Brazzil

You are finally there. Your dream holiday is just about to start. You waited so long for it. You are in Brazil (Rio de Janeiro or Salvador da Bahia) for Carnaval. Everything is wonderful: beaches, people, food. You are laying on the beach and wish this moment would never stop. Everything is wonderful? Think twice.

You do not have any idea of the nightmare you are going to experience: left without a dollar in a foreign country. Robbed? Hijacked? Seduced and abandoned without money?

Nothing of that: the reason of your troubles has nothing to do with Brazil, is your own bank.

What? Are you serious? Well, look at the experience that this writer had, along with many other Anglo-Saxon travellers in Salvador da Bahia and then judge by yourself.

At Banco do Brasil in Barra (the most famous travel district along with Pelourinho in Salvador) this writer meets with several UK and US travellers to withdraw money at the ATM machine.

We have bills, rents, other expenses more or less urgent to pay. We are all with our British and US credit and debit cards ready to do a routine transaction in our countries. Not here.

Barclays connect card (UK debit card) does all the ordinary steps at a normal ATM machine but before getting the money the frightening phrase comes out of the ATM machine: "error in communications," followed by "transaction interrupted."

Well, it sometimes happens, let's try again, you think. But then again the phrase comes up: "error in communications." At this stage you try again and again but the hated phrase always comes up: "error in communications."

If you are lucky you try the second and third credit or debit card you have, but the hated phrase always comes up: "error in communications."

And the terrible truth becomes reality: you are left alone and without money in a foreign country.

You think, I can go to the bank teller inside the bank and withdraw physically the money at the desk. Well, only now you are going to realize that the dream holiday has just turned in the terrible nightmare.

Let's just forget about the half an hour line in the ATM machine just to be rejected by the hated phrase. That was nothing: look at this.

First you are going to enter a long line, probably an hour waiting, to meet with the personal bank teller who deals with private clients like yourself.

When, in your rotten Portuguese, you explain the problem the gentle teller says: no problem with your passport and Visa entry card (why do they need that?) we can call Visa and solve the problem.

If you are lucky enough to have brought with you your passport (otherwise you must come back some other day and stay without money for the time being), and think that the nightmare is over the surprise is coming:

First, it is very possible that there are problems in contacting Visa. No problem, come back tomorrow, says the gentle bank teller. And who is going to pay my lunch today, my bills, my holiday entertainment?

And if the bank employee eventually contacts the Visa people, the terrible truth eventually comes up: transaction declined by your own bank.

How is it possible, if you have money in your account (in the case of debit card) or credit line (in the case of credit card)? Well, the answer comes from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, and its name is Falcon Fraud Manager.

You want to know more?

Read my next article on Brazzil.com.

Max Bono is an investigative journalist travelling in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil.  You can contact him at researchinrio@yahoo.com.

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites

Comments (43)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

It's simple.
written by Someone, February 08, 2007

You just need to contact the issuers of your credit cards/ATM cards before you leave on your trip and tell them that you will be travelling in Brazil. Then they unblock access before you leave. When you get to Brazil, no problems, except maybe finding an Bank that has access to the right network so that your ATM card works. You need the ones with the logo of your credit card on them (and not all of these actually will work). Citibank has the most complete access, but branches of CitiBank are not common in Brazil. Bradesco, Itau, and 24-horas also work.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Max...
written by bo, February 08, 2007

you obviously haven't travelled much outside the U.S. or european union, whichever the case may be. As the poster stated above, you always have to let your credit card company know that you are travelling outside your home country and that you will be using your credit card. Most all cc companies that I'm familiar with put these international blocks on them for security reasons. For "some" debit cards this is not necessary, but for most it is the case as well.

My question is why would someone travel to a different continent without at least a few hundred dollars in his pocket. Or better yet, travelers checks.

