Having something mailed to Santiago

[kmm2000]

Hi all! I am currently on the Camino and running into an issue with my debit card. My bank is switching over all debit cards and deactivating the old ones. The card is being mailed to my house in the states, but I will not be able to get it before the current one is deactivated. Can I have it shipped to the post office in Santiago and pick it up when I get there? How do I do that logistically?

 

[trecile]

Firstly, will your bank send it to a post office and not an address?

If so, here's the information on sending things to the Correos office. It's the instructions for sending luggage or parcels, but it should be similar for letters.

Send luggage along the Camino de Santiago

With Correos you can send your luggage to any point on the Camino de Santiago with the Paq Peregrino.

www.elcaminoconcorreos.com

If you need to have it sent to an address you can send it to @ivar

Luggage Services in Santiago de Compostela

Photo by veerasak Piyawatanakul on Pexels.com What we can offer At Casa Ivar, we offer 3 types of Luggage related services in Santiago de Compostela. You can send us your Luggage and we will keep i…

casaivar.com

One thing to consider is activating the card. You may need to call from a US number. Or hopefully you can do it through the bank's app or website.

Is this your only debit card?

 

[Molly Cassidy]

Could you phone your bank and explain the situation? They might be able to delay the deactivation of your old card.

 

[kmm2000]

Firstly, will your bank send it to a post office and not an address?

If so, here's the information on sending things to the Correos office. It's the instructions for sending luggage or parcels, but it should be similar for letters.

Send luggage along the Camino de Santiago

With Correos you can send your luggage to any point on the Camino de Santiago with the Paq Peregrino.

www.elcaminoconcorreos.com

If you need to have it sent to an address you can send it to @ivar

Luggage Services in Santiago de Compostela

Photo by veerasak Piyawatanakul on Pexels.com What we can offer At Casa Ivar, we offer 3 types of Luggage related services in Santiago de Compostela. You can send us your Luggage and we will keep i…

casaivar.com

One thing to consider is activating the card. You may need to call from a US number. Or hopefully you can do it through the bank's app or website.

Is this your only debit card?

Yes, this is my only debit card. I have a credit card, but this is the only card I can use to get cash from an ATM.

On the website, Ivar says it only accepts things sent from the EU, so I’m not sure they would accept it.

 

[trecile]

On the website, Ivar says it only accepts things sent from the EU, so I’m not sure they would accept it.

The website is mostly about sending packages and luggage to @ivar. You can send him a private message or an email to the address on the website about a letter sized envelope. (I'm assuming that's how they would send it)

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I needed a replacement credit card when in Barcelona. The bank sent it from Texas to my hotel via DHL. It arrived the next day in one of those large shipping envelopes unopened so apparently it bypassed customs.

I don't know if your bank will supply such speedy service but it looks good that DHL will.

 

[trecile]

If I were in this situation I would open an account at a new bank ASAP. You only need to fund it with enough money for your Camino.

 

[Bogong]

If I were in this situation I would open an account at a new bank ASAP. You only need to fund it with enough money for your Camino.

Very good advice. Also check with your bank re extending the close date on your existing card. And even if they agree don’t take a chance on them actually doing it. Also, here at least there are other organisations, such as Post Offices which issue debit cards for travel purposes. But in any case if your own bank won’t come to the party( and the appalling action of arbitrarily shutting off all existing accounts is such) close your account there and go to a different bank.

De
Colores

Bogong

 

[henrythedog]

You could sign up online for a Wise account which comes (by default) with a virtual debit card. You can fund it by direct bank transfer (or from your current debit card whilst it still works). There may be a fee with funding via debit card - but desperate times call for desperate measures.

An increasing number of cash machines have a contactless option which doesn’t require you to introduce a physical card.

And/or get plenty cash whilst you can and stay extra-alert.