🇯🇴 This is the brand hub for Arab Bank. For the bigger picture on the dinar, the dollar peg, and Jordan having no Bank of America Alliance partner, see the Jordan Money Guide. For exact ATM districts and the fee-beating playbook, see the Amman ATM Guide. For card acceptance by district and the airport run, see the Amman Money Guide. Flying in? Queen Alia (AMM) guide.
🧾 Order Dinars Before You Fly
Land in Amman with a dinar float for the airport bus, taxis and tips. Insured 2–5 day US delivery, rate below the airport counters.
Order Dinars → CEI Currency ExchangeWhat Arab Bank is, in one paragraph
Arab Bank, headquartered in Amman, is Jordan's largest bank and one of the largest and most international financial institutions in the Middle East, founded in 1930 and operating a network of roughly 600 branches across some 28 countries on five continents. Inside Jordan it runs the widest branch and ATM footprint, so an Arab Bank machine is the one you will see most often, from the Queen Alia arrivals area to Abdali, Sweifieh, Abdoun, and the malls along Mecca Street. For US travelers the practical points are specific: Arab Bank machines accept foreign Visa and Mastercard, dispense dinars at the interbank rate (which tracks the 0.709 JOD dollar peg), and usually add no operator fee of their own, so the cost depends mostly on the card you bring.
What Arab Bank charges foreign cards
| Fee component | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Arab Bank operator fee (foreign card) | Usually none (a few machines JD 1-3) | Arab Bank (refunded by Schwab if charged) |
| Exchange rate | Mid-market (interbank), tracks the 0.709 JOD peg | Visa or Mastercard network |
| Per-transaction cap | ~JD 300-500 (varies by machine) | Arab Bank (the dinar is high-value, so this goes far) |
| Your home bank's foreign ATM fee | $2-5 | Your home bank, unless waived (Schwab, Wise) |
| Bank of America non-network fee (no Alliance here) | 3% | BoA, since Jordan has no Alliance partner |
| DCC markup (if accepted) | +5-10% | Always decline. Pick Jordanian dinars every time the screen offers US dollars. |
Because the dinar is pegged, the rate barely moves, so the variable cost is almost entirely your card. There is no BoA Alliance partner in Jordan, so a no-FX-fee card (Wise, Schwab) saves the 3 percent a BoA card would pay.
How to make Arab Bank cheap: the right card, dinars not dollars
Two moves keep an Arab Bank withdrawal cheap. First, because there is no Bank of America Alliance partner in Jordan, the card you bring matters more than the bank: carry a Wise card for the interbank rate with no markup, or a Charles Schwab card that adds no FX fee and refunds any operator fee worldwide (useful on the few Amman machines that post a small JD 1–3 charge), rather than relying on a BoA card that pays 3 percent everywhere. Second, when the screen offers to "charge in US dollars," always decline and take Jordanian dinars, letting your card network convert at the pegged interbank rate; DCC adds 5 to 10 percent on top.
Because the dinar is fixed at 0.709 to the dollar and is high-value (about $1.41 each), you do not need to time withdrawals or pull large amounts. A modest withdrawal at any Arab Bank machine covers a lot, so take a useful float, decline DCC, and load up before heading south to Petra and Wadi Rum, where machines thin out.
Where to find Arab Bank in Jordan
Abdali & the malls
Arab Bank ATMs around Abdali Boulevard and Abdali Mall, along Mecca Street (City Mall, Mecca Mall), and in Sweifieh. Covered in the Amman ATM Guide.
Nationwide coverage
Arab Bank runs Jordan's largest ATM and branch network, so a machine is rarely far in Amman, Irbid, Aqaba, or the Dead Sea resort strip.
Around Al-Balad
Withdraw from an Arab Bank machine on the main streets bordering downtown (King Hussein Street) before heading into the cash-leaning old-town souk lanes.
Queen Alia arrivals
Arab Bank ATMs in the Queen Alia terminal arrivals area, your first dinars on arrival, away from the Travelex counters. See the AMM airport guide.
