Withdraw funds from ATM

lord enki wrote:

I have lived in Ha Noi going on 4 years now. spent 3 years in Tay Ho. Near my building there was an ATM that I used that allowed me to withdraw the maximum cash of 3 million dong, 3 times. This ATM was maintained by ACB bank. Had no problem with this arrangement for the 3 years that I lived in Tay Ho.
I have since moved to Long Bien near Aeon Mall where I have access to a Vietcom bank ATM and I would withdraw the maximum amount of 3 million dong, 3 times per visit for 9 months. All of a sudden now the ATM will not allow me to withdraw cash.  My American banking account has funds as I check my account daily.
What's up with this scenario? anybody else run into this problem? how to rectify?

Who knows?

It's only one ATM with one bank.

A different bank as well, from the one you've been using (apples and oranges).

You don't say if you have contacted your USA bank.

I'd definitely try that, in this scenario.

Is the card expired?

Is it a chip card?

It may be time to get a new card, especially if it's not a chip card and has become demagnitized.

I tried a different ATM (bank) and that worked for about 3 days and then the same result. I just checked my American bank....plenty of funds. The card is a chip card and it is new (1 month old).
so very exasperating.....    and I was having such a good time here..... 

lord enki wrote:

I tried a different ATM (bank) and that worked for about 3 days and then the same result. I just checked my American bank....plenty of funds. The card is a chip card and it is new (1 month old).
so very exasperating.....    and I was having such a good time here..... 

I meant, have you called your U.S. bank?

In case you aren't aware, you can use the Skype app to make free calls over WiFi to toll-free numbers in the states.

Talk to a live person there and see what they have to say.

Also, what is the name of your USA bank?

That info might help someone give you assistance.

Good luck.

I will call tonight via skype....

thanks for your reply

Same card fails at two banks:     your ATM card is prolly damaged.
I maintain a second checking account in the US, it is free with the minimum balance, for just that scenario.

gobot wrote:

Same card fails at two banks:     your ATM card is prolly damaged.
I maintain a second checking account in the US, it is free with the minimum balance, for just that scenario.

I do that too.

Just in case one card stops working I can fairly quickly transfer funds to the 2nd bank while I wait for a replacement

HSBC or Citi bank would be the best option for withdrawal of cash. In your scenerio, most ATM now time only allowed 2 million dong in cash each transaction. HSBC and Citi bank allowed you to withdraw up to 8 million dong in cash every 24 hours. Good luck bro!

sometimes the ATMs either don't work or are out of cash....

How much they charge for the withdraw by ATM and which is the exchange rate they apply ?

I got tired of being rorted by my bank in Aussie and paying exchange fees in VN.
I opened an account with VietInbank which was no drama. I had a ATM and visa card in two days. Unlike the two weeks in Aust.
Now I using XE.com to transfer from Aussie to my VN bank. XE.com don't charge a fee per se, they take a few cents in the dollar which is about 0.01% of what I had been paying.
The funds are in my bank within a couple of days.
I can top up my phone and transfer funds and pay any bills online.
If I use a non VietInBank ATM there is no fee. In Aust. you usually pay $2-3 if using the card in another bank/ATM.

Never try to withdraw from an ATM on a Friday in VN. The machines get cleaned out  early in the day.

can an individual open an account without a work contract? I am retired and do not work. does the type of visa one has have any bearing on whether you can open an account?

lord enki wrote:

can an individual open an account without a work contract? I am retired and do not work. does the type of visa one has have any bearing on whether you can open an account?

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=859279

Best way to find out is walk into a number of banks with your passport and ask

Happiness is when the ATM gives you 200's or 100's instead of 500's

panda7 wrote:

Happiness is when the ATM gives you 200's or 100's instead of 500's

That's tip for your typical Karaoke om visit

In May'19 I enquired of one bank if  I could open an account.I was told a valid 6 month visa would be required.I did not ask about other conditions; identity proofs,address in VN,references,proving source of fund transfers etc.,

AnhTom17 wrote:

In May'19 I enquired of one bank if  I could open an account.I was told a valid 6 month visa would be required.I did not ask about other conditions; identity proofs,address in VN,references,proving source of fund transfers etc.,

Since May of 2019, new banking regulations have taken effect:

New Banking Regulations for Foreigners

just a quick update to the ATM fiasco I experienced; finally took that advice about just going to a bank and offering my question and experience. turns out the bank does not limit how many times you can use the machine, just how much you can withdraw. the bank service manager suggested that the chip on my card may be worn or distorted and sure enough that was the problem. upon further conversation I discovered that I could withdraw a large amount of cash (to pay my rent and other bills) using my debit card, right there at her desk. so now I have no need of an ATM. big load off my mind.....

lord enki wrote:

just a quick update to the ATM fiasco I experienced; finally took that advice about just going to a bank and offering my question and experience. turns out the bank does not limit how many times you can use the machine, just how much you can withdraw. the bank service manager suggested that the chip on my card may be worn or distorted and sure enough that was the problem. upon further conversation I discovered that I could withdraw a large amount of cash (to pay my rent and other bills) using my debit card, right there at her desk. so now I have no need of an ATM. big load off my mind.....

