ATM's

l3ully said:
A full international transfer will cost you on VN side 2% +10% below certain sums + that, what you get charged at your home bank.

Incorrect, some banks charge zero, as in nothing.

Better to get a zero cost ATM than move money here.

Some banks, like ANZ, actually pay interest on Foreign Currency held in VN.

Banks such as HSBC screw you by gobbling Foreign Currency and substituting VND. Theye even denied a legally married couple (in VN) the use of a joint account as they weren't both VNese citizens. You don't need these arguments when you are transferring money.

I even use VietComBank, notwithstanding their penchant for forms, to bring money in. What they say goes, never been shafted by them on transfers. And they supply individual chairs for you to sit on whilst you watch the paper move.

Better still, they don't use the SecureKey that HSBC does, the biggest hassle in banking.

VietComBank and Agribank charge zero for using there own ATMs - most banks charge when using a 'network' ATM.

The VietComBank merchant charge on credit card transactions is 4%.

panda7 wrote:

Hi, can a foreigner open an agribank account and get an atm card ? also do you get interest on the money in the account ? I get charged so much as it is a foreign transaction.

thanks

Yes, a foreigner can. There is actually a chance, that you can open that one without agency.

- You need an address, not hotel or guesthouse, ideally rental contract or police registration
- passport
- VND 50000 to pay in - not refundable
- some banks might close your account, if it's on the minimum and not active for longer periods (1 year?). Takes about 5 minutes (after queuing)

Some banks might have slightly different minimum amounts or might want to see different papers.
If it fails ones, try another branch/bank.
If that fails, go to the place, you have been told several times before in Ngyen Thien Thuat

Buzzer wrote:

The best I've found is TechComBank.

Unfortunately, TechComBank is owned by the HSBC and has the same anal-retentive management practices.

They are getting SecureKey next year. A better reason to change banks doesn't exist.

panda7 wrote:

Hi, can a foreigner open an agribank account and get an atm card ? also do you get interest on the money in the account ? I get charged so much as it is a foreign transaction.

thanks

Yes, AgriBank is easy, you can open with passport/address and 50 000 VND. An ATM you will get commonly only upon request ( I think, the first one is/was free)

panda7 wrote:

thanks any idea if a standard agribank account pays interest to the account ? I heard deposit accounts can get 14%

techcom atm you can get 6m max I think...

14% is dream now, even for savings well above the equivalent of 500000 USD, 9% max, but not on a current account, you have to put the money in a saving account for some month/years... This year is the first year in ages so far, where inflation is below the interest, so it might save a few quid.

Budman1 wrote:

Panda7 (or anybody) What's the max out of a sacombank ATM, any ideas? I'm going into Can Tho in the AM, I'll give them a try.

Budman1,

The max withdrawal from Sacombank in Bien Hoa is 2 million if you are using a foreign debit card. 10 million for a Sacombank debit card. Also I went to withdraw at Techombank on the first and the max they would let me take out was 17.5 million which is still pretty good.

VungTauDon wrote:

3% is the fee at Vietcombank, the fee from my bank is only 3.95 usd. There is no exchange fee as I'm taking out as usd and exchanging for vnd after.

Can you still withdraw USD at the counter in Vietcombank in Vung Tau? They stopped doing that in Bien Hoa in November. That was always the cheapest way to do it.

VungTauDon wrote:

I haven't tried taking out in usd cash. The credit card receipt still says 2000 usd but I take it in vnd.

Until November of last year you could take it in USD. I used to do that and exchange at the gold stores. But the bank told me new government regulations forbid them from paying out in USD.

I am considering using the Vietnamese Bamboo Banking System. They only charge 2% and depending on the time of day you can get it that day or the next morning and in dollars.

AmericanNomad wrote:

Are ATMs safe to use in Saigon?  Some people say you have to go in the bank etc, is that true?

Oh no don't go into banks, so bureaucratic, tellers given zero responsibility, she (always very young 'she') will first confer with other tellers, then leave to get approvals from superiors, come back, then leave again...

ATMs outside banks will have a guard loitering during day/evening hours. Exercise ghetto street smarts like any city.