# Which credit card to use in Mexico?



## ptprism (Nov 26, 2009)

We just got back from Puerto Vallarta and found that most places would NOT accept the American Express card any longer. In fact, we tried to go to the AMEX office for a cash advance and found that they no longer have an office in PV!   My latest statement shows their new changes and this includes a 2.7%foreign transaction fee on each foreign conversion.

My question is: What credit card do you use in Mexico? Do they all charge such fees? Is one better than the other?


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## MULTIZ321 (Nov 26, 2009)

PT,

This doesn't answer your question directly but I thought you might be interested in these tips - How to Avoid Credit Card and ATM Fees While Traveling Abroad

and Peter Greenberg: Avoiding Credit Card Fees Overseas - from aarp.org


Richard


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## stopfraud (Nov 26, 2009)

Currently almost all of the credit cards will charge a foreign transaction fee - most of them about 3%. The only exception is the CapitalOne Visa, with zero charge. That is what we use when abroad.


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## bellesgirl (Nov 26, 2009)

*Capital One*

The only card I have found that does not charge fees is the Capital One Visa.  We use it in Mexico, Europe, Canada...  We even use it here in the USA!  

It is also important to check with your ATM company to see if they charge a fee when using the ATMs in foreign countrues.  I am not referring only to the ATM charge but also the foreign transaction fee.  We found that Chase charged $3 for the fee plus 3% so a $500 transaction cost $18.  Now we use our credit union and it costs $1.50 total.


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## pedro47 (Nov 26, 2009)

May I also suggest to you that you notify your credit card company prior to the trip that you are going to Mexico. 

This will left the credit card company know that you going to Mexico.  You may wish to set a limit how much you are going to spend in Mexico.

Suggestion only.


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## ptprism (Nov 27, 2009)

Thanks for all the good tips. We have a Capital One card we don't use very often. This may be the right one for Mexico!


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## Kenrabs (Nov 27, 2009)

I use my Capitol One master card with no fees. I also got a better exchange rate than what was offered around Cancun.


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## x3 skier (Nov 28, 2009)

Another idea is to use a Credit Union ATM for cash and Credit Card for charges. Most do not charges fees over the interchange fee of about 1% levied by Visa / Master Card. 

I keep a Capital One Card I only use for Foreign travel as they are last big bank to minimize fees.

Cheers


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## John Cummings (Nov 28, 2009)

I use my San Diego County Credit Union Visa card which charges a 1% currency conversion fee. I always notify them that we will be in Mexico. I only us the credit card at the resort. I wouldn't use it at any shops or restaurants as credit card theft is very common in Mexico.


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## Judy (Nov 28, 2009)

bellesgirl said:


> The only card I have found that does not charge fees is the Capital One Visa.


 And Capital One MasterCard.



			
				bellesgirl said:
			
		

> It is also important to check with your ATM company to see if they charge a fee when using the ATMs in foreign countrues.  I am not referring only to the ATM charge but also the foreign transaction fee.


 Capital One does not charge ATM fees either.



			
				pedro47 said:
			
		

> May I also suggest to you that you notify your credit card company prior to the trip that you are going to Mexico.


 Capital One does want their customers to notify them before using their cards in other countries.


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## stopfraud (Nov 28, 2009)

John Cummings said:


> I use my San Diego County Credit Union Visa card which charges a 1% currency conversion fee. I always notify them that we will be in Mexico. I only us the credit card at the resort. I wouldn't use it at any shops or restaurants as credit card theft is very common in Mexico.



During of about a dozen stays in Mexico we hadalways used the credit card to pay wherever it was accepted - without any problems. You just have to watch that the actual card is not lost or stolen from you. We keep it in a safe place in my pocket.


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## John Cummings (Nov 29, 2009)

stopfraud said:


> During of about a dozen stays in Mexico we hadalways used the credit card to pay wherever it was accepted - without any problems. You just have to watch that the actual card is not lost or stolen from you. We keep it in a safe place in my pocket.



My wife is Mexican, we lived in Mexico and spend a lot of time there. Though you may not have had a problem, it does happen quite frequently. Mexico is notorious for credit card number theft, and ATM theft. They don't have to physically steal the card. All they need is the number and security code on the back of the card. We know many people that thought like you until they started getting charges on their card after returning back from Mexico.


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## bellesgirl (Nov 29, 2009)

I agree, although I have never had a problem with a credit card in Mexico.  I use cash most everywhere.  That is why I like to use the ATMs.  I also only like to use the ATMs that let you swipe the card, rather than the ones where you insert the card into the machine.  I have known people whose cards got eaten and then they had to go inside the bank to retrieve it.  If it happens at night or on the weekend, that can be a bigger problem.  Plus it is out of your sight for a while.


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## MuranoJo (Nov 29, 2009)

I'd be very careful with the ATMs--only use those within banks or on the timeshare property.  3 out of 4 couples on a trip to PV used an ATM across the street from our t/s at a convenience store before getting on a bus, and 6 months later, the charges started kicking in.  I alone was hit with $8000 to my bank before it was noticed and stopped.  Thank goodness this was insured by my bank.

I'm not entirely sure what is safe nowadays, but may seriously consider travelers checks in the future--or--better yet, change your ATM card Password as soon as you get home, as they get your password and sell it along with the card #.  Sometimes it takes months for them to sell this information and pass it along, as is what happened with us.


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## Deer Path (Dec 3, 2009)

All the above suggestions are correct. The Capital One CC is the only one we use in MExico with no transaction fees.  We do not use it at restaurants on the beach anymore.  We think it may have been copied a few years ago on the beach in Cabo  and fortunately we caught it when we arrived home and I checked our account.  I called Capital One and they put in a dispute and took care of it.  At first they did not cancel the card but watched it and when someone tried to use it again they cancelled it and issued us a new card.
We now take a nice sum of money that we exchange into pecos for use on the beach and other places we do not feel comfortable using a  CC.
and we also call the CC company before we go.


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