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0

Helpful Tips and Issues With ATM Use at Belize Banks

by tacogirl 25/07/2016
written by tacogirl 25/07/2016
Belize Banks

You may or may not know that there is an an issue happening with foreign bank cards and ATM service in the Belize Banks right now. If you are an expat or traveler this applies to you.

This information could save you from a few heart palpitations and stress.

Not too long ago, I had my Canadian card swallowed at the Heritage Bank ATM and just figured I was having an off day. When I went to the bank I found out that it was a standard thing for now (not sure for how long) that any foreign cards that are unfortunate enough to make their way to the ATM will get snacked on by the plastic hungry Heritage machine. As I understand it, their official procedure is to send it back to the bank where the card is from. Thankfully I got there fast and was able to get my card back without involving Canada.

Current ATM Status on Ambergris Caye

  • Atlantic Bank ATM on Front Street before the clock tower will accept foreign bank cards.
  • Scotia Bank ATM on Coconut Drive Across from Tropic Air will accept foreign bank cards. (Note this is bank is not connected to the Canadian One)
  • Belize Bank will offer you a cash advance with a foreign credit card but you cannot currently use it in the machine for withdrawals.
  • Heritage Bank ATM will swallow your card and you will have to go to the bank during daytime hours to try and retrieve it (or risk having it sent back to your bank).

If there is no Plus or Cirrus sign then use the machine with caution.

An alternative option to banks is “All Things ATM” located at in town Doc’ks Tiki Bar & Grill, (formerly Licks Beachside Cafe) Marks Shopping Center in Boca Del Rio, and Super Buy South. As they are an independent company, the service fee is slightly higher then some of the banks but in a pinch it could be worth it.

I hope this will help save someone the fate of feeling crestfallen at getting no cash from the bank (the messages are not always clear why) or worse getting their card sucked up by the machine. Note this can also happen if you are too slow in getting your cash or card out from the machine after finishing your transaction.

Related

tacogirl

Laurie Norton grew up dyslexic and was very challenged by the school. She never dreamed she would move to Belize and become a writer. A year after her move to Ambergris Caye, Laurie became an entrepreneur and professional writer starting tacogirl blog in 2007. Since then she has helped many people plan their vacations or move. She also has been published in Great Destinations Belize Guidebook, Moon Guide to Living in Belize, Insight Guides, Island Magazine several times and USA Today. Currently Laurie resides in downtown San Pedro and enjoys being a "city girl" on a tropical island.

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14 comments

Dan Jenkins 18/08/2018 - 8:49 pm

Is this still an issue or have things changed in the last few years?

Reply
tacogirl 19/08/2018 - 6:16 am

Hit or miss on issue Dan. Not all banks still accept chip cards here. Mine always did, a couple of months back I started having trouble getting my Canadian bank card to read but something invisible happened and it is back to normal.

Reply
Cathleen 03/08/2016 - 6:29 pm

Argh! I wish I had known this 6 months ago, when this happened to me. My card (mastercard) was first swallowed by the Scotia Bank ATM in San Ignacio, but I was able to get it back and was told it was a machine error. Then I tried the Belize Bank ATM in Benque, which also swallowed my card. I was told it was because my card had been reported stolen, and was unable to get it back– and since I hadn’t reported it stolen, it was confusing for all. I ended up with the hassle of having to cancel the card and get a new one– from the US. So add that to your list- the Scotia Bank ATM in Cayo and the Belize Bank ATM in Benque.

Reply
tacogirl 19/08/2018 - 6:20 am

Sorry, that happened Cathleen, I have only ever had Heritage swallow a foreign card from me.

Reply
Arthur Claxton 03/08/2016 - 3:37 pm

Please let your readers know that the airport on caye Caulker does not handle foreign credit or debit cards.
We were rescued by a lovely American woman who payed cash for tickets for my wife and myself and wished us a Happy Thanksgiving. We were able to pay her back in Belize City and just made our international connections.

Reply
tacogirl 03/08/2016 - 4:15 pm

Good to know Arthur. I am glad there was a good karma person near by to help you get where you needed to go.

Reply
Rebs 30/07/2016 - 8:13 pm

Thanks for the helpful information. Do you know how ATMs down south are? ie Punta Gorda?

Reply
tacogirl 31/07/2016 - 2:46 pm

I would be willing to bet it would be a similar situation country wide if all bank branches are standardized on the sane kind of machines at each bank Rebs.

Reply
Janelle 26/07/2016 - 10:31 pm

So, would you suggest travellers cheques or US dollars or Belizian Bucks as an alternative?

Reply
tacogirl 27/07/2016 - 8:15 am

There are still two good banks to use ATM cards at right now Janelle. I would say that a mix is not a bad idea, though personally I might not do travelers checks and just go with American money and bank and a credit card, Any money you get here is usually going to be Belize Currency from ATM or your change when spending. It is really up to the individual though as what works best for them.

Reply
Belize Real Estate MLS 25/07/2016 - 8:35 pm

Yikes! Is this only for Canadian Card holders or Americans too? Do you think it affects Paypal debit cards issued in the US?

Reply
tacogirl 27/07/2016 - 8:09 am

For paypal cards I I am guessing it would depend if the cards have a chip on them or not in regards to the Belize Bank ATM. Paypal cards should work fine at Atlantic and Scotia Bank.

