My card was taken by an ATM near my hotel in Equatorial Guinea. Has this happened to anyone else? Solution?
If you lose a card here, move fast. Go to CCEI or Société Générale in Malabo - they’re most likely to return it. BANGE branches often won’t. Bring your passport and maybe a Spanish-speaking friend if you’re struggling. ATMs are patchy outside Malabo/Bata anyway, so carry USD or euros as backup. Hotels and larger restaurants often accept USD, which buys you time if you’re stuck waiting.
Not great outside the main cities. My Monzo Mastercard was taken by a BANGE ATM in Bata late on Saturday. By Monday when I asked, they said it had already been destroyed. I ended up relying on USD cash, which is widely accepted. Equatorial Guinea is not as card-friendly as other places, so don’t depend on one card only. Always carry enough cash for hotels and taxis.
Had this happen in Malabo at a Société Générale ATM near the Sipopo hotels. My Revolut Visa got swallowed, but I walked into the branch first thing next morning and they returned it after checking ID. Staff were professional and said it happens with foreign cards quite a lot. If you’re in Malabo or Bata, recovery is possible if you use big bank branches.
Main banks here are CCEI Bank, BANGE (Banco Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial), and Société Générale. If an ATM swallows your card, go to the branch with your passport. CCEI in Malabo usually holds captured cards until the next business day. BANGE often destroys foreign cards right away. Call the number on the machine if it shows one. English is not widely spoken, so Spanish will help a lot when explaining.