No issues elsewhere, but in Tajikistan, both ATMs and stores keep rejecting my card. Anyone know if this is common? Any banks that actually work?
Was in Tajikistan for a month and experienced regular failures at UIB and Orienbank locations. I kept thinking my cards were blocked, but then Somonbank ATMs worked every time. AccessBank ATMs were hit-or-miss depending on the time of day. Something about their connection to international networks seems stronger. My advice: avoid Agroinvest and go with Somonbank or AccessBank.
Yes, this is super common here. I tried four different ATMs in Khujand - only the Somonbank kiosk near the shoping mall accepted my card. Even stores in Dushanbe sometimes declined contactless payments. I ended up using Western Union to send cash to myself, but found Somonbank to be the most consistent for withdrawals. Plan for some backup methods - this isn’t unusual in Tajikistan.
I had the exact same issue in Dushanbe and Istaravshan - cards declined whether Visa or Mastercard. I spoke with a local guide who said some banks block foreign cards if they suspect fraud. Somonbank ATMs around the city centre worked fine for me, as did one at AccessBank near the bazaar. A tip: make small dummy withdrawals to test your card before relying on it.
This happened to me in both Khujand and Khorog - my Monzo Visa got declined multiple times at Orienbank and Agroinvest ATMs. It wasn’t a lack of funds or PIN issue; the machines just refused international cards. I eventually found a Somonbank ATM in Dushanbe that took my card without problem. I suggest using Somonbank machines or trying AccessBank branches - they tend to be the most reliable with foreign-issued cards.