Most banks in Taiwan will charge US$15 to wire money to the States and then the banks on the home end take another US$15. Save $ by sending an extra bankcard home and have a friend or family member withdraw funds. There will be a US$2 charge for using the card and then a 1% on the total amount drawn. May not seem like much but if you want to wire US$200 it will cost you $30 in fees. Use the ATM-debit card and it will only be $3. You just saved $27.
Assuming, of course, you trust the other person.
Sounds smart but don’t you get a better exchange rate if you do a bank-bank transfer?
And…do all Taiwan banks have the same ability to withdraw money from abroad? I thought I heard someone tell me they couldn’t get money out in Thailand?; maybe that’s just Thailand.
Otherwise, cool.
No, it’s true some banks don’t allow you to withdraw money from an account here. I know that includes Taihsin. When I asked, I was told that it was because of the law, that I couldn’t do that.
Kenneth
I tried to withdraw funds in the USA from several Cirrus machines, and my local-issue ATM card crashed every one of them. Yep, just KO’d 'em.
I just got back from Aus, and I used my Chang Hwa cirrus card daily. Gave it an absolute hiding. So I’d agree, why wire when you can use the plastic? Only problem was, I lost count of how much money I’d withdrawn while overseas, and couldn’t access my available balance. Had no problems like the above post though, I withdrew at every major Aussie bank, Commonwealth, ANZ, Wespac etc, only prob was couldn’t use eftpos.