We opened an account at td bank which lets you use any atm without a fee however now I am wondering about the conversion fee. We do have to keep $2,500 in the account at all times to avoid the fees.</p>
<p>I did SA in UK and had PNC bank. Withdrawal feels were like $3 USD when I went so I withdrew about £1000 a time. Large amount. I had a safe in my room and kept it there. I would also recommend converting a large sum before going. PNC had little to no problems as I traveled throughout The EU And UK</p>
<p>With the Schwab account, there’s no need to convert any funds ahead of time. You deposit $US, and withdraw from an ATM to get local currency. This is especially nice if you’re going to more than one country, as my son is.</p>