ATMs in Brazil

One thing that I will never understand about Brazil is the way that ATMs work here.

ATMs here seem to be like Brazilians public servants: both the sucess of your transaction and the answer you get depend on their (its) current mood.

Some facts about the caixa eletrônico here :

1) Brazil is the only place where I have seen an ATM announce that it has run out of money. True story.

2) Brazilian ATMs, strangely, announce which bills they have available to give out your money. For instance, you walk up to a machine, and you want to take out R$30. The ATM screen shows Available Bills: R$20 and R$50. You have to go elsewhere for your R$30. Goodbye.

3) ATMs, from the same bank, even in the same physical location, may work differently depending on the moment. For instance, the first time you try your card it might say hey, this shit isn't working, sorry for the inconvenience. And then a minute later, when you try again in the exact same machine, everything will be fine. One second, one machine will warn you, the maximum transaction is R$400. Then the machine next to it will give you different information: the maximum transaction is actually R$600. It's like the machine just tells you what it f***ing feels like saying.

You want money? Better have the time to try your card in all four machines. Good luck, you'll need it.

4) Any traveller coming to Brazil with a credit card/ key card should be warned : don't expect to be able to take out money when you feel like it. You will be able to pay for most things with credit card, generally without a lower limit like we have in Australia. But if you do find an ATM that actually accepts your card, take advantage of this. And: have all kinds of change available when you go into a shop - salespeople often shamelessly say, sorry, got no change, when you try to break a larger bill. One time I wanted to purchase a R$35 top in a large-chain clothing store, and went to pay with a R$50 bill. The saleswoman was horrified at my proposition, "não tem troco", she snarled, there's no change. I paid by card, thinking to myself, but, this is a clothing store. Shouldn't this be one place where people regularly spend amounts of money similar to me? 

5) ATMs here generally have a closing time. You usually can't go to an ATM between the hours of 10PM and 6AM or so here. I have been told this is to inhibit flash kidnappings. Anyway, you can't get money out at 3AM after your night out to pay for your Macca's meal here, like you can in Australia, no, no.

6) You have to slide your card in-and-out, in-and-out, in-and-out, during the transaction. It does not stay, effortlessly in the machine, as it does in Australia. Another method, I assume, to make it harder for theft. Good, I guess, at least you won't forget your card in the ATM...

Speaking of methods-for-inhibiting-crime (it seems to have turned itself into a bit of a theme here), Brazil is constantly evolving ways to stay one step ahead of its criminals. Guillaume scolded me one time recently for accepting money with a pink marking on it. Apparently, if an ATM is (don't ask me how) is exploded by thieves to access the money, the machine releases a pink ink onto the bills so that they can be recognized as stolen money and therefore not used. Pretty smart.

I'm sure it would make things slightly easier to have a Brazilian bank account with a Brazilian bank card. That, though, requires opening a bank account, which will make you want to commit suicide is not so easy.

Two remarks may sum up today's entry: 1) when I go to the ATM here, I basically assume that I will have no success, and 2) Brazilians seemed to have nipped that flash-kidnapping problem in the bud, at least.