DBS and the Art of Being a Responsive Bank

[baloo]

There is no technical reason at all. DBS/POSB don't want to link them all up because one of their selling points is how many more ATMS they have making it more convenient.

There is a government regulation barring foreign banks from using Domestic bank ATMs to protect them somewhat. But the foreign banks have tied up I believe.

[Aliya]

Yes that is the line they totted out to me yesterday after we had been at Brewerkz (who dont take NETS in the Kallang one but admitted they do in the city) and realised the nearest ATM was OCBC etc etc, nightmare. Brewerkz was fab about it allowed us to come back Monday night and pay for our after the Wiggles lunch. Got a debit card now grrrrr.

Who cares how many ATM's they have, they dont have them all where needed. There isnt one at Giant at Tampines, there is ANZ who noone uses, well at least at Giant - why they dont have a DBS ATM machine there is beyond me.

[slinky]

I use my US bank ATM card in DBS machines all the time - no problem. But, I don't think I'm able to use my DBS ATM card in UOB or Citibank or whoever. But, I know Mr. S sometimes uses his DBS ATM card in bank machines in foreign countries.

[Aliya]

Yes you can, I can use my NZ ATM card at ATM's here too. That is fine.

[Fat Bob]

To clarify what baloo said:

Foreign-owned Singapore-based banks (e.g. Maybank, HSQC, Citibank, Standard Chartered, ABNAMRO/RBS/ANZ and now one of the Indian banks) have been regulated on the number of ATMs they have, local banks (OCBC, DBS/POSB and UOB) have no such (or much less) regulation.

The foreign-owned banks liksted have overcome this somewhat by sharing ATM access in most cases. The exception being some of Citibank's ATMs will not accept the other cards (I think the Citibank ATMs at MRT stations do not accept any of the other cards, and the one at Fusionopolis doesn't. There maybe more).

Foreign cards (e.g. Slinky's US ATM card and Aliya's NZ ATM card) can both be used here: they are not from a bank that is both foreign-owned and Singapore-based.

I think the local banks have never got together because of the competition between such banks, and the foreign-owned, Singapore-based banks have never been able to provide that competition.

Annoyingly, the foreign-owned, Singapore-based banks tend all to be in the same place. Out of the 100 or so ATMs a HSBC card holder can use, 6 of them are in Holland Village, 3-4 of them are in Vivocity....etc.

[slinky]

I can use my (non-Citibank) US ATM card in Citibank machines here.

[Fat Bob]

Of course you can, it's a non Singapore-based bank card! Most non-Singapore-based bank cards CAN be used here. It's the issues around Singapore-based bank's cards that are the issue.