How do ATMs and banks work for a visitor in Ireland?
ATMs are easy to find: every town has them, set into the wall of a bank or inside a shop or petrol station, and an American debit card works in them. Two habits save money. Machines run by a bank are the safer pick; standalone machines in tourist spots, the kind not attached to a bank, can add a charge of their own on top of the home bank's fee. And when a machine or card reader offers to settle the amount in dollars, declining and choosing euro nearly always gives the better rate, because the conversion offered at the machine is priced worse than the bank's own. Contactless cards tap up to fifty euro a time, and phone payments are taken almost anywhere a card is. Bank branches keep shorter hours than Americans expect, many no longer handle cash at the counter at all, and a visitor rarely needs to go inside one.
Useful pages: Money and tipping in Ireland · Shopping in Ireland · Packing checklist · Travel notices · Healthcare and emergencies · Irish weather · Festivals and events · Dublin · Ireland dos and don'ts · Solo travel in Ireland · First time visitor tips
Sources
- Central Bank of Ireland: consumer information on payment cards, cash and ATMs, centralbank.ie
- Banking and Payments Federation Ireland: contactless and card payments in Ireland, bpfi.ie
More in Money and practicalities
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- What will a pint, a pub lunch and a modest dinner typically cost in Ireland?
- What plug adapter do I need in Ireland, and will my phone charger work?