How much does it cost to use your bank card in New York

If you plan to use your bank card in New York to pay for purchases or withdraw dollars, it’s worth knowing in advance: your bank will charge you fees on every transaction and withdrawal. Depending on your bank, these costs can add up quickly!

I’ve reviewed the main banks in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada so you can see at a glance the fees usually hidden in the fine print… This article was updated on January 9, 2024 with the banking fees in effect on that date. There are 3 types of fees:

1/ Fees on card purchases

Here’s what it costs if you use your bank card to pay for purchases in New York. These fees apply to each transaction:

FRENCH BANKS

• Banque Populaire: 2.92% commission on the purchase amount. Increased in 2024.
• BforBank: 1.95% commission on the purchase amount. Unchanged in 2024.
• BNP Paribas: fixed fee of €0.90 + 2.90% commission on the purchase amount (€0.60 + 2% if you have a Visa Infinite card). Unchanged in 2024.
• Caisse d’Épargne: 2.80% commission on the purchase amount, with a maximum of €6.25. Unchanged in 2024.
• CIC: fixed fee of €0.30 + 2.90% commission on the purchase amount, with a maximum of €9.15. Unchanged in 2024.
• Crédit Agricole: 2.50% commission on the purchase amount (free if you have a Visa Infinite card). Unchanged in 2024.
• Crédit Mutuel: fixed fee of €0.33 + 2.50% commission on the purchase amount, with a maximum of €9.15. Increased in 2024.
• Fortuneo: 1.94% commission on the purchase amount. Decreased by 0.04% in 2024.
• HSBC France: 2.90% commission on the purchase amount. Unchanged in 2024.
• La Banque Postale: 2.30% commission on the purchase amount with a maximum of €6. Fee unchanged but maximum introduced in 2024.
• LCL: fixed fee of €1.24 + 2.95% commission on the purchase amount (2.30% if you have a Visa Infinite card). Fixed fee increased by €0.04 and variable commission increased by 0.15% in 2024.
• Société Générale: fixed fee of €1 if the purchase exceeds €10 + 2.70% commission on the purchase amount (2% if you have a Visa Infinite card). Unchanged in 2024.

BELGIAN BANKS

• Belfius: €2 commission.
• BNP Paribas Fortis: 2.84% commission on the purchase amount with a maximum of €12.09.
• ING: 1.60% commission on the purchase amount.

SWISS BANKS

• Crédit Suisse: 2% commission on the purchase amount.
• UBS: 2% commission on the purchase amount with a minimum of 1 CHF. Increased in 2024.
• PostFinance: 1.2% commission on the purchase amount.

CANADIAN BANKS

• RBC: fixed fee of $1 CAD per purchase.
• TD Canada: 2.5% commission on the purchase amount in Canadian dollars, after conversion at the rate set by Visa International.

2/ Fees on cash withdrawals

If you plan to use your bank card to withdraw dollars from ATMs, banks charge fees for this too.

Here’s the fee each bank charges for each withdrawal made with your bank card at an ATM in New York:

FRENCH BANKS

• Banque Populaire: fixed fee of €3.15 + 2.92% commission on the amount withdrawn. Increased in 2024.
• BforBank: 1.95% commission on the amount withdrawn. Unchanged in 2024.
• BNP Paribas: free withdrawal if you withdraw from a Bank of America ATM. Otherwise fixed fee of €3 + 2.90% commission on the amount withdrawn (€2.20 + 2% if you have a Visa Infinite card). Unchanged in 2024.
• Caisse d’Épargne: fixed fee of €3.20 + 2.80% commission on the amount withdrawn. Unchanged in 2024.
• CIC: fixed fee of €3 + 2.90% commission on the amount withdrawn, with a maximum of €9.15. Unchanged in 2024.
• Crédit Agricole: fixed fee of €3 (free if you have a Visa Infinite card). Crédit Agricole specifies “excluding currency conversion fees”. Unchanged in 2024.
• Crédit Mutuel: fixed fee of €3.30 + 2.50% commission on the amount withdrawn, with a maximum of €9.15. Increased in 2024.
• Fortuneo: 1.94% commission on the amount withdrawn. Decreased by 0.04% in 2024.
• HSBC France: free for withdrawals at HSBC ATMs (for example at the corner of 57th Street and 8th Avenue). Otherwise fixed fee of €3.05 + 2.90% commission on the amount withdrawn. Unchanged in 2024.
• La Banque Postale: fixed fee of €6 + 2.30% commission on the amount withdrawn. Fixed fee increased in 2024, from €3.30 to €6.
• LCL: fixed fee of €3.12 + 2.95% commission on the amount withdrawn. If you have a Visa Infinite card: fixed fee of €2.42 + 2.30% commission on the amount withdrawn. Increased by €0.12 and 0.15% in 2024.
• Société Générale: fixed fee of €1 if the purchase exceeds €10 + 2.70% commission on the purchase amount (2% if you have a Visa Infinite card). Unchanged in 2024.

BELGIAN BANKS

• Belfius: fixed fee of €5 + 1% commission on the amount withdrawn. Unchanged in 2024.
• BNP Paribas Fortis: fixed fee of €2.86 + 1.93% commission on the amount withdrawn with a maximum of €12.09.
• ING: fixed fee of €4.96 + 2.60% commission on the amount withdrawn.

SWISS BANKS

• Crédit Suisse: 3.75% commission on the amount withdrawn, with a minimum of 10 CHF.
• UBS: 5 CHF per withdrawal. Decreased in 2024.
• PostFinance: 3.5% commission on the amount withdrawn, with a minimum of 10 CHF.

CANADIAN BANKS

• RBC: fixed fee of $3 CAD per withdrawal at a PLUS System network ATM.
• TD Canada: fixed fee of $3 CAD per withdrawal.

3/ Exchange rates that favor the banks

Beyond fees on purchases and withdrawals, remember that your bank also profits by applying an exchange rate in their favor. So even if you’re with BNP and withdrawals are free at Bank of America ATMs, you won’t get dollars at the market exchange rate but at a lower rate—a hidden commission of sorts. All banks operate this way, but only one bank is transparent about it: Belgian bank Belfius clearly states it takes a 1% margin on the day’s exchange rate. Other banks either don’t mention it or simply refer to a “markup” without specifying the amount.

It’s best to avoid using your bank card too often when you’re in New York, or you might get an unpleasant surprise when you settle your accounts.

Conclusion: should you use your bank card in New York?

Just because there are fees doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use your bank card. You simply need to be aware of the fees and use your card carefully!

Here are cases where it’s very practical to use a bank card in New York:

• If you need to pay for an expensive purchase. It’s definitely more convenient to pay with a card than to walk around with large amounts of cash.
• If you didn’t exchange enough money before you left and you’re short on dollars. Your bank card will be very handy for withdrawing the dollars you need. I’d suggest withdrawing the amount you think you’ll need for the rest of your stay in one transaction, to avoid multiple fees.

The ideal approach? Combine your bank card with cash. One last tip: in any case, don’t go to New York without cash!