My card was taken by an ATM near my hotel in Estonia. Has this happened to anyone else? Solution?
I had the opposite experience in Tartu. My Monzo Mastercard was eaten by a SEB ATM late at night, and when I called the hotline, they said it could only be retrieved on weekdays during branch hours. Since I was leaving the city the next day, I never got it back and had to cancel. In Estonia, cards stuck in ATMs are usually destroyed if not claimed quickly. Always travel with two cards, and whenever possible, withdraw during bank opening times.
I had a good outcome in Tallinn. My Revolut Visa was taken by a Swedbank ATM near the Old Town. I visited the branch with my passport and they had my card back to me within half an hour. The staff were efficient and spoke English, which made things easy. SEB has a similar system - as long as you act quickly and during bank hours, you’re likely to get your card back. Estonia’s banks are modern and organised, so the process isn’t stressful.
In Estonia, ATMs are mostly run by Swedbank, SEB, and Luminor. If your card is captured, go directly into the branch that owns the ATM, ideally during business hours, with your passport. They can often retrieve the card the same day. If it’s a standalone ATM without a nearby branch, call the bank’s hotline (the number is on the ATM). Cards not collected within a few days are usually destroyed. While waiting, block your card through your bank app just in case.
Yes, it happened to me in Tallinn Old Town at a Swedbank ATM near Viru Gate. The bank advised me to cancel it immediately as they don’t return cards for security reasons. In Estonia, once a card is swallowed, consider it gone. The fix is to block it and switch to a backup.