Quick answer. Palma (PMI) is one of Europe's most violently seasonal airports, and that seasonality is the money story. In the summer peak it handles enormous holiday volume and the arrivals hall fills with exchange counters and standalone machines aimed squarely at package tourists. Use a bank ATM in the Module A arrivals area instead, decline DCC and choose euros. CaixaBank has the widest island network, and Banca March, founded in Palma in 1926 and still headquartered here, is the Balearic institution most visitors have never heard of. Spanish machines must display any non-customer fee on screen before you confirm, so read it and cancel if it is high. Spain has no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner, so a BoA card pays its 3 percent non-network fee. The A1 bus into Palma costs about €5 and takes cards.
Where to get Euros at PMI
The Palma pattern is a bank ATM in arrivals versus the exchange bureaux that multiply in summer, with the resort-strip standalone machines at Magaluf and Platja de Palma as the worst option of all. Spain's on-screen surcharge disclosure lets you check before you commit. The cost math below assumes you withdraw the equivalent of $100 in euros.
| Option | Where | Markup | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank ATM at PMI (CaixaBank / Banca March) | Module A arrivals | Interbank rate, surcharge shown on screen | ~$98-99 |
| Bank ATM + Schwab (fee refunded) | Module A arrivals | Interbank rate, ATM fee refunded | ~$100 |
| Any ATM with a BoA card (no Alliance here) | Arrivals | Interbank rate + BoA 3% non-network fee | ~$97 |
| Exchange bureau in PMI arrivals | Module A arrivals | Several % off interbank, plus commission | ~$90-93 |
| Standalone machine at Magaluf / Platja de Palma | Resort strip | Operator surcharge + poor rate + DCC push | ~$88-92 |
Where to find the bank ATMs at Palma Airport (PMI), and the Banca March local option
Palma de Mallorca (PMI) is the Balearics' single gateway and one of the most seasonal major airports in Europe, swinging from quiet winters to enormous summer peaks. Arriving passengers come through the ground-floor baggage halls and out into the Module A arrivals concourse, where exchange bureaux and standalone machines cluster to meet the holiday traffic. The bank options are better: CaixaBank has the broadest network across Mallorca, and Banca March is the island's own bank, founded in Palma in 1926 by Joan March and still headquartered in the city, making it a genuinely Balearic institution rather than a mainland import. Santander and BBVA are also present. Spain's disclosure rule requires any non-customer surcharge to appear on screen with a chance to cancel, which is a real advantage in a tourist-heavy airport. Spain has no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner, so a BoA debit card pays BoA's own 3 percent non-network fee here. Decline DCC and choose euros.
Module A (main arrivals)
The bulk of international arrivals, including Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2, TUI, Eurowings and the German and British charter traffic that defines the summer peak
Come through baggage reclaim into the Module A arrivals concourse and walk past the exchange bureaux to the CaixaBank and Banca March machines. Insert a foreign Visa or Mastercard, read the on-screen fee, decline DCC and choose euros. The A1 bus stop to Palma is directly outside the arrivals doors on the ground level.
Modules B, C and D (seasonal capacity)
Opened up through the summer season to handle peak charter and low-cost volume; largely departures and boarding gates
These modules are principally departure areas feeding off the same central terminal building, so the landside bank ATMs in the main concourse serve them too. If you are flying out with euros left over, spend them rather than reconverting at an airport counter, where the spread costs you twice.
Do you actually need cash at Palma (PMI)?
Very little on arrival. The A1 airport bus, Palma's city buses, taxis and essentially all of the city's restaurants and shops take cards. Save your euro float for the Tramuntana villages, the weekly markets and small inland bars. Here is what a card covers getting into Palma:
A1 airport bus to Palma centre (~€5): Runs to Plaça d'Espanya and the Passeig Mallorca in roughly 15-25 minutes; the simplest way into the city and takes contactless.
A2 bus to S'Arenal / Platja de Palma (~€5): Serves the beach strip east of the airport, useful if you are staying at Can Pastilla or Platja de Palma rather than in the city.
Taxi (~€20-30 to central Palma): From the rank outside arrivals, about 15 minutes to the centre; fares to the far resorts or the north of the island climb steeply.
Car hire shuttle (Varies): Mallorca is a driving island and most visitors hire a car; desks and shuttles are signposted from arrivals and everything is billed to a card.
⚠ DCC trap. When the ATM or terminal asks if you want to be charged in your home currency instead of the local currency, always decline and choose the local currency. Accepting locks in a 3-13 percent markup that your no-FX-fee card cannot undo. Full DCC explainer →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need cash to get from Palma (PMI) to Palma?
No. The A1 bus into Palma takes contactless, as do the A2 to the beach strip, the taxis and the car-hire desks.
Can I order Euros before flying?
Yes. CEI Currency Exchange ships euros to your US address in 2-5 days, well ahead of the Palma arrivals rate. Useful in peak season when the bank ATMs at PMI have queues.
Where are the ATMs at Palma Airport?
In the Module A arrivals concourse, beyond the exchange bureaux that multiply in summer. CaixaBank and Banca March, the Mallorcan bank founded in Palma in 1926, both dispense at the interbank rate and must show any fee before dispensing.
Should I exchange money at PMI?
No. Palma's arrivals counters are built for peak-season holiday traffic and price accordingly. Use a bank ATM in Module A, and treat the machines outside bars at Magaluf or Platja de Palma as the worst option on the island.
How much cash do I actually need in Mallorca?
Less than the island's reputation suggests, but more than in Palma alone. The city, the resorts and the main beach towns take cards more or less universally, including the airport buses. Where cash still helps is the interior: the Serra de Tramuntana villages, roadside stalls, the Sunday markets at Sineu and Pollença, and small family restaurants away from the coast. A modest euro float from a bank ATM at PMI covers that comfortably. Withdrawing one larger amount rather than several small ones also limits how many times you pay a per-transaction surcharge.
Who is Banca March and should I use their ATMs?
Banca March is Mallorca's own bank, founded in Palma in 1926 and still headquartered there, which makes it unusual among Spanish banks in being genuinely Balearic rather than a mainland network with island branches. Its ATMs dispense euros at the Visa and Mastercard interbank rate like any Spanish bank machine, and like all of them must show you any non-customer fee before dispensing. It is a perfectly good option, though CaixaBank generally gives you more machines to choose from across the island. Either beats the exchange counters in arrivals.
Does the summer season change ATM costs at PMI?
Not the bank rates, but it changes your surroundings. In peak season the arrivals concourse and the resort strips at Magaluf, Palmanova and Platja de Palma fill with standalone, non-bank machines that add their own operator surcharge and push dynamic currency conversion at holidaymakers who are not paying attention. Queues at the bank ATMs get longer, which tempts people toward the nearest standalone machine. The fix is simple: use a bank ATM at the airport or in Palma proper, and treat any machine sitting outside a resort bar as the expensive option.
Is there a Bank of America Alliance partner at Palma Airport?
No. Spain has no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner, so a BoA debit card pays BoA's 3 percent non-network fee at CaixaBank, Banca March, Santander or any other Spanish ATM, PMI included. A Wise card gives the interbank rate with no markup and a Charles Schwab card charges no FX fee and refunds operator fees. Use one at a bank machine in Module A arrivals, read the on-screen fee, decline DCC and choose euros.