A couple thoughts on grocery shopping in Cozumel

[yle]

When you check out, the cashier can show the total in pesos or USD. The rate will be the store rate. If you get both you can do the math. The 18.4 seems low however the rate (MXN to USD) dipped low for a short time.

The 18.4 rate that I stated was displayed on the checkout screen. It showed the total in pesos, stated the conversion rate of 18.4 pesos to dollars, and then showed the total in dollars in a bigger font.

I agree that 18.4 is low... compared to the 20.6 we were getting from the ATM.

 

[yle]

Credit card transactions are always charged in pesos, in my experience. It may even be the law. The amount is converted at the international bank rate not the store rate.

Agreed.

I'm not sure how you coud possibly know what conversion rate was applied or what fees he was charged.

I don't know what fees he was charged. And I didn't specify any fee amount. I apologize if I gave you the impression that I had specific knowledge of these fees. I made a suggestion, which I believe is a reasonable one, that banks charge credit card fees on transactions like these.

Many cards have no international transaction fees.

True. Although this doesn't negate my original argument. If I offended you with my original post, I apologize.

Plus the Mega scanner isn't going to eat your card or debit your card and not give you the money and less likely (imo) to have a skimmer on it. Many have had such issues with ATMs.

I have never had a problem with an ATM in Cozumel. Not once. And I use them regularly when I'm there... almost every day.

I don't mind you playing devil's advocate to my original post, but I'll still stand behind my argument.

While tourists should make an attempt to know the local customs, tipping baggers is not something you typically see mentioned in travel guides and it isn't the custom anywhere else that I know. Maybe they should put a little container out marked "Tips - Propinas" as a cue.

It's a fine suggestion... and a very common one in the US. I agree with you that Americans aren't familiar with this custom in Cozumel. And that's why I made my original post: it's better that we do what we can to educate people travelling to Cozumel, instead of trying to convince Cozumel to conform to American standards (i.e. the tip jar.)

 

[yle]

I did not know for a long time that the baggers worked just for tips. I didn’t occur to me to tip until a local friend filled me in. I can’t fault a visitor for not knowing.

The best we can do is spread the word, just like your friend did.

 

[yle]

Many don't want the hassle of ATMs or risking not getting past the fees options on the screens.

Yeah, the ATMs can be a little intimidating. There's the language barrier, although many offer English as an option. Then there's the offer to "protect" your withdrawal, for a fee of 29 pesos. And then there's the offer to "convert" the withdrawal to dollars, for a fee of 12%. But once you get past the relatively shallow learning curve, navigating the ATM is pretty straightforward: no, no, no, just give me the money, gracias.

And as mentioned, having a card not returned. Mega is not going to open up the ATM for you.

Certainly a reasonable concern, but over the years and many ATM withdrawals my card has always been returned.

 

[DandyDon]

over the years and many ATM withdrawals my card has always been returned.

Mine vanished, twice, when I failed to tell my bank that I was planning to use it in Mexico. I do hope that I have learned.

 

[yle]

Mine vanished, twice, when I failed to tell my bank that I was planning to use it in Mexico. I do hope that I have learned.

Interesting... in the past, I always made a habit of sending a "travel notice" to my bank before a trip, which possibly is the reason I never had a problem at a Cozumel ATM. But when I tried to do so for this latest trip, the bank said it was no longer necessary... that their computer algorithms are improved (i.e. they know where I am!) But seriously, banks seem to be making more frequent use of sending a confirmation code by text if a card is used in a way they deem suspicious.

Hopefully with the banks getting better at security, ATMs will be keeping fewer cards and everyone will be better off.

 

[ReefHound]

Agreed.

I don't know what fees he was charged. And I didn't specify any fee amount. I apologize if I gave you the impression that I had specific knowledge of these fees. I made a suggestion, which I believe is a reasonable one, that banks charge credit card fees on transactions like these.

True. Although this doesn't negate my original argument. If I offended you with my original post, I apologize.

I have never had a problem with an ATM in Cozumel. Not once. And I use them regularly when I'm there... almost every day.

I don't mind you playing devil's advocate to my original post, but I'll still stand behind my argument.

It's a fine suggestion... and a very common one in the US. I agree with you that Americans aren't familiar with this custom in Cozumel. And that's why I made my original post: it's better that we do what we can to educate people travelling to Cozumel, instead of trying to convince Cozumel to conform to American standards (i.e. the tip jar.)

You stand behind your position and I'll stand behind mine. Nothing wrong with getting pesos at an ATM and paying cash but equally nothing wrong with using credit card at trusted locations. The former is your preference not something established as "better".

If we're going to compare then we need to compare fairly, not assume that one is going to be wise enough to use an ATM with no transaction fees but not wise enough to use a credit card with no transaction fees. I could name far more credit cards with no foreign transaction fees than banks with no ATM fees. Schwab is the only one that I know that reimburses ATM fees and only the machine fee, not the other stuff they try to trick you into.

What the merchant displays on the screen might simply be to let him know about what it would be in USD but that's not necessarily what it was on his statement. I often get bills with both peso and USD amounts, pay by cc, and the amount USD deducted from my account is less than what they showed on the bill. For all you know, his bank account was debited $75 USD.

One can look at various forums and find many reports of ATM issues ranging from captured cards to money not dispensed to card getting cloned. I don't think I've ever seen such a report from using a cc at a trusted site like Mega. You aren't going to lose your card at the counter. Period. In my opinion, using a cc with no fees, charged in pesos, is financially equivalent to paying in pesos obtained at a ATM with no fees, but without most of the risk.

 

[ggunn]

Mine vanished, twice, when I failed to tell my bank that I was planning to use it in Mexico. I do hope that I have learned.

Your bank did that, not the ATM. It seems to me that they could have just refused the transaction. My guess is that you signed up for some sort of security measure on your account that seizing your card when they don't know you are traveling is part of. You are the only person I have heard this happen to.

Well, it did happen to me but it was my own stoopid fault. I was in a hurry on the way to dinner and walked away before the ATM gave my card back. I didn't take it so the ATM pulled it back and shredded it. That is one thing you should be careful of; some ATMs have a delay between when the transaction is complete and when your card pops out - plenty of time for you to put the bills in your wallet and walk away.

 

[DandyDon]

You are the only person I have heard this happen to.

I have heard of others, which makes my failures even more inexcusable. I have heard of people going to the bank the next day to retrieve the cards. I should have tried that. Mine has my photo on it.

 

[ReefHound]

I have heard of others, which makes my failures even more inexcusable. I have heard of people going to the bank the next day to retrieve the cards. I should have tried that. Mine has my photo on it.

I've heard that you are not likely to get your card back even if you do that as they are shredded. There's no reason ATM card readers couldn't be like merchant card readers and let you swipe or insert chip end rather than suck in the card where it is completely inaccessible. And it could require you to remove the card before proceeding with the transaction to eliminate forgotten cards.