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The Princess discovered when she went to London last month that the ATM machines there require a chip card. Does the ATMs in the Johannesburg airport require chip cards?

Thanks

WTF you thinkin', Chuck?!? You'd be as ill-advised to stick your bank card in an African ATM as your dick in an African chick!! I took $3000 in cash when I went, tucked in a double-thickness leather money belt.

^^^^^^^^^^^


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I went to the bank and got cash, I also got a preloaded debit card, one that is not tied to my bank account.

I am taking my regular debit card and credit card just in case, but do not plan on using them.

Point taken. I am carrying cash. I wanted to pickup some Rand and hate paying the exorbitant fees. One of the banks that I deal with doesn't charge ATM fees, uses the inter-bank exchange rate, and reimburses up to $10 in the ATM machine owner charges a fee.

Maybe I get stop by a bank there and convert some dollars to Rand.

Maybe I should look into a preloaded card. Which one do you use and what are the fees?

Mine is through Wells Fargo, and there are no fees with it.

AAA has them as well

A lot of pre-loaded debit cards don't work outside the USA. Look before you buy.

It seems that there are actually banking laws in the US that require some countries to be blocked due to risk of prepaid cards being used to fund terrorism. Some banks just don't allow international debit card use. This is possibly so they don't have to keep track of the moving target of which countries are added to or removed from the list.

I don't know how much has changed since last year, but when I went the U.S. dollar was accepted everywhere I went in Jo-burg at fair exchange rate, and in Zimbabwe U.S. dollars are the unofficial currency. I'm not sure that I'd bother to exchange dollars for rands. If hunting in RSA, perhaps you should... ask your PH/outfitter. But in any event, exchange rate there will be more favorable than here.

Two years ago I sent my youngest daughter to Ghana for 6 weeks. She was in medical school, and went there on a humanitarian mission with the school.

CA$H WAS KING. They ALL want new, crisp U$ DOLLAR$. Just know what the exchange is so that you don't get ripped off too badly.

If you're not able do as some of the others have suggested, open a new bank account at another bank that you are not doing business with. Get a credit card and a debit card. Let them know that it's for international travel, and make sure that you can use them in the countries that you're intending to visit, and maybe the nearby bordering countries also. ONLY place as much money in the debit account that you're willing to lose.

For me, I too would take cash. And well hidden in more than one location. I have a friend that traveled to Russia to hunt bears. He actually had some custom made leather goods that had the cash sewn into them. No zippers, but sewn into the leather articles. If he ever needed the cash, all he had to do was cut open the seams.

Good luck in your travels abroad.

Thanks for all the tips. The savings account that I use to transfer money to my outfitter is a separate account at a different bank that I opened for the sole purpose of saving for this trip. I don't mix regular savings, household checking, retirement savings, vacation savings, or hunting funds. Never the twain shall meet. Of course that is primarily to remind the Princess that it isn't "vacation funds".

In South Africa right now, debit card worked great for supper and refreshments last night.

The cards are taken no problem in SA and Namibia. Our host even mentioned it in her invitation letter.

Wells Fargo talked me into the card, they wanted me to use it in place of carrying all cash. And of course American cash is still king.