My card was taken by an ATM near my hotel in Sint Maarten. Has this happened to anyone else? Solution?
If this happens, go to the main WIB branch in Philipsburg - they’re the best at handling this. Avoid using stand-alone machines late at night. Sint Maarten uses both USD and Netherlands Antillean guilder, so keep some USD cash handy. Always travel with at least two cards.
I had my Revolut card eaten by a FirstCaribbean ATM near Maho Beach late at night. By the time I got to the branch the following day, they told me the card had already been destroyed. Sint Maarten is card-friendly at resorts, but local restaurants and taxis prefer USD cash. Losing my main card was inconvenient, so I had to fall back on cash.
My Wise Visa was taken at a WIB ATM near the Boardwalk in Philipsburg. I went to the WIB branch next morning, showed my ID, and got it back in 20 minutes. Staff were efficient and used to dealing with tourists. A friend at a hostel in Simpson Bay had their Monzo card swallowed by Republic Bank and also got it back. If you stick to branch ATMs, recovery is possible.
In Sint Maarten, main ATMs are run by Windward Islands Bank (WIB), Republic Bank, and FirstCaribbean. If your card gets swallowed, go into the branch with your passport. WIB in Philipsburg usually keeps foreign cards until the next day. Others may destroy them quickly. Call the hotline on the ATM screen right away and freeze your card until you’re sure.