7Bank started charging fees for international Visa withdrawals?

Hi fellow cheapos,

I am writing to ask for advice on cash withdrawals in Tokyo using an international Visa card.

I previously relied on 7Bank ATMs, as they provided this service for free in the past.
But since last week, everytime I’ve tried to get cash using the same method, I get a message saying I will be charged a fee of 108Y per 10000Y withdrawal. I have tried several times (with the same Visa card and at the exact same ATMs that used to work just fine) at different times of day, including during traditional bank opening hours, and always got the same result.
I first noticed this on December 31st, one week ago.
This basically means I am charged 1% on everything I spend, as businesses here are almost all cash-only. As a cheapo I find this extremely frustrating. :angry:

I can’t seem to find any detailed information about international withdrawals on the 7/11 website, they just say that fees vary by card.

Are any other cheapos experiencing the same problem ? Got any info on this ? Have they officially changed their policies ?
And most importantly : do you know if any banks offer free withdrawals for international Visa cards ?

Thanks in advance for your help ! :relaxed:

I noticed this too over xmas - my partner said it was probably just for the holiday period but it seems as though its now standard - the Japan Post ATMs are free but they stopped accepting my Visa Debit card for some reason last year and so I too rely on the 7-11’s so yeah - like you I’'m looking for alternative free ATM’s …