Expat and tourist guide for local banking

maestro card Netherlands

Why my card doesn’t work in the Netherlands? Everything about the Dutch Maestro card.

In most countries in Europe we are used to using Visa and MasterCard cards, they are popular around the world and it is almost obvious that we can pay everywhere with these cards. Unfortunately, in the Netherlands card system looks a little bit different. Dutch people mostly don’t use these cards, so most places in the Netherlands don’t accept them at all. If you are only going to Amsterdam for a few days it is Read more

By Damian Sowa, ago
Phnom Penh

How to open a bank account in Cambodia: a guide for expats and tourists

I went on 2 week holiday to Cambodia. First, I noticed that I could see many brands for different banks, everywhere. Second thing, like in Thailand QR code payments were pretty popular and there were many places where I could pay. The third thing getting money from ATM also costs money (around 4 – 5 USD for the machine owner). So I decided to learn a little bit more about banks, talk with local people Read more

By Damian Sowa, ago
bangkok

How to open a bank account in Thailand: a guide for expats and tourists

Why do you need a Thai bank account? If you are in Thailand for a short Holiday only, you probably don’t need a Thai bank account, but if you are planning to stay longer, the local account could be pretty useful. Every time when you use a Thai ATM with a foreign card you need to pay a 200 / 220 baht fee to the ATM owner.  Additionally paying by card is not that popular Read more

By Damian Sowa, ago
line rabbit pay

Rabbit LINE Pay: a guide for the only Thai financial service available for everyone

Most financial services in Thailand are not easily available for tourists. The only exception is Rabbit LINE Pay which allows easily to register for all foreigners. The service is quite convenient because it allows you to link a foreign credit card and pay in some places with line QR codes. Below I will show you how I opened an account and what I can do with it. Attention! In 2023, the article has become slightly Read more

By Damian Sowa, ago
Berlin

How to open a bank account in Germany: a guide for expats

When do I need a German bank account? If you live in Germany, you going to need a local bank account because of 2 reasons. The first one is that most of the German stores don’t accept normal cards issued in the whole world (like Visa, Mastercard), but they accept only local cards (Maestro, EC, V-PAY). Second thing is that, if you work for a German employer, you going to need a German account number, Read more

By Damian Sowa, ago