What do you do if the ATM swallows your card?

What do you do if the ATM swallows your card?

We know how frustrating it can be when the ATM swallows your card, which is why we are offering the best advice for if this happens to you.

First things first, don’t panic. We know it’s easier said than done but panicking will not help anyone.

Secondly, before the anger takes over and you start pointing fingers, you need to know that it is not the ATMs fault.

There are many reasons why a card can be retained… for example:

  • Your bank has suspected some sort of fraudulent use.
  • You have an insufficient balance.
  • You might be using a faulty/damaged card.
  • Your card has expired.

Of course it would be easy for us to say that our ATMs are perfect, but they’re not. Like any digital service, there’s always a risk of a server error, in which the ATM will take longer than usual to spit out your card.

If you’ve inserted your card the wrong way or into the wrong slot in the cash machine, it will be unable to process your card and therefore could swallow it, but this is usually rare.

Rest assured, there are processes in place enabling you to resolve the situation and reconcile the issue as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Let’s get down to business… first off, if you have any issues with the cash machine, take not of time, date and place that it occurred. This will help your bank when reviewing the claim, to speed it up.

Next, you need to get in touch with your bank. We are warning you NOW… there is no point calling the ATM provider at hand first. They will simply advise you to call your bank. More than likely it would have been a problem with the card, rather than the machine.

You will then need to cancel your old card and order a new one. We know it’s inconvenient but unfortunately if your card has been swallowed there is no chance of you getting it back because the ATM has security measures in place that enforce if a card is retained it gets destroyed immediately.

You might be lucky, some banks will even print a new card whilst you wait in person! Just make sure you take your I.D. (passport is normally best) because a cashier will still allow you to withdraw cash from your account whilst you’re waiting for your new card.

Once the bank and the ATM provider have investigated hand in hand, you will be notified and hopefully the situation will be resolved and you’ll already have your new card.

However, if you do not feel that the claim has been settled to your satisfaction, you can always contact the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO). The FSPO are an independently governed Irish service, they ensure that the procedure is followed and you are fairly represented without prejudice.

Our cash machines are here to provide you with easy access to your cash. But from time to time, things may go wrong. It’s important to remember that there will be a huge team working behind the scenes to make sure your experience at the ATM is seamless. So before you attack anyone, please remember that there is someone on the end of that abuse who didn’t physically go out of their way to ruin your day.

Just remember these 4 simple steps in case the ATM swallows your card:

  1. Record all details.
  2. Report to the bank.
  3. Order your new card.
  4. Get cash from the bank with your I.D. if needed.

For more tips on what to do with cash inaccuracies and withdrawal problems, visit our blog page today.

Don’t forget to like our page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more of our best tips.

Contact us

Search