My credit card keeps declining in Nauru and I have enough money on there and all international transactions are activated - what do I do?
My experience: Nauru’s infrastructure is limited, so even with international activation, your card might decline due to connectivity or fraud prevention systems. Contact your issuer before travel to whitelist the country. If problems persist, try using ATMs at main banks like Bank of Nauru or rely on cash. Hotels often accept cards but confirm ahead.
If your card keeps declining in Nauru, it might be the bank’s anti-fraud blocking or a glitch with the small banking network there. I called my bank’s fraud team and cleared the issue. Also, check if your card requires chip-and-pin versus swipe-the older terminals there are picky. Having a backup card and some extra cash in AUD is essential.
Credit card declines in Nauru were frustrating for me too. Sometimes the problem isn’t your card but the local POS machine or slow internet. I managed by using ATMs at the Nauru Phosphate Royalties Trust bank and paying cash where possible. Prepaid travel cards like Niyo or FI with better international acceptance helped when my main card failed.
I had this happen in Nauru-my Mastercard kept declining even though the balance was fine and international transactions were enabled. Turns out, many places and ATMs there have limited acceptance or connectivity issues. My best tip: carry multiple cards (Visa and Mastercard), and keep some cash handy in AUD because many small vendors prefer cash. Also, call your bank to let them know exact dates of travel to Nauru specifically-sometimes regional blocks happen.