Banking in Lisbon

Now that I'm going to Lisbon, what should I do with my bank card? Should I use it there as little as possible? Should I take cash to avoid charging fees when withdrawing money from an ATM? These are just some of the questions I asked myself before going abroad.

Well, none of them. The best option, without a doubt, is create an account with Evo Banco. If you're aged between 18 and 28, becoming an Evo customer won't cost you a penny. You'll be able to make online transfers and withdraw money twice a month from any ATM, no matter the bank. From the third withdrawal onwards, you're charged one euro. Don't think twice about it, there's no other bank which allows you to withdraw money twice a month without charging a single penny.

Since it's completely free to use the card to make purchases and transfers, take advantage and use Evo to do your grocery shop and standard shopping.

In Spain, I have always been a Santander customer, but they've marketed themselves as gold when they're merely bronze. Well, a month before going to Lisbon, I went to the nearest Santander branch to find out about using my Santander student card in the same bank, abroad. This is what they told me, and what they recommended:

1. You can make purchases outside of Spain, but keep in mind they you will be charged. Obviously.
2. Taking out cash from a cash machine will cost you. Also, obvious.
3. Finally, as you're one of our customers, you can take money out in any Santander office in the world by simply showing your ID. This is a lie. Anyway, it seemed odd to me that I'd actually be able to do this.

Either way, it became clear to me that I was also going to become an Evo customer, since withdrawing from any ATM abroad is free, so why should I think anymore about it? Well, the thing is, you also need to ask yourself what benefits your own bank offers you when you're abroad. Well I'll tell you now that the answer is none.

I remember being in Lisbon. One day, as I was walking close to my house, I noticed a Santander office. Out of curiosity, I decided to check it out. The person who assisted me was Portuguese and spoke Spanish perfectly, and the truth that made everything clearer was:

1. You can't withdraw money in a Santander branch here in Portugalif you don't open a new account, even if you're a customer in Spain's Santander branch as the bank's policy here is different. You're not the only person to make this mistake. Watch out, there have been others who have fallen into the same trap.
2. I'm sorry, but you can only withdraw money at the ATM outside. An important piece of information, guys, they charge you 3 euros at the ATM.

Ah, you may also have doubts about which bank account to use on your scholarship application. Well, I had it very easy. For the scholarship application I put down my usual bank account, the one from Santander. From there, I transferred the money to my new Evo Bank account.

Even using Evo Bank, online transfers were immediate (to pay rent, for example). I used the Evo card to pay for my grocery shopping, and usually took out larger sums of cash twice a month (remember that you're limited to 2 free withdrawals, so taking out 20 euros really isn't worth it).

Finally, to become a Evo customer, all you have to do is apply online.

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