Credit card or ATM

Hi experts, will anyone know which charges a smaller spread difference in terms of yen to US dollar? withdrawing from atm account or paying thru credit card?

Credit card or ATM

Ask you own bank. Every bank charges different fees, even among their own products.

Credit card or ATM

I second the advice to check with your bank, but in the case of ATMs, there may also be charges from the Japanese ATM%26#39;s bank, in addition to charges from your own bank.

For example, the 24hr ATMs in 7-11 convenience stores that can handle international cards charge between 200 - 300 yen per transaction (can%26#39;t remember exact amount).

For what it%26#39;s worth -- I could only use my USA ATM card at the Post Offices in Tokyo.

The average 7/11 or local convenience store in Tokyo would not accept my ATM card.

When I got home, and matched up ATM withdrawals with the online www.xe.com/ucc currency converter, I THINK there was hardly a surcharge at all.

That being said, I agree with the posts advising you to contact your bank to check before arriving in Japan.

I think credit cards charge less since there is no set fee, it is a percentage of the amount charged. For cash, I would use ATMs - load up at the airport Citibank and look for other intl banks around the city. The postal service is not the only place that accepts US ATM cards.

so it seems it is best to use credit card, and

use ATM for cash withdrawal only, am I correct ?