My card was taken by an ATM near my hotel in Egypt. Has this happened to anyone else? Solution?
I wasn’t as lucky in Luxor. My HSBC debit was swallowed at a National Bank of Egypt ATM late on Friday, and the branch didn’t reopen until Sunday. By then, the staff told me the card had been sent back to my issuing bank for security, so I never got it back. I had to cancel it and rely on my backup Monzo Mastercard. My tip: only withdraw during bank hours in Egypt and don’t depend on a single card. Carrying USD or EUR helps a lot when this happens.
This happened to me in Cairo with a CIB ATM near Tahrir Square. I went into the branch the next morning with my passport and card details, and they returned my Wise Visa within 20 minutes. The staff said foreign cards often get flagged and retained, especially if you try multiple withdrawals. I was impressed at how quickly they handled it. If your card is stuck in a Banque Misr or NBE ATM, the process is similar - visit the branch linked to that machine right away.
If an ATM in Egypt swallows your card, note which bank runs the machine. The main operators are Banque Misr, National Bank of Egypt (NBE), and CIB (Commercial International Bank). Go straight to the branch during business hours with your passport and explain what happened. In many cases, the card is held in the ATM and can be retrieved by staff the same day. If it’s after hours, call the hotline listed on the machine. Always freeze your card with your bank back home until you know if it can be returned.
Yes, I lost mine at a Banque Misr ATM in Cairo near Tahrir Square. In Egypt, if the machine is at a bank branch, you can usually go inside with your passport and ask if it’s retained. Otherwise, it’s safest to block the card. National Bank of Egypt and Banque du Caire ATMs are considered more reliable.