Is there an ATM In General Luna?
Yes, there are a few. Unfortunately they have a reputation for being empty, unreliable or not working with certain foreign cards.
The first ATM in General Luna is provided by DBP and is beside Cantilan Bank along the Dapa-General Luna Road and just across the Catholic Church. It goes offline when there is poor signal and when it runs out of cash.
There is also a BDO ATM in General Luna that opened mid 2019 that is a little more reliable.
More recently there is now a EURONET cash Machine in GL. Just a word of warning though, these ATMs provided by Euronet are known to be susceptible to skimming devices.
In addition, even though the fee shown is low at 200-250p, the hidden bias in exchange rate can mean using these ATMs can swallow up a whopping… 15% of your money.
See this link for an interesting article about this https://travellingclaus.com/not-use-euronet-atms-travel/
If the ATM is not working or you are looking to withdraw larger amounts and save on ATM fees, there is an alternative way to withdraw cash outlined below.
It is a very similar process to buying something online with your debit card and is probably the quickest way to send money to yourself in General Luna.
There’s currently a promo code so you pay NO FEE on your first withdrawal.
Getting Cash Without Using An ATM In General Luna:
– Send Money To General Luna & Pick It Up Locally
Fast money transfer, available in minutes or hours, is available pretty much everywhere in the Philippines due to the high level of money sent back to families by Filipinos working abroad. This means there are plenty of local authorized cash pick up places.
You can simply use your ATM card (debit/credit) or bank details to securely send yourself funds online through a reputable International money transfer service.
Our guide introduces such a service that has a partnership with the domestic money transfer agent “M Lhuillier” in General Luna where you can pick up your cash (see images below or ask your accommodation for directions).
– 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 ‘Philippines’ 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 ‘Philippines’ 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 Mlhuillier.
- Enter the amount to send in your currency or receive in Peso. 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 someone at their accommodation to use their number.
- 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, however this is unlikely in most cases.
- Once complete just go to the pickup point (Mlhuillier near the public market), fill out the “Receive Money Form” and wait to collect your money. Show your Passport and quote reference “WorldRemit” and/or “Metrobank” with your transaction number.
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 FEE on your first money transfer also applies for these transactions.
Click HERE for this service.
IMPORTANT: If you don’t see ‘Philippines’ 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 ‘Philippines’ 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/General_Luna,_Surigao_del_Norte
*** ATM In General Luna ***