And the above poster is correct, even when your card(s) are authorized to make withdraws internationally they don't work at all atm's. You must not only look for an ATM that works within your network, PLUS, CIRRUS, etc, but you must find the specific ATM that has a sticker on the front of it that normally states something like "Visa PLUS". They normally have at least one of these in every branch that participates in the given networks.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by Ric, February 08, 2007

I was going to say the same thing, how can one travel abroad based on the assumption that a machine will correctly read and approve a magnetic stripe. Once we got to Miami and the airport hotel wouldn´t accept our credit card and I had to get on the phone with the folks in California. One card is not enough.

And if you live in Brazil and do all your cambio with an debit card, watch the charges from your local bank back home, 2% not uncommon, open an account with a bank that has offices both in home country and Brazil. They exist.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

This should be a no brainer...
written by Dennis (Den), February 08, 2007

I guess I'm just going to echo the majority here. Whenever you leave your country of residence and you expect to need cash, you ALWAYS advise your credit companies/banks of your plans in advance of the trip. Last year we (la familia) were in Spain for 10 days, year before the Dominican Republic, no problemo.

• 
• +1
• 
• 

VISA
written by Luca, Roma, Italy, February 08, 2007

Thank you very much for posting this article, I'll make sure I inform my VISA people next time.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Come on
written by Savoy, February 08, 2007

Your first mistake was trying to use Banco do Brasil; it was true when I lived in Rio for a couple of years, it was hit or miss at the ATM, funny, I ended up having my favorite ones. The bank I always had the most success for getting cash from the ATM was HBSC, it worked about 50% of the time. The tip regarding letting your bank know when you are traveling is a no brainer no matter were you go. Recently we visited Paris, my bank asked for the duration of the trip, I missed it my one day teling them I was returning one day earlier that I really was, my cards stopped working the day I left. Max, I'm sorry your trip to Brazil for Carnaval was such a bummer, it shouldn't have been, a little common sense and you would have rocked your ass off!

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by bo, February 08, 2007

Max, I'm sorry your trip to Brazil for Carnaval was such a bummer, it shouldn't have been, a little common sense and you would have rocked your ass off!

Carnaval has yet to begin, I'm sure he'll work something out, if he hasn't already. As long as he has his ID he can have someone send him a western union. Those must be picked up at the banco do brasil location that has a "cambio".

• 
• +0
• 
• 

idiot
written by Joseph, February 08, 2007

Sorry, but I have to say that your article is idiotic. I hope your joking because there are many ways to resolve the dilemma: 1) cary a bit of cash like normal people 2) use creditcards inside of restaurants, hotels, and other things you may want to do. They are usually only blocked in straight cash requests. 3) Try a different bank. I have had the problem you describe more than a few times, always in 2 minutes, I found another source and aother way to withdraw money. Even a phone call bank to your bank can unblock a card even in this eventuality (ok, dont have money to pay for this call? Go to a phone center and make the call and pay by another creditcard).
Man, please, get real!

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by Ric, February 08, 2007

No, the computer also blocks some credit cards for purchases outside the normal area of business.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by DD4Y, February 08, 2007

It should not be a problem. I had to spend more in Brasil than I had planned on and needed to use a card that I had not advised Visa that I would be using in Brasil so was also blocked. I simply called the number on the back of the card and it was all fixed by the customer service agent immediately. I was able to use it at a Bradesco machine an hour later when I tried it.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by bienchido, February 08, 2007

When I'm in Brazil my (American) credit card is sometimes blocked even when I have called the credit company before to inform them I will be in Brazil. Credit card companies have become increasingly paranoid about fraud and theft, and even when they know I'm in Brazil they sometimes block my card if I make an unusually large purchase.
As many others have mentioned here, your problem is not the end of the world. Call the toll-free number on the back of your card and they will unblock your credit or ATM card. Other strategies in the future are to: if your card doesn't work at one bank's ATM, try another bank; carry more than one credit card with you; and don't wait until you are completely out of cash to make a withdrawal when you are so far away from home.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Bradesco
written by Luke McDermott, February 08, 2007

When I lived in Brasil I found that Bradesco bank was the best place to go. It accepted almost every major credit/debit card that you can think of. I always had problems with Banco do Brasil, and I would urge people not to go there. The ATMs at Banco do Brasil are very tricky, and you must pay close attention to the VISA sign on the machine. Brasil has many different types of VISA cards so you need to make sure the VISA sign on the machine doesn't have anything written underneath. But like I said in the beginning, I never had any problems at Bradesco and that's where I always went for withdrawals.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by CJS, February 08, 2007

I have a standard British Lloyds TSB Debit Card and it worked perfectly every time at the Bradesco ATM’s.

