Why do ATMs and shops in Guernsey just keep declining my wise card. It worked fine in other countries
Just came back from a short trip to Guernsey and my Wise Mastercard wouldn’t work at any ATM. Tried NatWest, HSBC, and even inside M&S-all declined. Same for restaurants in Cobo Bay and Petit Bot. Locals I spoke to said prepaid cards often get flagged here, even though it’s technically GBP. If you're heading there, bring a regular UK debit card or use Revolut as a backup-mine worked every time.
My Wise card worked fine at the Santander ATM in St Sampson-but only after I updated my app settings to allow international use and switched currency to GBP. I declined the ATM’s currency conversion prompt and used chip+PIN. Also worked at a souvenir shop in the town center. So it’s not a total no-go-you just need to pick the right bank and prep the card properly before using it.
Had this issue at HSBC ATM on High Street-my Wise card just wouldn’t work. It had been fine in France a week before. Even POS machines in shops like Boots and Co-op in St Martin gave me the red light. I think it’s something to do with how Guernsey’s banking is tied into UK systems but treated as offshore, which triggers risk blocks. Took out GBP at a currency exchange and paid cash most of the time.
I was in St Peter Port last month and had my Wise Visa declined at Barclays and Lloyds Bank ATMs. Tried paying at Waitrose and a couple of cafes near the harbour-same issue. The terminals would act like they were processing, then just say 'declined'. Locals said some merchants don’t accept prepaid or fintech cards due to network filtering. Switched to my main bank card and had zero problems after that.