I was using an ATM near my hostel in Australia, & it took my card & never gave it back. No error message, just gone. Has anyone had this happen? Whats the fastest way to get it back? Any advice on who to call or what to do next?
I was in Sydney when it happened, outside a Coles near Central Station. My Indian HDFC debit card was swallowed by a NAB ATM. I waited around for five minutes hoping it would spit it back out, but nothing happened. I went to a NAB branch the next morning and they said cards are auto-retained if the ATM detects anything unusual, even if the screen doesn’t show an error. Since it wasn’t their bank’s card, they wouldn’t release it to me. I immediately called HDFC and had the card blocked, then used my backup card for the rest of the trip. Always travel with two cards if possible and take a photo of the ATM you used in case your bank wants proof of where the card disappeared
This happened to me in Cairns a few weeks ago. I used an ATM near my hostel run by Westpac and my Revolut Visa card got stuck with no explanation. No message on screen, just nothing. I went to a Westpac branch later and they said if the ATM was off-site (not inside a branch), then there’s no way to retrieve the card unless I was one of their customers. They advised me to contact my card provider and report it lost. The ATM itself had a phone number but it went straight to a generic call centre. The fastest solution is to cancel the card immediately and request a digital or emergency card, especially if you're using a fintech provider like Revolut or Wise.
I had the same issue in Melbourne at a Commonwealth Bank ATM inside a 7-Eleven. My French BNP Paribas Mastercard was swallowed and the screen just restarted. I called the number listed on the ATM and was told that the ATM is serviced by a third-party provider and they do not return cards to foreign customers. They said the card would be destroyed during the next servicing. I ended up freezing the card through my banking app and got a replacement sent to a hostel in Sydney. If your card gets taken in Australia, don’t wait, assume it’s gone and block it immediately. Most banks won’t be able to return it unless it’s their customer’s card
That happened to me in Brisbane just outside my hostel near Fortitude Valley. I used a Suncorp ATM with my UK NatWest Visa card, and after a short delay, the screen reset and my card never came out. No error, no receipt just gone. I went inside the Suncorp branch first thing the next morning, but they said since I wasn’t their customer, they’d automatically destroy the card for security reasons. They couldn’t hand it back. I contacted my bank through the app and blocked the card immediately. If this happens to you, take note of the ATM location, time, and bank name, then contact your home bank ASAP and request a replacement.
Another ATM spot in Sydney confirmed working. Felt safe even at night, and my Visa Debit card worked perfectly.
ATM was super slow - took 5 minutes per person. Then it shut down when someone tried cardless cash. What a mess.
Commonwlth Bank ATM near ALDI (Sydney) - basic machine but worked fine. Got my cash, no complaints.
Used the NAB ATM and had no problems. Smooth, reliable - would definitely use again.