My card was taken by an ATM near my hotel in Greece. Has this happened to anyone else? Solution?
In Santorini, my Revolut Visa was taken by a Eurobank ATM late in the evening. The branch wasn’t open until the next day, and by then they told me the card had already been sent back to the issuing bank for security reasons. That meant I had to cancel it and use my backup Wise card. Greece is card-friendly, but for taxis and small tavernas you’ll still need cash. My advice: withdraw only during branch hours to avoid losing the card permanently.
This happened to me in Athens at an Alpha Bank ATM. My Monzo Mastercard got stuck, but I went into the branch right away and the staff returned it after checking my ID. They said it happens fairly often with foreign Visa and Mastercard cards. Piraeus Bank works the same way - if you get to the branch quickly, they’ll hand it back. I was impressed with how professional the staff were, and it saved me the hassle of cancelling.
In Greece, the main ATMs are operated by Alpha Bank, Piraeus Bank, National Bank of Greece (NBG), and Eurobank. If your card is retained, go to the branch that owns the ATM with your passport. If the branch is closed, call the hotline number printed on the machine. In most cases, Greek banks will release the card only during weekday hours and usually within a day. Be aware that ATMs in tourist areas also use dynamic currency conversion, so always decline it.
Yes, it happened to me at a Piraeus Bank ATM in Athens near Monastiraki Square. The machine retained my Visa card after a timeout error. In Greece, if this happens, you need to go to the branch attached to the ATM with your ID. They usually keep swallowed cards locked until the following business day. If the ATM is a standalone machine near a hotel in Plaka or Syntagma, then unfortunately, you’ll likely have to block your card. Always keep a spare card because many islands like Santorini or Naxos have limited ATMs.