Reply
SPmQQse 25/07/2016 - 5:30 pm

great info laurie….thanks.

Reply
tacogirl 25/07/2016 - 5:46 pm

Glad you found it useful Moose. Trying to save as many people as I can from the card eating machine – similar to the Kite eating tree that always got Charlie Brown in the Peanuts comics 🙂
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kite-Eating_Tree)

Reply

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I just returned from my trip to Belize in mid-June 2022. I had been planning the trip weeks / months in advance and... Laurie (taco girl) wasextremely helpful in preparation for my trip. Her intimate knowledge as an expat who was ONCE a tourist, really helps because she is able to share first hand knowledge of how a tourist can explore Ambergis Caye like a "temporary local". An example of this, was she recommended 2 yoga classes for my wife to enjoy while on vacation that we would not have known about otherwise and the class was far better than a class arranged by a hotel, as you get the local experience not a staged one. In addition, she was helpful in providing recommendations for dinner and sharing some discounts she has arranged with local retailers. Reviewing the taco girl blog and reaching out to Laurie is like having a tour guide, but more important a tour guide that KNOWS Belize.read more
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Laurie was super helpful in providing places to eat, things to do and best yet had ongoing blogs that allowed us to... look back on other places that she pointed out. A fantastic resource for both first time and return visitors of Ambergris Caye!read more
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Fantastic service .I needed to find a place where I could buy a local sim card as my UK sim doesnt work in belize and... Tacogirl put me on the right path .Decided to walk across town and discovered so much more in beautiful San Pedro.Many thanks.BWread more
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I first got my Passport in 2012 and Taco Girl was my first connection back then Great then and Marvelous Now! She's... blossomed and developed into a wonderful contact for any and all information Belize. She goes above & beyond to respond with information that you need whether visiting Belize or relocating! I wasn't able to fund the move then but now that I have much more equity I am doing it.This time she was the 1st person I reached out to! Now I am selling and moving to Belize. She responds immediately! Like I do in my Pet Sitting Business! I was so impressed I followed her all this time. And was not disappointed!Pamela Nixonread more
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We started coming to Ambergis Caye in 2014 and stumble on to Tacogirls blog, so glad we did! We used her 15% discount... at The Premier Duty-Free shop in the airport! It worked great all we did was let them know we read it on her blog . She has great information awesome pictures, we have tried several places she has recommended, all were amazing. Highly recommend reading her blog. Kathleenread more
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It was my first time visiting Belize and San Pedro so naturally I had a ton of questions when it came time to planning... the travel. Taco Gril's blog was an invaluable source of information for all the travel questions in Ambergris Caye. I was able to learn a lot of basic information, as well as many tips and tricks. In addition when I reached out to Taco Girl for advice on finding a local photographer and a restaurant recommendation, she was very quick to respond and gave me many helpful suggestions. She also provided a lot more information from a local's point of view, which was much for valuable than than a typical guidebook. Thanks to her helpful suggestions we were able to celebrate my daughter's birthday at a nice restaurant, and had a great photo family session with a local photographer. I'm very thankful for all her resources and knowledge.read more
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I take the seniors from our academy to Belize every year for their senior trip. One of the first people I contact when... I start planning the trip is Laurie with TacoGirl Belize. She knows the island of San Pedro better than anyone else out there. Trust me, I have looked. If you are looking for the best restaurants, hang outs and shops then Laurie help plan your vacation.read more
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Love Taco Girl Blog @LaurieNorton!I've been reading this blog since I started visiting Ambergris Caye in Belize almost... 10 years ago. It is filled with helpful up-to-date information and recommendations that I wouldn't necessarily find on my own. Laurie Norton's knowledge and extensive network on the island provides her with the ability to share perks/discounts/coupons with her readers, which come in handy year after year. Things on the island change daily - new businesses pop up constantly and LaurieNortonstays on top of these developments. Whenever I plan my return trip to the island, I always check her blog first - and I recommend you do the same. Trip Advisor ain't got nuttin' on Taco Girl!read more
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I am considering a move to Belize and I have serendipitously found tacogirl.....what a treasure! She is full of great... advice, helpful hints.....knows everybody on Ambergris Caye and has a thousand useful recommendations and suggestions. Whether you are planning a vacation or relocating, you should make use of the many services she has to offer…..read more
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I’m so pleased to see tacogirl's blog on Google. Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and local... information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s always nice to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. I especially enjoy her guest articles, providing a different perspective of all things San Pedro. Her tipping quide is a classic, and don’t forget her Tropic Air flight code and on-island discounts. You’re not up-to-date with what’s going on in San Pedro if you’re not regularly reading tacogirl's blog.read more
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Belize Blog Est. 2007

belize travel specialist

ABOUT ME

I took the plunge and moved to San Pedro Town on the Island of Ambergris Caye, off the coast of Belize, Central America. Originally from Canada, I made the life-changing move to escape winter for good (in 2006) after one three week vacation. If you have any questions or want Belize help planning and booking, please feel free to contact me.

SPARKING MY DESIRE

A few childhood memories that shaped my desire to move to Belize from a young age. Sailing in the Virgin Islands, seeing a rainbow out the window of an island hopper as we flew from Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico, Christmas in Hawaii and many trips to Florida.

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