No issues elsewhere, but in Peru, both ATMs and stores keep rejecting my card. Anyone know if this is common? Any banks that actually work?
Yeah Peru is kind of hit or miss with cards. My ANZ Visa was accepted at Scotiabank ATMs and in most decent hotels and restaurants in Lima. But in Cusco and smaller towns I got declined often. Sometimes it’s just the machine acting up and sometimes they say foreign cards are blocked. I started using my Wise Mastercard more and it worked more consistently. Also make sure your card has the chip and is enabled for international use. Some people also forget to notify their bank before the trip which can cause issues.
This happened to me last year in Lima and it drove me crazy. I had a travel card from ICICI and it worked in Europe and the US but failed in Peru at most places. Interbank was the only bank where I could consistently withdraw cash. Their ATMs inside malls or near bank branches worked fine. As for stores, the smaller the shop the more likely they’ll say machine is broken or only take local cards. Big chains like Wong or Metro usually accepted my card though.
Peru was weird for me too. My Revolut Mastercard got declined at most BBVA ATMs and some stores in Arequipa. No issues in Chile or Argentina. I found that Banco de la Nación ATMs almost always worked. Used one in Puno and another in Lima near San Isidro. Both accepted my card with no fee. Also avoid using cards in small shops or markets they either don’t accept them or the machine just won’t connect. Always keep some soles on hand just in case.
I had the exact same issue in Peru. My Capital One Visa worked fine in Colombia and Ecuador but got declined at three different ATMs in Cusco. Tried at Interbank, BCP, and BBVA - nothing worked. Finally had success with Scotiabank near the main square. Their ATM didn’t charge me and the transaction went through on the first try. Also, some card terminals in stores would show an error or just time out. I think their network is unstable or picky with certain foreign cards.