In the case of the author, there is an old saying never put your eggs in one basket. When I travel I always have my Debit Card/ Credit Card/ 250 Euro in cash along with Euro Travellers cheques which is increasingly becoming favoured over the dollar in Brazil. If one option ever fails then at least there are backups.

Frankly it is unthinkable for me even to travel in Europe from the UK without carrying some cash Euro. When I was in Belgium in December I took 250 Euro as backup but used my card for every other transaction.

My Brazilian wife often sends money back to Brazil and we found the easiest way to send money was to open a British HSBC account and then send her mother the card with a written letter of permission to use it with a photocopy of our passports. Money goes in one end and within minutes she can withdraw it at the other end.

No fuss, no bother with money being trapped in the system by corrupt bank officials who want to sit on your cash to make extra interest. The only penalty is a one off fee of around £1.20….big deal for the sake of speed and convenience.

We have used this process for four years and apart from when the card was trapped a couple of times in the machine never had a problem. My mother in law went inside the Bank showed the Manager our written letter in both English and Portuguese and they released it back to her.

In fact they know her so well now that they allowed her to open up an HSBC account with a credit card of her own (which is unusual for working class Brazilians).

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Never had a problem
written by Bryan, February 09, 2007

I think you just forgot to contact your card companies as people said. Sometimes the ATM's themselves can be unreliable in certain areas or just not a match to the system your bank or card uses, but I have been to Brazil six times and never had an issue getting money this way. I know many fellow travellers who swear it is the only way they do things. Don't let this experience reflect negatively on your whole experience because Brazil is a great place to visit and if you just plan properly you shouldn't have anything but minor inconveniences.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

No Problem
written by I love Brazil, February 09, 2007

Any nit wit would call the credit card companies and their bank before traveling abroad. And check to make sure their health insurance will cover them in a foregin country.
In Brazil, you can only take out 600 reis a day. Thats a little less than $300 so plan accordingly. Also you do have to try the machine more than once. One may not work, but the one right next to it will. I didn't have too much of a problem while I was there.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by Be Aware, February 09, 2007

Be aware of skimming on the ATM Machines. I got hit last year for over $4000 in 3 days (Watch your bank balance daily on line). There are professional skimmers with equipment that can read your card and gain your pin number then they make a duplicate of your card and withdraw what ever your daily limit is the next morning when the banks open and you are drained for that day. Watch for cameras, machines attached to the ATM or people watching you as they can get this information via special equipment with their cell phone and other ways. Once again look at your balance online EVERYDAY and call your bank IMMEDIATELY if something has been withdrawn and it was not you. They will cancel your card immediately and send you a new one (one time only because of the emergency). My unfortunate incident didn't cost me any money as the bank gave me an instant credit but you had to wait for another card. ALSO when you get a new card make sure you get a new pin number also or your problem will start all over again. Good Luck...................... Also I would have my daily withdraw limit reduced to what you need only, I had a high daily withdrawl limit of $1500 US and did not even know it and the thieves got all they could in a short time.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by rob504, February 09, 2007

i lived in barra in salvador for almost a year with saying anything to any bank or creditor and never once did i have a problem using the citibank atm very near to the farol.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by Kevin, February 09, 2007

I am a travel journalist and have travelled to over 50countries and am abroad from the U.S. about 20-30 times per year -- never once have I ever let my bank (Citibank) know that I´m leaving in advance! The ONLY country I have ever had problems using my ATM card is Brasil. Im here now. I just got "Communications Error" at Banco 24 Horas (forget using anything else) and got through at HSBC. This is a Brazil problem. AND nobody travels with travelers checks anymore. Archaic. In the past, I have found that only banks belonging to Banco 24 Horas will work...sometiems that rings true, sometimes now. ATM´s are like Russian Roulette in Brasil!

