Can I use a Canadian Debit Card in Ecuador to draw cash?

If your card has a Master Card logo, my banker gave me this site to find compatable ATMs: http://www.mastercard.us/cardholder-ser … cator.html

If you have a card for a different system, try asking the institution which issued the card to provide a similar link. You might also need to change the ".us" to ".ca" for your Canadian card, although I cannot be sure you will get different results. Maybe try both?

Yes, you can use your candian  debit card, we used it last year in Ecuador and of course, as us$ is currency in Ecuador you will receive us dollars.
It is advised to notify your bank before you go, I never did, We generally use Credit cards in hotels etc, but you need cash for smaller purchases.
We are going again to Ecuador for three months and this time I will not be taking too much cash, so I will notify my bank.

We've had very little problems using our Canadian debit cards in Ecuador. Banca Pinchincha currently does not charge a fee for foreign cards, which saves some money, though your own bank may charge a fee on the other end. I recommend bringing a couple from different institutions, just in case, but I've used a card from a very small credit union as well as larger banks from Canada with no issues. You should be fine. Have a great trip.

EvaCanada wrote:

We are going again to Ecuador for three months and this time I will not be taking too much cash....

Don't skimp on bringing U.S. dollars into Ecuador.  Three months is long enough to encounter problems with an ATM card -- lost, damaged, stolen, not honored by bank(s) -- and it typically takes weeks to replace a card here.  I would feel more comfortable with a cash reserve.

cccmedia, Quito

Many thanks to everyone for their help with this question.  We will be sure to contact our banks to let them know we are in Ecuador.

Can anyone tell me if $100 bills are a problem to cash when buying food and drinks?

kkppwilkinson wrote:

Many thanks to everyone for their help with this question.  We will be sure to contact our banks to let them know we are in Ecuador.

Can anyone tell me if $100 bills are a problem to cash when buying food and drinks?

Do not, and I cannot emphasize this enough, bring $100 dollar bills. You may get away with it in the larger supermarkets or when making larger purchases, but as a rule of thumb, anything over $20 is almost impossible to use, especially in the smaller towns.  I would suggest you bring plenty of tens and some $100 notes which you could change at a bank for smaller notes.

Regarding your atm card, you should not have any issues here if it is a Visa or Mastercard, but when using a credit card make sure to notify your bank in advance.