Why do ATMs and shops in Curacao just keep declining my wise card. It worked fine in other countries
I actually had no issues using my Wise Mastercard in Curaçao-but I followed some strict steps. I loaded ANG into my Wise balance ahead of time, made sure the card was set to ‘international transactions,’ and used the Banco di Caribe ATM inside Sambil Mall early morning. Got cash with no problem. Didn’t bother trying it at stores-just used cash for most purchases. So yeah, with the right prep, Wise can work.
Had partial success: my Wise card did work at an MCB ATM in Jan Thiel, but only after I made sure to withdraw in ANG (Antillean guilders), declined the conversion prompt, and used chip+PIN. When I tried contactless or selected USD, it got rejected. Didn't work in stores though-even bigger ones like Centrum Supermarket preferred local cards or cash. Definitely preload ANG and set your card currency to match before trying again.
My Wise Visa worked all over Aruba but got completely rejected in Curaçao. Tried ATMs in Otrobanda and at the airport-all declined. Even POS machines at restaurants like Gouverneur de Rouville wouldn’t take it. I eventually used my Revolut card instead, which worked fine. Word of advice: always carry backup cards in Curaçao, especially for local ATMs.
I just got back from Willemstad and ran into the same issue. My Wise Mastercard was declined at MCB (Maduro & Curiel’s Bank) and Banco di Caribe ATMs, even though I had USD and EUR balances. It also didn’t work at shops like Mangusa Supermarket or souvenir stalls in Punda. Locals told me some Curaçao banks block cards from digital banks due to fraud filters. Had to switch to cash USD and convert at MCB inside Renaissance Mall.