• 
• +0
• 
• 

never spend all your money till
written by forrest allen brown, February 09, 2007

bank brasil you have to go to the one that has the bank card sticker on the machine , not all bank brasil has them .
bank bradesco is the best one to use they are just about every where .
HBSC is another but most of them are only inthe larger cities
and you can get your account cleaned out if the rong person has the right equipment working .
this is also the same guy that sets back and clones your snigel from your rent a car locking device and cleans out your car or steals it
eather way you loose

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by Savoy, February 09, 2007

Why did they waste space with this> How stupid is Max? Same guying walking down Copacabana with a Rolex.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by bo, February 09, 2007

AND nobody travels with travelers checks anymore.

Really???

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by Nick Marx, February 09, 2007

I won't thow stones at Max. This misshap could happen to anybody travelling in a foreign country at least once. You learn with experience. I can add a story to his. My Brazilian wife living in Macapa actually, withdraws cash there every week with a French bank Visa card. One day at the airport at the HSBC distributor the machine said unsufficient funds and refused the transaction. Turns out our account was debited anyway. I made an official claim to my bank and I will get the money back.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

HOW DO YOU GO TO CARNAVAL WITH NO CASH?
written by Thinker, February 09, 2007

I feel sorry for what happen, but you always carry some kind of cash when traveling anywhere, this is just comon sense.
WOW this just makes no sense, one of the biggest parties ruined.
Simply amazing
Never put all your faith in credit, debit cards and imaginary money, carry real cash. I also think paper money from all over the world is worthless and don't mean anything because governments can just print them at will.
Maybe its me

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Communications Error
written by Someone, February 10, 2007

You can also get the "Communications Error" message if you go to one of the ATMs that isn't on the right network to access your account.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by nesnej, February 10, 2007

With the ease of opening bank accounts in the US, there is no reason to not have at least 2-3 seperate accounts at different bae onks so if one card gets shut off you have at least one other account that will work for the day or two it might take to resolve the problem with the other card. Most account can be open with around $100 ....I would have to say this is far from a nightmare.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by u.s.a. citizens traveling to brazil, February 10, 2007

Use caution when in brazil... guard your valuables... talk quietly... especially in english...sleep with one eye open... travel with a u.s.marine commando unit ( if possible)...blend in as best as possible,ie: wear a old smelly faded " che guevarra t-shirts, wear flip flops, wear bootleg american jeans (plentifull in brazil)...when engaged in conversation with locals (use sign language), profess your admiration for dead marxists, chavez, castro, lenin, guevarra... call the u.s.a. the big satan...profess your fascination with a country covered by 75% swamp....practice walking forward while looking backward...Avoid,.. Rio, sao paulo, salvador etc...travel by bulletproof donkey cart...don,t drink the water...And never book your return trip home using a travel agency in minas gerais, you will end up in mexico city greeted by a (coyote) alien smuggler connecting you to the u. s. border...

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by istheman, February 11, 2007

The simple fact of the matter is that the ATM network in Brazil is pathetic. I have lived here for seven years, relying on ATMs often to withdraw funds from my North American accounts. I estimate the chances of an ATM where I live, in Salvador, displaying the dreaded message the writer talks about is 25%. Of those times, in at least half of the incidents you will get no money, but the funds will be withdrawn from your bank or credit card account in your home bank.

Want help from a Brazilian bank in getting back the money they took from your account ouside the country without dispensing the cash? Forget it. After you wait in the usual hour long Brazilian bank line the answer is always "there is nothing we can do, you must phone your bank in xx fill in country here xxx. Huh??? You took money from my account and didn't give it to me? And you want my bank to do something about it?

