Stop Guesswork Different Banks Different Tipos de Cambios

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Ever use your Mexican VISA card in a USA ATM? - Brace yourself.

No, why would I?

Even as a ciudadano I still keep a US Bank account. Ever use your Mexican VISA card in a USA ATM? - Brace yourself.

moisheh wrote:
I cannot think of worse advice than for an RV'r to open a bank account in Mexico. Mexican distrust the banks for very good reasons. Some banks will not open accounts for anyone with just an FMM. In the small villages they do not accept plastic. We cannot pay our water bill or taxes with plastic. Most of the small restaurants here do not take plastic. Some will take CC's but charge a fee. How would an RV'r get the cash into a bank account. They do not take foreign checks. Cash is king! The banks are almost thieves! If you LIVE in MEXICO and get a Mexican salary then a bank account is a good idea.

Moisheh

I wasn't referring to rvers. I said a temporary or permanent resident. Social Security checks can be direct deposited to a Mexican account. What person would pay ATM fees and then carry around large amounts of cash to pay bills when they could open a Mexican account.

I cannot think of worse advice than for an RV'r to open a bank account in Mexico. Mexican distrust the banks for very good reasons. Some banks will not open accounts for anyone with just an FMM. In the small villages they do not accept plastic. We cannot pay our water bill or taxes with plastic. Most of the small restaurants here do not take plastic. Some will take CC's but charge a fee. How would an RV'r get the cash into a bank account. They do not take foreign checks. Cash is king! The banks are almost thieves! If you LIVE in MEXICO and get a Mexican salary then a bank account is a good idea.

Moisheh

Ever see a protracted discussion about people having too good of a time?

The secret is to know the warts, know how to bypass them with barely a blink and keep on trucking.

I´ve never had a problem using an ATM. Sure, once in awhile, especially on paydays when pensions come out, the lines are long and they run out of money. Many older folks with SS in Mexico all receive their pensions via debit card accounts and almost all workers in big companies and factories. They take out all their money as they are not accustomed to pay for things with a debit card.

I´m still not sure why so many people here talk about the downsides of Mexico and not all the good things. If you live here, open a Mexican account and use the debit card. I hardly ever use cash for anything.

If you´re here on vacation, don´t make ATMs, withdraws and exchange rates your cross.

I have City Bank, US card will not work at HSBC and neither will the Citibanamex card.

My suggestion change banks.

navegator

Also known as cuitlacoche. Take ANY non caveated report here about ATM rates with three or four grains of salt.

Four tries five HSBC cajeros automaticos. # 1 out of service, #2 limited to $4,000 pesos maximum. Checked with bank management, been that way since late June. The last two at different banks refused any of three cards. Checking inside the people said "They no longer accept extraneous cards, (just like BanComer)". I deduced hard-and-fast-rules are regional.

Be wise, check with neighbors before making a frustrating trip. Banorte tipo de cambio was one full peso less than the BanaMex rate, yesterday 18.81 including ATM fee not USA bank fee.

These checks were made in a city of 400,000 75-miles from the dorder.

Huitlacoche is a specialty in Guerrero. Great stuff. Kind of partial to the English name for it-smut!

I like the tacos de huitlacoche, I will let you all look that up.

navegator