ATM's in Brazil

[Guest tomcal]

I was recently asked about ATM use in Brazil by someone who said there wasn't alot of information on here. I used to bring cash and go to one of the Cambios to exchange dollars for Reias. Now I don't bring cash with me anymore. I stopped that a few years ago and got a Citibank acct. Citibank has ATM's in Copacabana and Ipanema(and Porto Alegre) convienent to where I stay.

You can also use your ATM card at Brandesco banks in Brazil, there is one right behind the Atlantico hotel right on the way to Pointe 202 but at Brandesco you are limited to a maximum of $600.R withdrawal limit. There are also HSBC banks, but a few years ago there was a issue with fraud at their ATM's and I just decided to avoid them because of it.

[Guest EXPAT]

Yes be very careful with the locally manufactured ATMs in Brazil. Use only ATMs that have major brands on them like Wincor, Diebold or NCR. Using Citibank is a good idea if you can. The locally manufactured ATMs in Brazil are unique to Brazil and can be ripe with fraud.

[ihpguy]

Citibank charges a fee to use their machines and I think they have a limit on withdrawals of 800Reais.

I have been having some problems lately at various branches of HSBC. When the cash in the machine gets lower(you can tell because the machines list the types of bills that are available to be dispensed, they lower the amount that can be drawn down to 300Reais. Depending on the branch, they have varied limits of 300, 500, 800 or 1000Reais daily.

Bradesco permits international debit card withdrawals with no fee. When I withdrew last week, I went to a different branch and the machine's message was that I was required to "saquer=to withdraw/saque-watchdrawal) from a branchagencia that was Dia E Noite(Day and Night.)

My number one safe move is to do a debit withdrawl from the Banco de Brasil branch inside Galeao airport. They have a guard, totally safe and no fee other than the 3%. In the city, I try to always go to the Banco de Brasil branch in front of Candelaria church during business hours. They have a guard on duty and I feel totally secure their. Also right around the corner from Meio Mundo.

Do not use Santander/24 Horas/Unibanco. They have a similar withdrawal fee as Citibank. And I always feel that Citibank gives a worse rate on the exchange than Banco de Brasil. It is hard to tell unless testing on a same-day basis and then examining your US bank statement.

A few years ago, Citibank was great. I had a US account and could use my debit here to withdraw funds. There was no 3% fee and no fee to withdraw. I think they are at 12Reais/transaction now? HSBC has a saving/investment vehicle with a 75KUS minimum and then there was no 3% transaction fee. I checked last year and that offer is no more. Another shame.

I do have experience with fraud down here. A couple of years ago my debit card was cloned. So I do have experience with what "went wrong" I did so many bad things. I used the branch/agencia of HSBC downtown on Rio Branco at 7AM. No during business hours. There was a guy at the other side of the branch. I was afraid of being robbed. Cloning mycard never entered my thinking. What they did then is have a thin piece of paper with a magnetic strip to read my info. I stuck my card in and it was difficult to slide it in. First hint: THERE WAS ALREADY SOMETHING ELSE IN THERE. Then the screen behaved normally with putting in my password, the amount requested and then THE MACHINE WENT DEAD. So I just thought there was a machine error that shut it down. NOT. I used the adjacent one and left. No problem withdrawing money. Within TWENTY-FIVE minutes my card had been cloned and used at a different HSBC branch. So a couple hints in there for anyone interested. I have been told they now have other manners with remote-sending devices but I am not positive about that.

I just know my current rules are to only perform a withdrawal/saque during business(10AM-4PM) hours at a branch with a guard and no fees. And on weekends and holidays, go to Santos-Dumont Airport, not far from Clube 117 and on the way to Meio Mundo to do withdrawals. Easy to get there there from Zonal Sul via 413, 415 or 455. And a nice not-too-far walk from Cinelandia Metro stop. Besides gander at any action of Praca Floriano or the floor show at Cine Rex.

[Guest tomcal]

"Citibank charges a fee to use their machines and I think they have a limit on withdrawals of 800Reais."

That's not been my experience! My limit is $2000. a day and you can ask your local branch to increase your limit. They Do Not charge a fee if you have a gold card checking account with them. That is the main reason I got the citibank account in the first place! they don't charge a fee on foreign transactions and give you the current exchange rate!

[ihpguy]

Thanks. I'll check that out when I am back in the states for my next visit. When I closed my account at Citibank after the change, they never informed me of other options and I did ask. I also went to a Citibank branch down here last year and was never informed of this product. Thanks.

[TotallyOz]

Thanks guys for this great information!

I want to be sure I do things right. I'll take some money out via ATM but I am taking some cash down with me as I fly into Sao Paulo. Will I get a better exchange rate at the airport or in a money changer? If it is very little difference, I'll feel much safer at the airport.

[Guest tomcal]

Thanks. I'll check that out when I am back in the states for my next visit. When I closed my account at Citibank after the change, they never informed me of other options and I did ask. I also went to a Citibank branch down here last year and was never informed of this product. Thanks.

Ihpguy, It's called a "Citigold checking" i just rechecked, my friend who i travel with frequently is the one who told me about it, we were going to the atm and I was limited to a smaller daily amount and he had the $2,000. limit and no fees for using the ATM and since my mortgage was with Citibank they were very helpful in making the change!

[Guest tomcal]

Thanks guys for this great information!

I want to be sure I do things right. I'll take some money out via ATM but I am taking some cash down with me as I fly into Sao Paulo. Will I get a better exchange rate at the airport or in a money changer? If it is very little difference, I'll feel much safer at the airport.

Oz, GRU airport has a huge bank of ATM's(no citibank) that you can access just past baggage claim. I have never used the money changers/cambios there so I don't know what they charge

[ihpguy]

Safra at Galeo changes money at a rate worse than the cambios in Rio. I know of two Citibanks in Centro Rio de Janeiro that change money. And last week I passed two rehabbed Bradesco branches in centro, they have signs that something on the order of "Cambio Service". But Safra at the airport and in the city is not a good bet.

[Guest tagasian]

Thanks for the info re ATMs. I am going to Rio for the first time in May 2013. Everything is booked. Thanks a lot to Tomcal for answering my queries.

Expat:

What do you mean by Locally manufactured ATMs? And when you say: Use only ATMs that have major brands on them like Wincor, Diebold or NCR. what do you mean by major brands? Are these bank names?

Tomcal:

GRU is in Sao Paolo. Are there ATMs anyone has used in GIG before heading out of the airport?

Thanks.

[Guest tomcal]

there are ATM's at GIG airport, but what I do is wait until i get to Ipanema to use the citibank atm's. If you need to get Brazilian dollers at the airport, right after you get thru immigration and before baggage claim you will pass a currency exchange window. If you do not have any Reias on you for the taxi into rio, I recommend changing $100.U.S. for reias to give you some money until you get to the hotel.

[Guest EXPAT]

NCR, Wincor and Diebold are major global ATM manufacturers. Look for those logos. You'll see them all over the US on most ATMs.

In Brazil though many of the banks manufacture their own ATMs and they do not have the same security hardware or software as those global brands so you might be more subject to fraud. Also many of those don't support the ATM networks that you are used to in the US. So your card may not even work anyway.

Also make sure you look closely at the card reader on the ATM to make sure there is no skimming device added on top that can scan your mag stripe and then send that image so someone can duplicate your card.

[gap1972]

During my last two trips, I used banco do brazil ATMs more than a dozen times. No fee, good rates. Works in all cities I visited, Rio, São Paulo, POA, Iguacu falls ...