I need to take out quite a bit of cash during my trip. Anyone know cheapest ATMs & daily withdrawal limits for foreign cards at Palau ATMs?
From a seasoned backpacker’s perspective, Bank of Guam’s ATM near DW Motel always worked with my N26 card, and staff nearby knew how to help if anything glitched. Remember, every withdrawal is $5 to $5.20 and there are only Bank of Guam or Bank of Hawaii ATMs here not much choice. Transaction limit is like $1,000. Outside Koror, ATMs are sparse-so stock up if heading to Peleliu or farther islands. I chatted with folks at Yano’s Hostel who all warned to never rely solely on card payments, most smaller shops won’t accept them.
For those who just want straightforward stats, both Bank of Guam ($5 USD fee) and Bank of Hawaii ($5.20 USD fee) have $1,000 daily limits for foreign debit and credit cards. I had no problems with my Visa debit at Bank of Hawaii beside the Palau Hotel. My main tip: check what fees your home bank adds on top of the ATM fees, because you might get double charged. ATMs are mostly in big hotels, town center, and the main shopping plaza.
Honestly, I was a bit disappointed with Palau’s ATM fees. Both Bank of Hawaii and Bank of Guam charged me just over $5 USD per withdrawal (Bank of Hawaii was $5.2). The limit per transaction is $1,000, so if you need more you’ll have to do multiple withdrawals-and the fees add up. My Mastercard worked best at the ATM right near Palau Royal Resort, but I’d recommend bringing extra USD cash if possible as backup, because there aren’t a ton of ATMs outside central Koror.
Just got back from Koror and can confirm both Bank of Guam and Bank of Hawaii have ATMs around downtown and at the airport. If using an international card like Revolut or Chase, expect a flat fee of about $5-5.20 per transaction regardless of the card, and the daily withdrawal limit for each is $1,000. I found the Bank of Guam ATM at Surangel Supercenter super reliable, never had card issues, and the fee always posted clearly on screen before confirming.