No issues elsewhere, but in Spain, both ATMs and stores keep rejecting my card. Anyone know if this is common? Any banks that actually work?
I had my SEB card from Sweden decline at a few tourist spots in Madrid especially at the ticket machines in Atocha station and a pharmacy near Puerta del Sol. I had a backup Starling Bank card and that worked almost everywhere including contactless on local buses in Valencia and metro gates in Madrid. I also withdrew from BBVA and Deutsche Bank ATMs with no issues. Avoid Euro Automatic Cash and Euronet as they’re not reliable and the fees are insane. Once I stuck to BBVA and Santander I didn’t have any more trouble. Also make sure to decline currency conversion when using cards as the rate is worse.
My HDFC debit card was completely useless in Spain. Rejected at Banco Sabadell, Euronet, and even at a few CaixaBank machines. I switched to my Wise debit Mastercard and it worked like a charm at Banco Santander and ING. I used the Wise card for metro tickets in Madrid and at Tapas bars in Seville and had zero issues. One cashier even told me that some Indian cards get blocked due to incompatibility with Spanish payment systems. I’d advise others to carry a global card like Wise or Revolut and always use ATMs inside proper bank branches not on the street. Santander and BBVA gave me the most reliable service.
I had a similar issue with my Barclays debit card being declined at several stores and cafes in Barcelona. Even though I had euros as backup, I wasn’t expecting so many refusals. It worked at Zara and El Corte Inglés but smaller stores said they only accepted local cards or cash. My Revolut Visa card saved me though. I withdrew from a CaixaBank ATM with no problems and used it for contactless payments at restaurants in the Gothic Quarter. I also used it at Mercadona and Lidl with no issues. Stick to bank-owned ATMs like CaixaBank or BBVA. My Revolut card seemed to be accepted more reliably than my UK bank card.
I had a lot of trouble with my Bank of America debit card in Spain. At least three different ATMs including ones at Euro Automatic Cash, Euronet, and Banco Sabadell kept rejecting the card. Some just said transaction declined and others said card not supported. I finally had success at an ING ATM near Gran Vía which accepted it without issue. I also started using my Chase Sapphire Preferred for purchases and most larger stores accepted it, but a small shop in El Raval refused the card completely. I’d recommend sticking to BBVA, ING, or Banco Santander for ATMs. Avoid Euronet and anything that looks like it’s outside a bank branch.