Resort areas
Arab Bank machines in Aqaba's main shopping streets and at the Dead Sea resort properties, handy before the ATM-thin stretches around Petra and Wadi Rum.
Beyond Jordan
Arab Bank operates across roughly 28 countries, so the same card habits (take local currency, decline DCC) carry over to its machines in the wider region.
Arab Bank vs the other Jordanian banks: the actual decision
| Arab Bank | Cairo Amman / Housing Bank | |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign-card operator fee | Usually none | Usually none (a few JD 1-3) |
| BoA Global ATM Alliance partner | No (none in Jordan) | No (none in Jordan) |
| Network size in Jordan | Largest | Wide |
| Rate | Interbank (pegged) | Interbank (pegged) |
Decision tree: there is no meaningful cost difference between the major Jordanian banks, because all give the pegged rate and none is a BoA Alliance partner. Use whichever machine is closest, which most often is an Arab Bank ATM given its larger network. Pair it with a Wise or Schwab card, take dinars not dollars, and decline DCC. The Amman ATM Guide maps the districts where each bank clusters.
Best card pairing with Arab Bank
Wise for cards, Schwab to refund any fee
A Wise debit card gives zero FX markup and the real interbank dinar rate at malls, hotels, and restaurants across Amman. A Charles Schwab card adds no FX fee and refunds any ATM operator fee worldwide, which covers the few Arab Bank machines that post a small JD 1–3 charge. Because Jordan has no BoA Alliance partner, the no-FX-fee card is what saves you the 3 percent a BoA card would pay. Withdraw a useful amount at an Arab Bank machine, take dinars not dollars, and decline DCC every time.
Get the Wise Card →Charles Schwab Investor Checking
Schwab adds zero foreign-transaction fee and refunds ATM operator fees worldwide, so even on the Arab Bank machines that charge a small JD 1–3, your withdrawal is effectively free. Pair it with a useful withdrawal at an Arab Bank mall machine, take dinars not dollars, and decline DCC.
Bank of America debit (no Alliance waiver here)
Jordan has no BoA Alliance partner, so a BoA card pays its 3 percent non-network fee at Arab Bank and every other Jordanian bank. There is no Jordanian bank that waives it, so a no-FX-fee card such as Wise or Schwab is the better choice for cash in the kingdom.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Arab Bank charge foreign cards at ATMs?
Usually no operator fee of its own (a few machines post a small JD 1-3), at the pegged interbank rate. You pay only what your card charges; a Schwab card refunds any fee and Wise removes FX markup. Decline DCC and take dinars.
Is Arab Bank in the Bank of America Global ATM Alliance?
No. Jordan has no Alliance partner, so a BoA card pays 3% at Arab Bank and every Jordanian bank. Use a no-FX-fee card (Wise, Schwab) instead.
What is Arab Bank?
Jordan's largest bank and one of the Middle East's largest and most international, founded in 1930 in Amman, with roughly 600 branches across about 28 countries. Its machines are the ones you will see most often in Jordan.
Can I get dinars before arriving?
Yes, the dinar is orderable. CEI ships dinars to a US address in 2-5 days, and a small envelope covers a lot given the high value. Most travelers pre-order a small float and pull the rest at an Arab Bank machine.
Will my US debit card work at Arab Bank ATMs?
Yes, with a Visa, Mastercard, Plus, or Cirrus logo. English option, 4-digit PINs. Use branch and mall machines, decline DCC, take dinars.
Should I take dinars or US dollars at an Arab Bank ATM?
Dinars, always. The dinar is pegged at 0.709 to the dollar, so there is no advantage to dollars, and DCC or a dollar dispense costs more. Decline DCC and choose JOD.
The Arab Bank + Wise + Schwab Combo
Wise zero FX markup for malls and restaurants; Schwab refunds any ATM fee. No BoA Alliance partner here, so the card saves the 3%. Take dinars not dollars.
Get the Wise Card →