Why do ATMs and shops in Sri Lanka just keep declining my wise card. It worked fine in other countries
In Sri Lanka the Wise card is hit or miss. I had it declined at a Keells supermarket and a Sampath ATM but used it successfully at a People’s Bank ATM in Nuwara Eliya. Sometimes the terminal just doesn’t connect to the Visa network fast enough. Also make sure your card is set to allow ATM withdrawals in your app. I had that setting off without realizing and it caused half the problems. I now always bring a backup card when travelling in Sri Lanka.
I had issues in Galle and Matara with my Wise Visa card being declined both at ATMs and card machines in shops. One ATM said transaction blocked, another just gave a blank screen. Later I tried the same card at a Commercial Bank ATM in Colombo and it worked fine. The problem isn’t with Wise, it’s with local banks’ outdated or unstable networks. I now travel with Wise and a regular bank debit card just to be safe.
Wise worked fine for me in Europe but in Sri Lanka I kept getting card declined messages. Turns out some ATMs here only accept local cards or prefer chip-and-pin formats. My Wise card is contactless and that confused a few machines. I finally managed to withdraw at Commercial Bank and one Bank of Ceylon ATM in Kandy. Some stores just said no foreign cards, even if they had a reader. It’s frustrating but not uncommon.
I had the same issue. My Wise card worked perfectly in Thailand and Malaysia but got declined at three ATMs in Colombo. Tried at Sampath, BOC, and HNB. Later found that Commercial Bank accepted it without any problem. I also couldn’t pay in a few shops even though they had card machines. I think their terminals are picky or have connection issues. Always have backup cash or a second card in Sri Lanka.