On a budget and looking for free ATMs in Qatar - Any top banks?
On my trip to Qatar, I used mostly QNB ATMs in Doha. My Wise Visa worked fine with a QAR 2,000 withdrawal limit and no fees. Commercial Bank ATMs also accepted my Revolut Mastercard with a QAR 3,000 limit. I withdrew cash once, enough for taxis and souk shopping, but almost everything else was payable by card. ATMs were modern, safe, and widely available. Qatar was one of the easiest countries for handling money, especially since most transactions are cashless.
The only downside in Qatar was low availability of smaller denominations. My HSBC debit card at Doha Bank gave me QAR 500 notes, which were hard to use in markets. Limits ranged from QAR 2,000-3,000, which was fine, but some ATMs tried to force dynamic conversion into GBP with terrible rates. Independent ATMs at hotels sometimes charged fees, but bank-branded ones didn’t. Best advice: stick with QNB, Doha Bank, or Commercial Bank, withdraw the maximum, and reject currency conversion prompts.
I had a really smooth experience withdrawing in Qatar. My Monzo Mastercard worked at Commercial Bank ATMs in Doha, and I was able to take out QAR 3,000 in one go with no local fee. QNB also accepted my Revolut Visa without problems. Since most of Qatar runs on card payments, I barely needed cash, but it came in handy for taxis, souks, and small cafés. Compared to other Gulf countries, I found Qatar’s ATMs straightforward, modern, and very traveler-friendly.
In Qatar, the most reliable ATMs are from QNB (Qatar National Bank), Doha Bank, and Commercial Bank of Qatar. I used my Wise Visa at QNB in Doha and withdrew QAR 2,000 (~$550 USD) with no local fee. Doha Bank ATMs worked fine with my Revolut Mastercard, offering the same limit. Commercial Bank had a slightly higher withdrawal cap of QAR 3,000 with my Monzo Visa. ATMs are everywhere in Doha, including malls and the airport, so cash access is easy.