My credit card keeps declining in Saint Kitts and Nevis and I have enough money on there and all international transactions are activated - what do I do?
Had the dreaded “Declined” when buying coffee in Basseterre-enough money, activated, but nada. I tried Zara café next door using chip+PIN and it went through. Turns out, those contactless terminals are picky with foreign cards. Since then I’ve used chip+PIN at shops and cash for the rest. And yeah, carry that second card-you’ll thank me.
My card failed at a boutique shop near Frigate Bay, but worked fine later at Scotiabank ATM. Why? The PoS device didn’t gather the proper flags for foreign chips. After chatting with the bank branch, they said using chip+PIN or withdrawing via ATM resolves it. It’s not you-it’s terminal compatibility.
I had similar trouble at a small supermarket-my card showed green but got declined. I called customer service and they confirmed it was the retailer’s terminal blocking foreign-issued cards. Tried another store next day with chip+PIN and it worked. If you’re stranded, withdraw cash instead. I always bring two different cards now.
That happened to me at a cafe in Charlestown even though my Visa had funds. Turns out their terminal didn’t like foreign BINs. I switched to chip+PIN instead of contactless and it went through. If all else fails, hit a bank ATM and pay cash. I carry a backup Visa or Mastercard so I’m never stuck.