Travelling soon and looking for best ATMs in Guatemala that work well with foreign debit/credit cards and dont charge crazy fees. Any recos will be highly appreciated.
I pulled out cash at BI ATMs all over Guatemala City and got charged 31.20 quetzal for most transactions. BAC was sometimes fee-free and super useful for paying hostels and tours upfront. The Q2,000 per transaction limit from 5B is a pain, though, so try BAC whenever you see one. Locals in Flores and Xela told me BAC machines rarely run out of cash, even on weekends!
5B, BI, and BAC are the only ATMs you'll find in Guatemala. 5B was the highest with 69.8 quetzal fee and BI was 35 quetzal. Withdrawal limit is just Q2,000 a go. Someone told me there are BAC ATMs with 10,000 quetzal limit but i did not see that anywhere. Pro tip: always refuse the ATM’s suggested conversion rate (choose “no conversion”) or your overall fee could shoot even higher.
Out of all Guatemala’s banks, 5B chaeged my visa 49.99 and mastercard 69.8 quetzal fee. Withdrawal limit was 2,000 quetzal per withdrawal. BAC charged me 63 quetzal. BI was always reliable and lowest fee of 35 quetzal but again for 2,000 quetzal withdrawal limit. Always grab extra before heading into the highlands!
Traveling around Antigua and Lake Atitlán, BAC ATMs gave me the best deal: My card was not charged any fee. One ATM gave me like a 10,000 quetzal limit. Trick is to decline the on-screen currency conversion, which can tack on a sneaky 9-10% extra. BAC machines took my Wise and Revolut cards, but always have backup cash since power cuts do happen.
Withdrew Q4000 from BAC ATM in Guatemala. Fee was 63 quetzal. I thought it was quite high. Likely supports even higher withdrawals.
There isnt a fee-free ATM in Guatemala. BAC charges 63 quetzal and 5B charges 69.8 - all ridiculous amounts but there is not that much of a choice. 5B only allowed me to withdraqw 2000 quetzal at once, but BAC in Antiguia did have a higher withdrawal limit of 10,000.
Used a Mastercard at BI Guatemala - charged me a 35 quetzal fee - seems like hte only cheapest one. BAC was 63 quetzal fee and 5B was 69 - all gave me same withdrawal limits of 2000 quetzals per transaction.
5B has different fees for visa and mastercard - 49.99 or 69.8 - that seems a bit funny. but you will mostly find 5B or BI ATMs everywhere so use either.