Using an ATM in Prague should be simple.

Insert card.
Withdraw cash.
Done.

And in most cases — it is.

But in the city center, there’s one type of ATM that causes problems again and again

The problem

Not all ATMs are the same.

Most belong to banks and are completely fine.

Some belong to private companies (you’ll see them everywhere in the center).

And those are designed to make money from how you use them.

Where you’ll see them

They’re not random.

They’re placed exactly where you need cash the most:

• right in Old Town
• near major sights
• on busy tourist streets
• sometimes even inside shops or exchange offices

That’s not a coincidence.

This is exactly the kind of thing we warn people about on our walking tours.

The biggest trap: conversion on screen

At some point, the ATM will ask:

“Do you want to be charged in your home currency?”

It sounds helpful.

It’s not.

If you press yes, the ATM uses its own exchange rate.

👉 which is usually very bad

You can easily lose:

• 10%
• sometimes more

Just by pressing the wrong button.

What to do

Always choose:

👉 “Decline conversion”
👉 or “Without conversion”

Let your bank handle the exchange.

The second trick: “Cash + balance”

You might see a big button:

“Withdraw cash and check balance”

Looks convenient.

It isn’t.

That balance check can trigger:

• extra ATM fees
• and sometimes fees from your own bank

You won’t notice immediately.

If you want to avoid losing money like this, it’s easier to just walk with someone who knows the system.

Another thing to watch

Some of these machines:

• charge fixed withdrawal fees (100–150 CZK or more)
• suggest very high amounts (10,000 CZK, 20,000 CZK)

It’s all designed to make you take out more and pay more.

Which ATMs to avoid

In Prague, this mostly means:

• Euronet machines (blue-yellow)
• any ATM without a clear bank logo
• machines placed in tourist hotspots or shop windows

If it just says “ATM” — that’s already a warning sign.

What to use instead (safe options)

Look for real banks or their ATMs. In Czech also called “BANKOMAT”. These are reliable:

• Česká spořitelna
• ČSOB
• Komerční banka
• Air Bank
• Raiffeisenbank

They don’t use these tricks.

Simple rule

If the ATM is:

• right where you need it
• too easy
• or looks slightly “off”

Skip it.

Walk a few minutes and find a bank.

Final thought

ATMs themselves are not the problem.

Some of them are.

If you use bank machines and don’t accept the conversion, you’ll be fine.

Want to avoid this kind of stuff completely?

That’s what I explain on my tours — how Prague actually works, not just what to see.

If something feels slightly off, it usually is.If you’d rather skip the guesswork and just get Prague explained properly:

→ See tours