🇮🇱 This is the brand hub for Bank Hapoalim. For the bigger picture on the shekel, the bank ATMs, the pay-in-shekels-not-dollars rule, and the no-Bank-of-America-Alliance gap, see the Israel Money Guide. For exact ATM areas, see the Tel Aviv ATM Guide. For card-acceptance and the Rav-Kav transit detail, see the Tel Aviv Money Guide. For the other big bank, see the Bank Leumi guide. Flying in? Ben Gurion (TLV) airport guide.
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Bank Hapoalim (literally "the Workers' Bank") is one of Israel's two largest banks, neck and neck with Bank Leumi, and is headquartered in Tel Aviv. It was founded in 1921 by the Histadrut labor federation together with the Anglo-Palestine Bank, and grew into one of the pillars of the Israeli financial system. Today it runs one of the widest branch and ATM networks in the country and is a co-owner of Bit, the peer-to-peer payment app that almost everyone in Israel uses (though as a tourist you generally cannot use Bit without an Israeli account). For US travelers the practical points are these: Hapoalim ATMs give shekels at the interbank rate, most add no operator fee, and the one nuance to know is that a handful of Hapoalim machines have started posting a small ₪5–10 fee, shown on screen before you confirm. As always in Israel, pay in shekels rather than dollars.
What Bank Hapoalim charges foreign cards
| Fee component | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Exchange rate | Mid-market (interbank) | Visa or Mastercard network |
| Hapoalim operator fee (foreign card) | Usually ₪0 (a few machines post ~₪5-10) | Hapoalim, shown on screen if charged |
| Visa / Mastercard network fee | ~1% | Card network, baked into total |
| Your home bank's foreign ATM fee | $2-5 | Your home bank, unless waived (Schwab, Wise) |
| Your home bank's FX conversion fee | 1-3% | Your home bank, unless 0% FX card |
| DCC markup / paying in USD | +5-12% | Always decline. Pick shekels, never dollars. |
Most Hapoalim machines add no operator fee; a few now post a small ₪5–10 fee on screen. Caps run ~₪1,000–3,000. Israel has no BoA Alliance partner, so BoA debit pays BoA's 3% anywhere.
Why a Hapoalim ATM beats the private exchange counters
Israel is a card-friendly country, so for a traveler Hapoalim is mostly a surcharge-free (or near-surcharge-free) source of shekels for the cash holdouts: the Carmel Market and other shuk stalls, sheruts, and tips. A Hapoalim machine gives shekels at the interbank rate, far better than the private exchange counters and the standalone non-bank ATMs that cluster in tourist areas and run poor rates with a DCC pitch. The one thing to watch is the small fee a few Hapoalim machines now post on screen; if you see it and would rather not pay it, a Bank Leumi or other bank machine nearby is an easy alternative. And whatever you do, pay in shekels: never accept a shop's dollar price or an ATM's offer to charge you in US dollars.
Bank of America customers should note there is no fee-free ATM in Israel at all: with no Israeli BoA Alliance partner, a BoA card pays its 3 percent non-network fee even at Hapoalim. A Wise or Schwab card is the better tool, and Schwab even rebates the small fee at the machines that charge one.
Where to find Bank Hapoalim in Tel Aviv and beyond
Rothschild & Dizengoff
Hapoalim branches and ATMs around Rothschild Boulevard, the financial district, and Dizengoff. The easy place to find a bank machine. Covered in the Tel Aviv ATM Guide.
Allenby & King George
Hapoalim ATMs on the streets around the Carmel Market, the right place to withdraw shekels before diving into the cash-only stalls.
Ibn Gabirol & the Port
Branches and machines along Ibn Gabirol and near the Tel Aviv Port shopping area.
City centre & Mahane Yehuda
Hapoalim has wide coverage in Jerusalem too, including near the Mahane Yehuda market; the same interbank-rate withdrawals.
Haifa, Be'er Sheva, Eilat
One of the broadest networks in Israel, with branches and ATMs across the major cities and resort towns.
TLV Terminal 3 arrivals
Hapoalim ATMs in the Terminal 3 arrivals area; check the screen for the small fee a few machines post. Avoid the private exchange counters nearby. See the TLV airport guide.
Bank Hapoalim vs Bank Leumi: the actual decision
| Bank Hapoalim | Bank Leumi | |
|---|---|---|
| Exchange rate | Interbank | Interbank |
| Foreign-card operator fee | Usually ₪0 (a few machines post ~₪5-10) | No operator surcharge |
| BoA Global ATM Alliance partner | No (none in Israel) | No (none in Israel) |
| Network size | One of the two largest | One of the two largest |
| Heritage | Founded 1921 (Histadrut) | Founded 1902 (Anglo-Palestine Bank) |
| P2P app | Bit (co-owner) | Pepper / Paybox |
Decision tree: both are top-two banks with the interbank rate and wide networks, so use whichever is nearest. The only real difference for a foreign card is the small fee a few Hapoalim machines now post; if you see it and would rather avoid it, a Leumi machine is the easy alternative. Either way, pay in shekels and decline DCC.
Best card pairing with Bank Hapoalim
Wise for the card, Hapoalim for the shuk cash
Israel is card-friendly, so a Wise debit card handles most of the trip: zero FX markup and the real interbank shekel rate at every terminal, the Light Rail and the airport train. For the markets, pull a modest shekel float from a Hapoalim ATM, paying in shekels and declining DCC. Israel has no BoA Alliance partner, so a no-FX-fee card is clearly the best tool.
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Schwab adds zero foreign-transaction fee and refunds ATM operator fees worldwide, so even at the few Hapoalim machines that post a small ₪5–10 fee, Schwab rebates it. Combined with the interbank rate, Schwab + Hapoalim is an effectively free Israeli withdrawal. Still decline DCC and choose shekels.
Bank of America debit (no Alliance waiver in Israel)
Israel has no BoA Global ATM Alliance partner, so a BoA card pays its 3 percent non-network fee even at Hapoalim. There is no fee-free Israeli ATM for BoA cards; a no-FX-fee card is the better option.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Bank Hapoalim charge foreign cards at ATMs?
Shekels at the interbank rate; most machines add no operator fee, though a few now post a small ₪5-10 fee on screen. You also pay your home-bank fees, which are zero on a Wise or Schwab card.
Is Bank Hapoalim in the Global ATM Alliance?
No, and no Israeli bank is. A BoA card pays its 3% non-network fee at Hapoalim. A no-FX-fee card is the better tool.
What is Bank Hapoalim?
One of Israel's two largest banks, founded 1921, headquartered in Tel Aviv, a co-owner of the Bit payment app.
Should I pay in shekels or dollars?
Always shekels. Dollar prices and DCC both use a poor rate. Choose shekels at every ATM and terminal.
Will my US debit card work at Hapoalim ATMs?
Yes, with a Visa, Mastercard, Plus, or Cirrus logo. English option, 4-digit PINs. Decline DCC, choose shekels, check the screen for the small fee a few machines post.
How does Hapoalim compare with Bank Leumi?
Both are top-two banks at the interbank rate. The only difference for a foreign card is the small fee a few Hapoalim machines post; a Leumi machine is the alternative.
The Hapoalim + Wise Combo
Interbank-rate Hapoalim ATMs for shuk cash plus Wise zero FX markup, in a card-friendly country where you will mostly just tap.
Get the Wise Card →