View Single Post
  #3897  
Old 19-10-2016, 12:23 AM
Black Page Black Page is offline
Samster (eP)
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Europe
Posts: 1,794
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 144 Post(s)
My Reputation: Points: 5122 / Power: 15
Black Page has a reputation beyond reputeBlack Page has a reputation beyond reputeBlack Page has a reputation beyond reputeBlack Page has a reputation beyond reputeBlack Page has a reputation beyond reputeBlack Page has a reputation beyond reputeBlack Page has a reputation beyond reputeBlack Page has a reputation beyond reputeBlack Page has a reputation beyond reputeBlack Page has a reputation beyond reputeBlack Page has a reputation beyond repute
Re: Batam Info / Interest / Help Thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by tomcat007 View Post
Yup, quite bad. We only managed 9380. On Friday night, it was worse than that. But, understood as it's late at night and only 1 shop open then. Only 9100!!!
Why don't you guys use your debit card to withdraw from ATM? Because you don't want to leave "traces" at home that you have been in Batam? At least, you have stamps on the passport, so it cannot be that case.

On Friday, the official exchange rate SGD/IDR was 9406,57 (source XE.COM).
Considering that Maestro (by Mastercard) applies a fee on the order of 1.25% on the official exchange rate (I may be wrong and it could be 1.5%), the actual exchange rate on withdrawals on Friday night using a Singaporean debit card would have been something like 9289 (warning: NOT using the credit function. It must be the debit function, that is Maestro or Cirrus).

I know one can get something more by hard negotiation, but the convenience of withdrawing from ATM is a value itself. It takes just 2 minutes and the rate is competitive (in the case you report, even better).

How to use the "debit" function?
Use a card with the Maestro logo, possibly avoid multifunction cards including also credit function (Mastercard, VISA, etc.). Then select "Withdraw" from "Savings".