Moving over for 6 months, should i set up a bank account for daily expenses or use debit card in atm machines - Page 2

Thanks for your reply.

Nationwide flex account gives you commercial rate for withdrawals at ATM machines and no fee.  Use their credit for purchases in shops, restaurants etc and you get the commercial rate and no fee.   Not worth opening a bank account. 

If all your bills are paid for ,there is no need to have a bank account,as the bank will charge you for nothing,.

Just use your credit card,I think you’ll find it gives you a fair exchange especially if it doesn’t charge for withdrawals,.

Dave

Hi Unless you want ripping off do not open a Spanish bank account, i have had a villa here for 16 years, and would not touch a Spanish bank, i have credit cards and debit cards from u k that do not charge exchange rate fees in fact the credit cards pay me cashback, i pay Iberdrola and water bills by credit card when they are due, Spanish banks have quarterly charges and even charge for credit and debit cards 

WHERE DOES IT SAY IN MY REPLY THAT I AM RESIDENT AND LIVED HERE FOR 16 YEARS ?? YOU HAVE ASSUMED THAT

Hi Explain to me why i have a blinkered view of Spanish banks, when i had a Spanish account they charged me 23 euros every 3 months just to pay Iberdrola and water bills by direct debit and 20 euros a year for a credit card and 20 euros a year for a debit card, my English account pays me cashback on credit card spending and interest on my current account which equates to approx £270 a year for having the English account whereby the Spanish account was costing me 132 euros a year, that to me is a no brainer, i was just giving my opinion to a potential resident asking for advice as we have found it, as regards to your statement about 183 days you have to be resident, explain to me how my German neighbour has lived here for 26 years without residency returning to Germany once a year for 1 week and no one has ever questioned it and he is just 1 of a number of people i know in similar positions

And yes i have owned a vlilla here for 16 years but that does not mean i have lived here have you not heard of holiday homes

Point taken about residency,  but in my case as with the person who posted the question, why would i open a bank account that is commision free as apposed to one that actually pays me to have an account as in U K, ?

I think me and you can go around in circles discussing the whys and wherefores of different views it is all about what is right for each individual person, it is not only me that thinks Spanish banks are a rip off, when i got in touch with Iberdrola to tell them i was cancelling the direct debit and why they where in total agreement with me as regards to Spanish bank charges

Hi

Are you able to set up Direct Debits?

Thanks

Hi

Many thanks your your information, I am in exactly the same situation as yourself and the only reason I have a Spanish Bank accouny is to pay for Electricity, Water, and Suma. I am with Sabadel and last month was charged €35 when the account accidently went slightly overdrawn because of hiher than expacted direct debits. I already pay €35 a quarter just to have a bank account, I have been looking into other ways so that I can get rid of Sabadel. I have a Nationwide account for cash so its only direct debits my problem. Your information about credit card payment sounds a good idea.

Thanks

Hi Yes i do not pay any of the utilities by direct debit, i pay everything on demand, i have the bills delivered by email and then pay them with my u k credit card,  that i use with no F X F  saves me money, and another point to bear in mind which happened to me, Suma went into my bank account without notification which when i took it up with my Sabadell bank manager they are entitled to do? as Martin Lewis would say ditch them all you have to do is notify the utilities what you are doing via email and bingo save yourself money and agro