What is the fee amount they charge to withdraw funds inside the bank?

oh yeah, forgot to worry about that.....1 mil VND, but I consider it a small price to pay for peace of mind. it was wrote up as a cash advance and I know if I had done this through a credit card the fee would have been exorbitant (much larger).

lord enki wrote:

oh yeah, forgot to worry about that.....1 mil VND, but I consider it a small price to pay for peace of mind. it was wrote up as a cash advance and I know if I had done this through a credit card the fee would have been exorbitant (much larger).

Interesting breadcrumbs... 😉

And what (please) was the amount of funds they gave you?

If it was about ₫67,000,000 VNĐ, that's about 1.5% and fairly reasonable.

If it was ₫20,000,000 VNĐ, ouch!

😉

I like the Agribank ATMs, 3Tr, 22k fee IIRC, but each individual Agribank ATM seems to have some limit on how many times (each month?) I can use it. Rejected by one ATM, another one half a click away works fine. I've seen Russians pull 5Tr out of Agribank ATMs... most annoying 

Vietinbank is my 2nd choice, 3Tr and 40-50k fee.

Everything else seems to max out at 2Tr and costs 60k+

I suspect these devices are actually governed by some form of astrology, and given up trying to divine their 'logic'

Mostly though I funnel money through my girlfiend's Vietnamese bank account via Transferwise, far cheaper, she pays 1-2k or something per withdrawal with no amount limit that has yet affected us.

Brick23 wrote:

I like the Agribank ATMs, 3Tr, 22k fee IIRC, but each individual Agribank ATM seems to have some limit on how many times (each month?) I can use it. Rejected by one ATM, another one half a click away works fine. I've seen Russians pull 5Tr out of Agribank ATMs... most annoying 

Vietinbank is my 2nd choice, 3Tr and 40-50k fee.

Everything else seems to max out at 2Tr and costs 60k+

I suspect these devices are actually governed by some form of astrology, and given up trying to divine their 'logic'

Mostly though I funnel money through my girlfiend's Vietnamese bank account via Transferwise, far cheaper, she pays 1-2k or something per withdrawal with no amount limit that has yet affected us.

ACB BANK allows seemingly unlimited withdrawals (I've done 5 at a time before) for ₫3 million VNĐ limit per withdrawal, charge ₫55,000 VNĐ.

Military Bank (MB) allows ₫5 million VNĐ per withdrawal.

The Vietinbank ATM at the Avatar Hotel in Danang only allows ₫2 million per withdrawal.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Brick23 wrote:

I like the Agribank ATMs, 3Tr, 22k fee IIRC, but each individual Agribank ATM seems to have some limit on how many times (each month?) I can use it. Rejected by one ATM, another one half a click away works fine. I've seen Russians pull 5Tr out of Agribank ATMs... most annoying 

Vietinbank is my 2nd choice, 3Tr and 40-50k fee.

Everything else seems to max out at 2Tr and costs 60k+

I suspect these devices are actually governed by some form of astrology, and given up trying to divine their 'logic'

Mostly though I funnel money through my girlfiend's Vietnamese bank account via Transferwise, far cheaper, she pays 1-2k or something per withdrawal with no amount limit that has yet affected us.

ACB BANK allows seemingly unlimited withdrawals (I've done 5 at a time before) for ₫3 million VNĐ limit per withdrawal, charge ₫55,000 VNĐ.

Military Bank (MB) allows ₫5 million VNĐ per withdrawal.

The Vietinbank ATM at the Avatar Hotel in Danang only allows ₫2 million per withdrawal.

My wife withdrew 25 mil from Vietcombank on Nguyen Van Troi street last Thursday night.

colinoscapee wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Brick23 wrote:

I like the Agribank ATMs, 3Tr, 22k fee IIRC, but each individual Agribank ATM seems to have some limit on how many times (each month?) I can use it. Rejected by one ATM, another one half a click away works fine. I've seen Russians pull 5Tr out of Agribank ATMs... most annoying 

Vietinbank is my 2nd choice, 3Tr and 40-50k fee.

Everything else seems to max out at 2Tr and costs 60k+

I suspect these devices are actually governed by some form of astrology, and given up trying to divine their 'logic'

Mostly though I funnel money through my girlfiend's Vietnamese bank account via Transferwise, far cheaper, she pays 1-2k or something per withdrawal with no amount limit that has yet affected us.

ACB BANK allows seemingly unlimited withdrawals (I've done 5 at a time before) for ₫3 million VNĐ limit per withdrawal, charge ₫55,000 VNĐ.

Military Bank (MB) allows ₫5 million VNĐ per withdrawal.

