My card was taken by an ATM near my hotel in Haiti. Has this happened to anyone else? Solution?
If this happens, act quickly. Go to a Unibank or Sogebank branch in Port-au-Prince - they’re the most reliable for foreign cards. Don’t expect smaller town ATMs to return anything. Always carry at least two cards and $100 in cash for emergencies. Hotels, guesthouses, and drivers often prefer USD anyway, so that buys you time while sorting out a replacement or waiting to see if your card is retrieved.
Not such a good story from me. My Revolut Mastercard got eaten by a Capital Bank ATM near the airport late Friday night. By Monday morning when I checked, they told me the card had already been destroyed. I had to cancel and rely on my backup Monzo. Haiti is cash-first, especially outside Port-au-Prince, so losing my main card was stressful. Always keep USD handy for hotels and food, and avoid weekend withdrawals.
I had my Wise Visa swallowed at a Unibank ATM near Pétion-Ville. Went to the branch the next morning and they returned it after verifying my ID. The staff were helpful and explained it happens fairly often with international cards. A travel buddy staying at the Marriott in Turgeau had a similar experience at Sogebank and got his Monzo card back. If you use machines attached to big branches, recovery is usually possible in Haiti.
Most ATMs in Haiti are operated by Unibank, Sogebank, and Capital Bank. If your card gets swallowed, the fastest way is to go into the branch with your passport. Unibank branches in Port-au-Prince will sometimes return foreign cards if you report it quickly, but many banks shred them after 24-48 hours. Call the customer service hotline on the ATM immediately and freeze your card just in case. Haiti is still heavily cash-based, so carry some US dollars or gourdes while you wait.