Why do ATMs and shops in Slovakia just keep declining my wise card. It worked fine in other countries
My Wise card completely failed in Poprad-couldn’t withdraw from any ATM and not a single shop accepted it, including petrol stations and hotels. A clerk told me prepaid cards are often blocked by older payment systems in rural areas. I’d had no issues with Wise in Hungary, so it took me by surprise. Switched to using my Revolut card and that worked everywhere. Definitely don’t rely on Wise alone if you’re traveling around Slovakia.
I actually got my Wise card to work at a Slovenská Sporiteľňa ATM inside Eurovea Mall in Bratislava. I selected EUR, declined currency conversion, used chip+PIN-went through on the second try. Didn’t have luck at smaller shops, but bigger stores like Billa accepted it. Seems like it depends on which terminal or bank you’re dealing with. Make sure your app is set to EUR and use chip, not contactless.
In Košice, my Wise Visa was flat-out declined at VÚB Bank and again at a Tatra banka ATM. Also wouldn’t work at a grocery store near the train station. The card was active, plenty of balance, and had just worked in Poland the day before. Locals weren’t surprised-said some machines only reliably read cards from local or legacy issuers. If you're headed to Slovakia, bring a backup just in case.
Was in Bratislava a few weeks ago and couldn’t get my Wise Mastercard to work at Slovenská Sporiteľňa or ČSOB ATMs. Even tried paying at a restaurant in the Old Town, and it declined. The waiter said some terminals still have trouble reading fintech or prepaid cards. I’d used Wise across Austria with no issues before that. Ended up relying on my regular bank card for the rest of the trip.