Mexican Bank
justinyoo
Was thinking a way to limit exposure to bandits with badges and wondered if anyone has tried to setup a back account in Mexico? Even better would be the banks with ATMs in Cascadas.
Just wondering if there was an opportunity to put money in the Mexican bank account and withdrawal without fees as needed during the trip without the risk of carrying a large roll.
I could even just withdrawal at clubs like Chicago versus carrying a bunch of cash.
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last commentI think you have to have Mexican citizenship or at least a resident Visa in order to do that.
I have a Charles Schwab debit card so I prefund that and I can utilize ATMs in Mexico,.plus I'm told that the exchange rates are pretty decent and they refund the ATM fees,
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Hey Jascoi. Interesting, is it a money market account with Schwab? If you get no ATM fees, then that could work with the exception of dealing in Pesos now. Thanks
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You need residency proof of address a tax id number.
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If you bank with Bank of America or Merrill Lynch they have reciprocal partners with no fees all over the world. In Mexico I believe the reciprocal partner relationship is with Scotia Bank.
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@twentyfive - yeah my problem is the Scotia Bank ATMs would require a cab ride though now increasing exposure. This would be a perfect solution if the ATMs in Cascada/Rizo were Scotia Bank. I will be there in early June and check it out.
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I've heard of the Schwab account for Tijuana before.
BoA being reciprocal is interesting. IIRC, there's a Scotia Bank ATM right on Calle Coahuila next to BT by the massage place.
Fuck, I really like my current bank tho, the fraud protection is orders of magnitude better than other banks. I think I'm gonna continue to carry my warchest across the border for now...
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@justinyoo, I just tried to look it up and I couldn't find it on the map. But still I'm 90% sure there's a Scotia bank right there by BT. I'll make a note to check on my trip next weekend and report back
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Thanks @RonJax2. Not sure I want to withdrawal $500 on the street though...lol.
I was thinking of just creating a 2nd account and funding it for just trips over the border and not as a real use everyday life bank. As someone mentioned skimmers and stuff, I wouldn't want anything tied to "real" banking.
If in bind, I'm fine with credit cards cash withdrawals. I think the rate is like 3% or 5% fee but you are probably more limited to daily withdrawals to like $300 I'm guessing. Just make sure you don't use a card with a balance you can't pay off fully because the APR is going to be crushing and they probably hit that higher APR last.
My first attempt at this didn't go well though (back right before COVID years) as the different cards I tried didn't work on the Mexican banking network.
I tried it on one other trip and it worked with the first card I tried. Withdrew an extra $300 without issue yet was a waste because I left with more than $300....idiot! I was just being safe in case...lol
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justinyoo- a good subject of discussion, and interesting hearing about BoA’s reciprocal partnership with Scotia Bank ( no ATM fees ). I’d like to know more on the bank’s location/s within TJ area ( and if it’s convenient or not ). Otherwise as RonJax2 mentioned it, I too will continue carrying a daily warchest across the border😁
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Schwab account is great. I use mine all over the world. They refund your ATM fees from anywhere.
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