Call the 800 # of your bank. I bet they can help with the original question.
I’ve never used an ATM in the bubble, but much like @Jeff_AZ I don’t use foreign machines. I refuse to pay to withdraw MY $$.
I mostly use Disney gift cards and typically travel with $200 cash for emergencies.
The visual of you trying to snatch your card out of the ATM cracks me up. Not the part of losing your card, but the visual of your nails vs the machine.
ETA: Looks like the machines in the bubble are owned by Chase and they use the card free technology. If you go to their site you can search an ATM by location.
Even I have to laugh about it now, but at the time it was scary to think I’d have to run inside to ask someone to come out to help me. Luckily I was at a newer station with an assist button on the pump, which I saw after several minutes of clawing at the card reader. They got the card out and politely told me that I might want to try paying inside from here on out. Me…never count me out…
I DO NOT CONDONE THIS HACK. I POSTED IN JEST. DO NOT PUT HOLES IN YOUR DEBIT/CC CARDS.
I do use my CC for 99% of my purchases, on vacation or off. It’s the gratuities I’m now trying to prep for.
I just tipped my nail tech on Friday, on the CC. She then asked me to tip her in cash next time so she doesn’t have to pay taxes on the gratuity. But I tip better on CC’s than I do in cash, mostly because I don’t want to be carrying that much cash on me and I understand that that money gets taxed.
I’ll have enough to cover the Chicago leg of the trip, but the Orlando leg will be longer and we have multiple rooms and split stays all over the place. We’ll need to rely heavily on Mousekeeping and Bell Services because we’ll have a roller chair and several other odd shaped heavy things (multiple tv monitors to act as computer screens, possibly a standing desk if the dressers/desk in the rooms are too small etc) so we can keep working throughout the trip.
Well, she does have to, legally, but it becomes super easy to avoid paying taxes on cash without getting caught. Which is what it sounds like she does.
I guess one could say it at least has the virtue of being honest.
And for all the hooting and shrieking about the financial exposure of a debit card, get a better bank. Or better still, a credit union. Mine does real time fraud detection, and called me after the second suspect transaction on my card. All I had to do to get the money from the first back was affirm that I didn’t make the transaction. The money was returned to my account that day.
It happens a lot here. Kids dropping out of high school pulling in well over 100k a year parking cars…you can bet your cargo shorts they aren’t declaring it.
I’m actually pretty upset she asked for cash because I know that’s exactly what she’s trying to do. I also know she’s supporting her family. I told her I’d try, but that I don’t go to the bank very often, which I don’t, and that I don’t carry a lot of cash on me, which is also true. But it puts me in an uncomfortable position. I tip her double what I normally would specifically because I know it gets taxed. I tip her $40 for 2 services when I see others often tipping between $10 and $20.
That being said, I have no problem tipping Mousekeeping and Bell Services in cash, because they aren’t giving me an option to pay on a card for anything.
You can use those credit card type gift cards at ATM’s. You could put the amount you want to get in cash onto a card then withdraw the money when you get to Orlando
Unless she’s in a higher income bracket, that tax shouldn’t be too much. I mean, more might get withheld but she’ll get a decent chunk back when she files her return. And if she’s in a higher tax bracket, then it shouldn’t be an issue to pay her taxes.
I think it might be more she just wants the cash immediately and didn’t want to wait for the shop to disperse tips however often they do.
But it’s weird that the reason she gave was the tax thing.
And she knew she took me by surprise because after I told her I don’t carry that much cash on me, she immediately said that it was no big deal and that I can just pay what I can, how I can, but that cash would be better appreciated. Regardless of how I go forward with her after that interaction, it did remind me that I will need more cash for services during the trip.
This grates my nerves. Especially when gratuity isn’t mandatory in the first place. If you won’t take my gratuity on my cc then you don’t want my gratuity. I only ever have cash when traveling to tip all those who you don’t directly pay for their services.
So I had thought that card less would be “tap” style, like at some gas stations now, but apparently it’s tied to the banking apps in the phone.
Where as I was less concerned with readers, I know nothing about any new tech there might be looking for “air drop” type thievery so I did a little research. I feel better about the tech and thought I’d share here for ya’ll.
### 4. Security
Although they aren’t risk-free, a few features of cardless ATM withdrawals make them more secure. For starters, scammers can’t use skimmers to steal your card data because you don’t insert your card into the ATM terminal. Since the codes are one-time use only, it does a hacker little good to steal it. Cardless withdrawals also often require two-step authentication. Not only would hackers need to know your PIN, they would also need to have your phone and know how to access it. Not lugging your wallet with you all the time, also reduces the chances of being pickpocketed or robbed.