When i moved here I built a house, financed largely by ATM withdrawals because they are the most expedient and least complicated way to get money here. I kept a running total of the amounts that ATMs did not dispense, yet charged to my bank account in North America. The total reached an alarming R$20,000. Fortunately, I'm happy to say that in every instance, my bank corrected the mistakes and I actually lost no money. But in some cases it would take as long as two months to have the debit reversed. Staff at my banks in North America were so used to me calling about this they'd just laugh. But they also took great pains to inform me that in their opinion it was the Brazilian bank that should be fixing this problem, not them. As they pointed out, if a Brazilian used one of their ATMs and didn't get the cash, they would rectify it.

So in my case, this has nothing to do with where my bank thinks I am, and whether I notify them I am in Brazil. This has never been an issue, because my banks and credit card companies are aware I live in Brazil. In fact, my registered address on many of my North American accounts is my Brazilian address.

It has to do with the fact that the Brazilan ATM network is truly broken.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by Malu, February 11, 2007

Use caution when in brazil... guard your valuables... talk quietly... especially in english...sleep with one eye open... travel with a u.s.marine commando unit ( if possible)...blend in as best as possible,ie: wear a old smelly faded " che guevarra t-shirts, wear flip flops, wear bootleg american jeans (plentifull in brazil)...when engaged in conversation with locals (use sign language), profess your admiration for dead marxists, chavez, castro, lenin, guevarra... call the u.s.a. the big satan...profess your fascination with a country covered by 75% swamp....practice walking forward while looking backward...Avoid,.. Rio, sao paulo, salvador etc...travel by bulletproof donkey cart...don,t drink the water...And never book your return trip home using a travel agency in minas gerais, you will end up in mexico city greeted by a (coyote) alien smuggler connecting you to the u. s. border.

Or even better, stay home buddy, since the real world is obviously not a place for yourself!

I've lived in Canada for ten years. Once I tried to get money from one of these ATM machines (in Oh! Toronto!) and after three tries I didn't get any money. However $ 600 were charged to my bank account and I had to fight for months to get it back. Now how's that for "developed" bigots?
Au revoir and my respects.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by Ric, February 12, 2007

What´s a developed bigot?

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by bo, February 12, 2007

...
written by Ric, 2007-02-11 21:48:23

What´s a developed bigot?

Was John Holmes a bigot?

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by istheman, February 12, 2007

I lived in Toronto for 30 years and never once got ripped off by an ATM. And I've used machines around the world, with few problems. That's why the Brazilian machines irritate me so much; I know they work in other countries.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by A brazilian, February 13, 2007

It has to do with the fact that the Brazilan ATM network is truly broken.

What bank you are using the ATMs from? I use Itaú and never had any problem whatsoever. I think the bank services in Brazil are pretty good if compared to abroad, especially the internet banking.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by Ric, February 13, 2007

Join the Bank of America Boycott.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

that happened to me, too!
written by marta, February 14, 2007

Last year I went to Brazil with my husband and we faced so many "error in communications" that our vacations became a nightmare. I´m Brazilian living in Europe, so I have a normal credit/debit card issued in Europe. The same goes to my husband. When we arrive in Sao Paulo (Guarulhos) I thought it would be easy to withdraw cash. It was not. Of course we paid all expenses by using either credit/debit options but every now and then we needed cash. We went to BB, Itaú, HSBC and Bradesco. We managed to withdraw money only by using BB ATM machines. None of us is stupidy or idiot. We tried to use the "right ATM machines" (the ones with those logos mentioned by some posters.) Most of the time the transactions failed. I´m glad I just read this article, so I´m going to cantact my bank before my next trip. Yes, we did have some euros with us which were used to buy reais, but people do not seem to understand the panic one feels when all transactions fail.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by istheman, February 15, 2007

!What bank you are using the ATMs from? I use Itaú and never had any problem whatsoever.

I' used every ATM except Itau. BB, Bradesco, Banco24horas (more reliable lately), HSBC, Unibanco among them. I tend to avoid the ones that have R$600 limits because I usually want to withdraw larger amounts to keep ATM expenses lower.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

LAYING ON THE BEACH
written by Ric, February 22, 2007

You were laying on the beach?