The Vietinbank ATM at the Avatar Hotel in Danang only allows ₫2 million per withdrawal.

My wife withdrew 25 mil from Vietcombank on Nguyen Van Troi street last Thursday night.

One pull?

I'm guessing it was from a Vietnamese bank account.

My ACB account will allow at least 10 million per withdrawal I'm sure, but maybe more.

The limits I mentioned previously are for foreign transactions (from my U.S. Bank

lord enki wrote:

just a quick update to the ATM fiasco I experienced; finally took that advice about just going to a bank and offering my question and experience. turns out the bank does not limit how many times you can use the machine, just how much you can withdraw. the bank service manager suggested that the chip on my card may be worn or distorted and sure enough that was the problem. upon further conversation I discovered that I could withdraw a large amount of cash (to pay my rent and other bills) using my debit card, right there at her desk. so now I have no need of an ATM. big load off my mind.....

Sot it's been almost a year, and you still haven't considered getting a Revolut and Transferwise debit card, which you could top up with your original card, then use hassle-free with ATMs also to work around the daily limits?! (And get much better exchange rate than with your US card!) 🤦‍♂️

35 mil VND

lord enki wrote:

35 mil VND

2.85% just in withdrawal fees. 🤦‍♂️ And you need 35mil cash each month?

mmm....too much huh?   I never heard of Revolut or Transferwise. I will research.  thanks for the tip.   and no I do not need 35 mil each month, every 3 months or so...

lord enki wrote:

mmm....too much huh?   I never heard of Revolut or Transferwise. I will research.  thanks for the tip.   and no I do not need 35 mil each month, every 3 months or so...

Look into these, with Agribank ATMs you'll be able to withdraw 9mil for about 66000VND...

I can withdraw 9 mil @ ACB for 50K

lord enki wrote:

I can withdraw 9 mil @ ACB for 50K

Ok, then check the conversion rate, if you're using a card from your home bank, Transferwise/Revolut will probably give you much much better rate.

atomheart wrote:

Sot it's been almost a year, and you still haven't considered getting a Revolut and Transferwise debit card, which you could top up with your original card, then use hassle-free with ATMs also to work around the daily limits?! (And get much better exchange rate than with your US card!) 🤦‍♂️

I asked Transferwise about 4 months back if their debit card would work in Vietnam - they responded with, No.

If someone has a differing experience, please chime in.

atomheart wrote:

Sot it's been almost a year, and you still haven't considered getting a Revolut and Transferwise debit card, which you could top up with your original card, then use hassle-free with ATMs also to work around the daily limits?! (And get much better exchange rate than with your US card!) 🤦‍♂️

I asked Transferwise about 4 months back if their debit card would work in Vietnam if the card was issued in the U.S. - they responded with, No. Their website has locations where the card is accepted and from what countries of issue.

If someone has a differing experience, please chime in.

stevenjb2020 wrote:

atomheart wrote:

Sot it's been almost a year, and you still haven't considered getting a Revolut and Transferwise debit card, which you could top up with your original card, then use hassle-free with ATMs also to work around the daily limits?! (And get much better exchange rate than with your US card!) <span class="emoji-outer emoji-sizer"><span class="emoji-inner" style="background: url(chrome-extension://immhpnclomdloikkpcefncmfgjbkojmh/emoji-data/sheet_apple_32.png);background-position:75.96944770857814% 95.94594594594594%;background-size:5418.75% 5418.75%" data-codepoints="1f926-200d-2642-fe0f"></span></span>

I asked Transferwise about 4 months back if their debit card would work in Vietnam if the card was issued in the U.S. - they responded with, No. Their website has locations where the card is accepted and from what countries of issue.

If someone has a differing experience, please chime in.

I've used their MasterCard in VN for payment and withdrawals, but mine was issued in Europe...

lord enki wrote:

I can withdraw 9 mil @ ACB for 50K

Very highly doubtful.

Please provide the specific location of the ATM.

Over the past 18 months I have regularly used my U.S. debit card at ACB ATMs in Hanoi, Danang, Hoi An, Tam Ky, Buon Ma Thuot, HCMC and Vũng Tàu.

The top limit for foreign withdrawal transactions at ACB ATMs has always been ₫3,000,000 VNĐ with a ₫55,000 VNĐ fee.

atomheart wrote:

lord enki wrote:

I can withdraw 9 mil @ ACB for 50K

Ok, then check the conversion rate, if you're using a card from your home bank, Transferwise/Revolut will probably give you much much better rate.

Did you read what he wrote?

If his highly doubtful figures were correct, there is no way that a slight conversion rate difference would make Transferwise a more affordable option.

FWIW, ACB conversion rates have always been excellent for me.

I documented this in another thread.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

atomheart wrote:

lord enki wrote:

I can withdraw 9 mil @ ACB for 50K

Ok, then check the conversion rate, if you're using a card from your home bank, Transferwise/Revolut will probably give you much much better rate.

Did you read what he wrote?

Did you?