Card Swallowed by an ATM Abroad: What to Do?

In Kotor, Montenegro, I had the misfortune of having my bank card swallowed by an ATM during a cash withdrawal attempt.

It was clearly an issue with the machine since my card was swallowed before I could even enter my PIN.

The bank branch was closed at the time, but I was able to go back a few days later. The advisor spoke good English, went to the ATM, and came back with two bank cards, including mine! Unfortunately, there is a procedure to follow: she gave me an email address and explained that I needed to ask my bank (Fortuneo) to email them authorizing me to retrieve my card.

I immediately thought it was a bad sign, even though I was lucky to be staying in the area for several weeks.

I sent an email to Fortuneo that same day (a Tuesday). Two days later, I received a response saying, “We are reviewing your case and will get back to you shortly.”

Hearing nothing by the following Tuesday, I called them: “Don’t worry, we’ve forwarded your request to our team in charge of these matters; we’re on it.”

“Don’t worry?” Lol! I’ve potentially been without a means of payment for 10 days, but it doesn’t seem to be bothering Fortuneo much.

As of today, I still haven’t gotten my card back, but if I’m not too worried about it, it’s because I had planned ahead to make sure this kind of event wouldn’t be a big deal..

Here are some simple tips that will let you sleep easy if your card gets swallowed during a trip abroad.

• Have multiple bank cards: this is essential when traveling; you should have multiple payment methods so you have a solution in case of loss, theft, block, or a swallowed card like in my case. Ideally, you should have at least one Mastercard and one Visa (in some countries one will work and the other won’t), and store them in two different places. There are plenty of options these days: BoursoramaFortuneo, N26, Revolut, Max, American Express, …
• Withdraw cash only with a bank card that you can block temporarily and quickly using your app. A minute after my card was swallowed, I was able to block it with my Fortuneo app. That way, I didn’t have to worry about someone dishonest picking it up and making online purchases. This means you need to have your bank’s app installed on your phone and that it offers a temporary block feature (I think most banks do these days, but check before you have the problem).
• Have 4G: the previous point is useless if you don’t have internet access. In this kind of situation, it’s best to be quick and not have to wait until you’re back at the hotel to connect to WiFi. Depending on the country and context, you can use your French SIM card with free roaming, buy a local SIM card or carry an international SIM card.
• Paranoid mode: you can erase the CVV by scratching it off with a sharp knife (the 3-digit code on the back of your card). That way, if you do get your card back, you won’t have to worry that the bank employee noted your card details to use them.
• Be able to call France at low cost. Bank customer service being what it is, don’t expect a quick, useful response if you send an email. You’ll have better luck (maybe…) by calling directly. This means being able to call France from abroad without it costing an arm and a leg. The two best solutions in my opinion are OVH , and Rebtel.
• Get a replacement card delivered: if the only solution ends up being to have a new card sent to you, don’t count on your bank, as they only ship within France. You’ll need to have it sent to a relative (or to Courrier du voyageur) who can then forward it to you anywhere in the world via UPS, DHL, or FedEx.

These few tips require a bit of preparation, but nothing too complicated. If you follow them closely, losing a bank card will just be a travel anecdote, not a source of stress that takes over your days and ruins your trip.

EDIT : More than 2 weeks after losing my card and after a phone follow-up, I finally got a response from my bank, Fortuneo.

Fortuneo explained that they can’t email the bank branch and that I need to ask them to send a fax.

Lol! I’m dropping it.

Alternative solution

At your own risk 😀

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