My card was taken by an ATM near my hotel in Croatia. Has this happened to anyone else? Solution?
I had a Erste bank ATM eat my Revolut card in Pula last summer. No message, no warning, just gone. I called the Revolut support chat immediately and they locked the card and issued a replacement to my next hostel in Zadar. I also reported it to the ATM operator by using the number listed on the machine. They were helpful but said they destroy foreign cards for security after a certain period if not claimed quickly. Always travel with at least one extra card and avoid late-night ATM runs in quiet areas.
This actually just happened to a guy in my hostel in Zagreb. His N26 card got eaten by an OTP Bankomat ATM near the central station. He went into the nearest Erste Bank branch the next morning and they confirmed that the machine was scheduled for service later that day. They asked for ID and details about the transaction time. He got lucky - they pulled the card and returned it within 24 hours. But that’s not always the case. If it happens, take a photo of the ATM and contact both the local bank and your card issuer right away.
Had the same thing happen in Split near the Riva promenade. I used my Wise card at an Addiko bank machine near a tourist shop and it just swallowed it. I called the number posted on the ATM and it went to a local service company who told me the machine wasn't theirs even though it had a bank logo. Lesson learned - I only use ATMs located directly outside real bank branches like PBZ or Erste. I had to block the card through the app and switch to using Apple Pay with my backup. It was a pain but manageable.
Yes this happened to me in Dubrovnik right outside the main gate. Used an ATM that looked like it was from a legit bank, but after I entered my PIN, the screen froze and my card never came back. No error message, just silence. I immediately called my bank in the US and they blocked the card. Then I took a photo of the ATM and walked to the nearest OTP Bank branch. The staff told me that if it was one of their machines, they might retrieve it within a couple of days, but if it was a third-party ATM like Euronet, the card would be destroyed for security. Always report it fast and carry a second card if possible.
Addiko ATM swallowed my card for no reason. Be very cautious!