My card was taken by an ATM near my hotel in San Marino. Has this happened to anyone else? Solution?
Yes, I had this happen at a Cassa di Risparmio di San Marino ATM near Piazza della Libertà. The card was retained and the staff said foreign-issued cards are destroyed for security. If your card is swallowed here, cancel it straight away. Safer options are Intesa Sanpaolo ATMs either inside the banks or in nearby Rimini (Italy). San Marino is very small, and many shops, cafés, and hotels happily accept card payments, so once you switch to your backup you’ll be fine. Carry some euro cash for souvenirs and buses.
Card vanished during a regular withdrawal near the Funivia station. Machine just froze. I asked at a nearby shop and they pointed me to the bank around the corner. They spoke enough English and told me to come back after their ATM service window the next day. Got it back with ID. Honestly, could’ve been worse. But now I only use ATMs while banks are open - just in case something eats plastic again.
My Wise card got swallowed by a lobby ATM in the hotel. Staff were helpful and said the bank picks up stuck cards every 24 hours. I left my passport copy with the front desk and picked it up from the Credito Sammarinese branch the next morning. Tip: always use ATMs attached to banks or hotels, not random outdoor ones. And bring a backup card - that saved me big time.
Lost my Mastercard in an ATM outside the historic center. Called the number on the machine and they directed me to a nearby Banca di San Marino branch. Spoke to someone in basic English, gave them ID, and they retrieved it two days later. Make sure you know the ATM location and exact time it happened. Also: only use machines during business hours when possible - just in case.
That happened to me right outside my guesthouse. Used a Credito Sammarinese ATM, card went in and just never came out. I walked to the bank branch two blocks away the next morning, and they confirmed the machine holds cards after a timeout or chip error. Had to show my passport and come back next day to get it back. Super annoying, but not a disaster.