Wells Fargo

[kjm_1026]

I have been to Aruba many times, but last year I used my TCF card and I was fined on every swipe for international transaction fees. I have always used my Wells card in the past and I never noticed any funny fees. I looked on the website and I find;
"Wells Fargo charges an International Purchase Transaction fee which is 3% of the transaction amount for each purchase made with your debit card in a foreign currency that has been converted into a U.S. dollar amount by a network"

Is this saying that its better to have the transactions already converted to US before the swipe? Or am I reading this backwards? Anyone with recent visits coming up with these fees?

Thanks

[arubabob]

Originally Posted by kjm_1026

I have been to Aruba many times, but last year I used my TCF card and I was fined on every swipe for international transaction fees. I have always used my Wells card in the past and I never noticed any funny fees. I looked on the website and I find;
"Wells Fargo charges an International Purchase Transaction fee which is 3% of the transaction amount for each purchase made with your debit card in a foreign currency that has been converted into a U.S. dollar amount by a network"

Is this saying that its better to have the transactions already converted to US before the swipe? Or am I reading this backwards? Anyone with recent visits coming up with these fees?

Thanks

Its not a fine, fine has such an unsavory conotation to it, its a convenience/service charge dont you know. They charge it because they can. My Citicard started doing the same thing a couple years ago. I am checking as we speak to see if I can find a card that does not charge this foreign transaction fee. And no it does not matter if the conversion has already taken place, its where you are that adds the charge regardless of currency used.

[Andrea J.]

my discover card does not charge the foreign transaction fee.

we did find more and more vendors/business on aruba do accept discover, but not all.
discover must charge the merchants a higher fee than the others.

[~Amy~®]

Originally Posted by arubabob

My Citicard started doing the same thing a couple years ago. I am checking as we speak to see if I can find a card that does not charge this foreign transaction fee. And no it does not matter if the conversion has already taken place, its where you are that adds the charge regardless of currency used.

I have an Amex Gold (Delta Skymiles) card that does not charge the fees in Aruba (they do charge them in Europe though when money is actually converted.)

[yefim8]

capital one does not charge fee

[Traceyd14]

We were charged a 1% international transaction fee, but since we earn 1.5% cash back on our purchases, I decided that it was worth it for the convenience of using our credit card.

[dipeblnd]

I had the same thing happen to me in Aruba last year with my Wells Fargo card ... i had used it previously when it was still a Wachovia card and had no issue but found the Wells card charged the silly fee. My USAA card does not have any foreign transaction fees.

[mac]

Had the same problem with our citi card two years ago. I argues that the bills were in dollars and they said did not matter. If it comes from out of the country you get charged. Said ok and got a venture card that does not charge a transaction fee. Have never used citi card again when out of the country.

[kjm_1026]

Thanks! I think ill just use my USAA Card too then. OR just use the old form of payment (cash)

[danadog56]

same thing happened to me....to solve the problem I started using cash only....know thats hard, but what I do is pay for my smaller things here with cash, for example...a bill is $2.33, give $4, take change and put into jar at home, never ever pay with change...then roll change about 1 a month, take to bank and put in vacation fund....plus I have my direct deposit from work put $100 month into this account and when ready for vacation there is enough to take....pay at beginning of vacation for car with credit card to hold but pay cash when leaving as well as with our hotel(timeshare).....since I have been so many times I do not buy trinkets for anyone anymore since they all have enough aruba stuff and unless I see something unusual I do not buy any for me either.....do not know if this sounds reasonable to anyone else, but it works for us and I usually have around 3-4k to take...