Guatemala ATM Travel Guide
ATMs in Guatemala are known to pose some challenges…
There are high withdrawal fees, low withdrawal limits and countless scam warnings that make tourists weary of looking for a ‘safe’ ATMs in Guatemala. For these occasions there’s an alternative solution outlined below.
Problems can arise from there being no ATMs in small towns or empty ATMs, to ATMs that only accept Visa cards from certain countries and reject MasterCard.
Examples being in Santa Catarina, El Remate (Peten Lake) and Iximche.
If there are no ATMs close by, the ATMs in Guatemala are not working with your card, or you want to avoid paying ATM fees, check back here for our guide below. It explains how you can send yourself money online and pick it up at an authorized local cash pick up point.
It is a very similar process to buying something on the internet with your debit card and is probably the quickest way to send yourself money online to Guatemala.
There’s also currently a promo code so you pay NO FEE on your first money transfer. What’s more, it’s convenient, safe and cheaper than paying high ATM withdrawal fees allowing you to transfer more than the maximum ATM limit.
As this method is especially useful in certain places, we have provided separate guides for these (click link for destination specific guide):
Here are two useful links to find the nearest ATMs in Guatemala : Visa / MasterCard
Guatemala ATM Fees & General Information
ATMs in Guatemala are called ‘Cajero Automatico’ or ‘Cajero’. To find one, you can ask ‘donde esta un cajero automatico’… and hopefully understand the directions given.
Many ATMs in Guatemala charge high fees. Expect to pay between 20 to 45 Quetzales. Often these machines are next to each other, so it’s useful to know which to choose.
The Yellow 5B ATMs and other standalone cash machines tend to be towards the higher end, so be aware of these machines.
Your best bet would be to use a BAC Guatemala cash machine as fees are amongst the lowest.
You will also probably get charged a fee by your own bank.
Having a TransferWise MasterCard can help reduce your home bank fees and gives a great exchange rate on purchases. With their borderless account / card you can hold your money in more than 40 currencies and use the debit card to get your cash out with low conversion fees and zero transaction fees. Click here for more info.
Withdrawal limits depend on the bank, and generally range from 2000 to 3000 Quetzales. This means multiple transactions are usually needed and transaction fees can mount up.
Major hotels take debit/credit cards, but cheaper accommodations, tourist sites and restaurants tend to only take cash. It’s best to have small denominations as change can be a problem in smaller businesses.
You’ll find Visa is the most commonly accepted card at ATMs in Guatemala, though there are an increasing number that also accept Cirrus/MasterCard.
Unfortunately, ATM fraud in Guatemala is not uncommon….. Check out our Travel Money Tips for what to look out for and more general information covering pre-trip planning, fees, scams, and general safety.
Getting Cash Without Using The ATMs In Guatemala:
– Send Money To Guatemala & Pick It Up Locally
With so many overseas Guatemalans sending money home to their families, there are lots of local cash pick up points to collect these funds.
In a similar way, you can use your ATM card (debit/credit) or bank details to securely send yourself funds online through a reputable International money transfer service that has a partnership with a local cash pick-up point.
Check to see if there is a local authorized cash pick-up point where you are. Click HERE for a list of locations.
In Guatemala, this is any branch of:
- Banco Desarrollo Rural
- Banco Elektra
- Banco GYT Continental
- Fenacoac
- Banco Industrial de Guatemala
If there’s a branch locally, then follow the step-by-step guide below.
– Step By Step Guide…incl fee free promo code
Note: The process is quicker than the detailed guide suggests. It is currently possible to send from 50 countries, however, Israel and a few others are not yet included due to local government policies
- To begin, click World Remit LTD
(IMPORTANT: If you don’t see ‘Guatemala’ in the Choose a Country To Send To list, this is because you must first choose which overseas country to send money from. The “Send From” option can be found at the top of the page on PC/Laptop. On mobile it is the last option in the drop down menu at the top of the page represented by the 3 horizontal lines) - Once You have chosen ‘Guatemala’ as the Country To Send To, click “Get Started”
- On the next page make sure the Cash Pickup tab is ticked and click “Continue”
- On the next page, where it says “Select a cash pickup payout network” choose the local pick up point that you determined in the previous section to be the most convenient for where you are.
-Banco Desarrollo Rural
-Banco Elektra
-Banco GYT Continental
-Fenacoac
-Banco Industrial de Guatemala - Choose the amount to send in your currency or receive in Guatemalan Quetzales (GTQ). The exchange rate & fee (which you can remove with a promo code later) will automatically show. Once you’re happy click “Continue”. You are then prompted to register / create an account.
There is no need for a referral code on this page as you will apply your fee-free promo code on the payment page as you process your money transfer. - Once registered you will input details of who you are sending the money to, so for the recipient, put yourself (as your name appears on your Passport) and use the address of your current accommodation. You will also be required to provide a local mobile number, however if you don’t have one, people have successfully used all zeros, or asked their accommodation to use their number. For the sending reason, select “Sending Funds To Self”.
- When it comes to payment details, it is important to make sure your name and address match the name on your Debit card and the billing address is used. Don’t forget to use the promotion code “FREE” (without quotes) on the payment page to get your first transfer FEE-FREE!
If your card payment fails for any reason, select the Sofort option and pay using your online banking log-in details. - Almost instantly you will receive a welcome email (don’t worry if this does not arrive) and a confirmation email of your transfer informing you to wait for a further email. In most cases this takes 10-30 minutes (longer if paying via bank details & not debit card or your financial situation is complicated). The final email will say whether identity / regulatory checks have been completed and inform you if your transfer is available to pick up. Note: Sometimes further information may be required from you before they can process the transfer in order to comply with regulatory requirements, however this is unlikely in most cases.
- Once complete just go to the pickup point you chose earlier and…
– For Banco Desarrollo Rural, Banco Elektra, Banco GYT Continental and Banco Industrial de Guatemala branches: show your Passport and the 11-digit reference number to collect your money.
– For Fenacoac branches: show your Passport and quote “BTS” and the 11-digit reference number to collect your money.
We update this guide every month or so, however, if you have any feedback to help keep this guide up-to-date or make it more comprehensive and easier for others to follow, please Message us on Facebook
Sending Money To A Bank Account Instead
You can also use the above method to quickly transfer money to an overseas bank account, perhaps to pay for your accommodation or an activity. The promo code above for NO FEES on your first money transfer also applies for these transactions.
Click HERE for this service.
IMPORTANT: If you don’t see ‘Guatemala’ in the Choose a Country To Send To list, this is because you must first choose which overseas country to send money from. The “Send From” option can be found at the top of the page on PC/Laptop. On mobile it is the last option in the drop down menu at the top of the page represented by the 3 horizontal lines.
Once You have chosen ‘Guatemala’ as the Country To Send To, click “Get Started”
On the next page make sure the ‘Bank Transfer’ tab is ticked, click “Continue” and proceed with your transfer. Don’t forget to use the promotion code “FREE” (without quotes) on the payment page to get your first transfer FEE-FREE!
For more information visit this FAQs section.
Wise, formerly TransferWise is another service that also offers bank transfers. If you are new to the service, and follow THIS LINK, you will automatically pay NO FEES on your first transfer of up to £500 (or the equivalent amount in any other currency).
Arguably the best thing about them is that they give you the mid-market rate on the currency exchange, so it’s much cheaper than a traditional bank to bank wire transfer. You won’t need any SWIFT or IBAN numbers, just the name of the account holder, their account number, the bank name and branch location.
Useful Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guatemala
*** ATMs In Guatemala ***