Bank services

Banks are generally opened from Monday till Friday from 9 am till 3 pm, and some on Saturdays mornings. The biggest banks in NYC are Chase Manhattan and Citibank.

Both main types of account are:

There is a 3-rd type of account: " money market accounts ", which work as savings accounts, but are paid at fluctuating rates according to the market.

Withdrawal, made by means of a chequebook, are free, but it is generally necessary to leave in the account a minimal level of fund. There are also many Money Machines located througout the city from where you can conduct your banking transactions (take out money, deposit checks, transfer funds, etc.)

Credit cards are widely accepted in hotels, restaurants and shops. The most used are cards VISA and Master Card, Discovery, American Express and Diner. Credit cards are easy to get, usually you can get one linked to you Bank (i.e. a Chase Visa).

In the United States, payments are not automatically taken from your account, but charged every month and payable by check.

In case your credit cards are stolen, it is necessary to call the appropriate companies. Keep a list of numbers handy.

Checks are not often accepted by small storekeepers. Nevertheless, in case of acceptance, you must provide two forms of identification (mostly the driving licence, the passport, or a credit card).