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Huh?
written by istheman, February 22, 2007

I have no idea what you're on about with "You were laying on the beach?" In any event, it's "lying on the beach."

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Lying on the Beach
written by Ric, February 25, 2007

Not you, the author. You´ve got it right. Sorry.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Investigative Journalist?
written by Pom, March 05, 2007

I went to Brazil two years ago. Before I left I did what any real traveller would have done, ask my bank (Barclays) and do a little research.

So Mr Investigative Journalist, you forgot to INVESTIGATE.

Had you done your job you would have found out that:

-For your protection VISA (credit card) prefers you to tell them where (and when) you are going on holiday. Otherwise they might block your transactions.

-If you have a VISA Electron you can withdraw money in any ATM with the PLUS sign. 'Banco 24 Horas' ATMs are your best bet even though they charge a bit more. Not all Banco do Brasil ATMs have the PLUS sign, usually only the ones in the Centre of a big city.

-You should take at least emergency money in form of US Dollars (dont use Travellers Cheques in Brazil, you'll be ripped off.) If you leave the big cities in Brazil you'll be lucky to find ATMs (especially in the North.)

• 
• +0
• 
• 

cash advances?
written by Kelly, September 28, 2007

I am traveling to Brazil next week for six months, and yesterday I went to my bank, Bank of America, to inquire about international ATM fees, etc. These fees at BofA are a bit high ($5 conversion fee), and so the representative suggested that I get a "cash advances" from inside Brazilian banks as I would be able to withdraw a greater amount at once, thus making fewer withdrawals and paying less of those high ATM fees. Has anyone done this?

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by Manual Bonon, September 01, 2010

Mr. Bono you sure have the gift to write about your own ignorance and stupidity. An IQ test is clearly the next step.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by Zem, October 17, 2010

The only problem I found was that you need to be very careful taking out small amounts of money from Banco do Brasil dispite it being safer from a security point of view. More than a few times Banco do Brasil has shutdown my transcation in progress for a simple 200 reais returning my card instantly then popping right back to the initial screen. You then believe your transaction has not occured as no money or paper transaction was dispensed. You try your transaction again and all is well. Please keep close track and contact your bank if you get charged twice. You will know the transcations because if you did them at close to the same time the currency exchange rates will likely appear at the same rate for each of the 2 transactions appearing on your statement. My bank in Canada always returned the funds in a week or so. I now only use HSBC machines as this has never occured with that bank. It almost seems that this problem is ignored by Banco do Brasil as it has happened to me in several cities at different Banco do Brasil machines. I can't say it was a deliberate situation but they clearly let it continue.

• 
• +1
• 
• 

ATM nightmare
written by samuel veissiere, October 18, 2012

@Zem: thanks for your posts. So to recap, whenever you got that dreaded "erro de comunicação" message from a BB ATM and still got debited for the amount, your Canadian bank always rectified it?
I've been in and out of Brazil for 12 years (currently living in Belém) and had only had this happened to me once with a CityBank ATM in Recife in 2006, using a US Visa card. The amount had been rectified after 30 days.
But this time, i got erroneously debited for BRL$1000 (CAD$ 493) on a Canadian RBC debit card. No receipt; just the communication error message. BB, in their typically kakfkaesque tradition (and yes, after very long lines) cannot help me. Apparently, they cannot even access logs on their own ATMS for non-BB cardholder transactions, let alone for international Plus transactions. The Visa-plus website, in turn, publicly states that they are not responsible for ATM maintenance and error issues, as they only rent their service for a fee. the RBC in Canada, needless to say, tell me that the issue is with the BB. The transaction from their end appears as a successful withdrawal. This time, and since no institution--let alone any real person--appears to be accountable for this, i find it hard to believe that a well-oiled transnational accountancy machine network will fix an overflow glitch on a s**tty Brazilian ATM by magically reaccrediting a Canadian account.
you folks are telling me there is hope?

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Name

Email

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (registered users only)

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment Preview