How to get a large amount of cash abroad if a debit card stops working?
I live in France and I was recently traveling to Ireland. During the trip, my debit card stopped functioning. I discovered the problem when I arrived in a hotel and wanted to check in. The card was refused, and the person at the reception invited me to go to an ATM in order to bring some cash, as the hotel accepts only payment by card or cash, and won't accept a bank transfer. But when I tried to get the necessary amount of cash, the ATM plainly rejected the card without even asking for the PIN code. A few other ATMs behaved the same, and the card wouldn't work in a supermarket either.
I called my bank, but they just confirmed that there is absolutely nothing wrong with my bank account, and nothing is blocked, so the problem was really with my debit card. The only option they suggested is to try a different ATM. It should be noted that this bank doesn't have any subsidiaries in Ireland.
Thankfully, I wasn't traveling alone, and so I could deal more or less with the difficulty of not being able to get my own money. This made me think, however, of what could have happened if I was alone or if the person I was traveling with wouldn't lend me a rather important amount of money to pay the hotel (as well as food and other expenses).
So, let's pretend that as a French citizen, I'm alone in either Ireland or the UK, I have no more than twenty Euros in cash, and my debit card stops working (or I lose it or it gets stolen) while I need about six hundred Euros to pay to the hotel right now. What exactly are my options, in a context where I still have a smartphone with Internet access and I can pay by Internet and use PayPal? Is there some way to send oneself some cash or to retrieve it somehow without a debit card?
Best Answer
My advice for anyone who wants to get out of a difficult situation is to not get in that situation in the first place. In this case, the easiest way would be to take a second debit card, or a credit card, with you.
But in case you're already abroad and are stuck with a single broken card, you could ask the hotel if it's possible to pay by bank transfer (using your phone). If so, ask them if you can transfer a larger amount in exchange for cash. Or, depending on where in the world you are, you might use PayPal to do something similar
Another option would perhaps be e.g. Western Union, but I've never used that myself. I suppose you could transfer money to them, and pick it up from a WU office yourself.
If all else fails, contact your country's embassy for help.
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How can I get money from another country without a debit card?
You can use a service like Western Union to send yourself some cash. In some countries, using cash is much more common than using a card. You might need more cash to hold you over and Western Union is an easy way to send yourself money. Look on their website to find locations around the world.How do you withdraw money if my card is blocked?
If due to some negligence or carelessness the ATM card gets blocked, then the best thing to do is visit your nearest bank branch. All one needs to do is submit a written application along with the cardholder's identity proofs, so that the bank can take further procedures to unblock the ATM card.Can I use my debit card even if it has no money?
Some banks and credit unions might let you sign up for \u201coverdraft protection.\u201d That means you can use your debit card even when you do not have enough money to pay for the things you are buying. But you might have to pay a fee to the bank.Why is my debit card being declined for international transactions?
The issuing bank doesn't allow the use of the card for internet or international transactions. Talk to your bank to allow these types of transactions, then retry the payment.Is It Safe To Travel Abroad With Only A Debit Card?
More answers regarding how to get a large amount of cash abroad if a debit card stops working?
Answer 2
Sign up for Google Pay / Apple Pay and add your credit/debit cards to it. You can then make contactless payments with those cards using your phone. Open the app and then touch your phone to the payment terminal. This works if your debit card is Visa Debit / Debit MasterCard, but not for Visa Electron / V Pay / Maestro.
This will not allow you to get cash, but it certainly will allow you to pay for your hotel, restaurants, and virtually anything else in most of the world where international travelers commonly go.
However, be aware that some card issuers, payment processors, and/or terminals may have absurdly small spending limits on purchases made with Google Pay / Apple Pay, or may not accept the payment at all.
As always, it is a good idea to travel with at least two different cards from different financial institutions.
Answer 3
Clone your debit card to Google Pay, Apple Pay or other country specific app installed on your NFC-enabled phone. It is really unlikely that your card and phone breaks the same time. (As Michael Hampton already answered).
My second choice would be: At the hotel reception: cancel your reservation. Make an online booking on the spot with 100% prepayment through booking.com or the hotel's site. You will not physically need your card to do this.
Answer 4
Western Union is probably the most straightforward.
Something very similar happened me last year. Was on holidays in the Canaries, lost my wallet and had stupidly brought out both my ATM card and my credit card. Rang my bank cancelled the cards but they had no local associated banks. Thought I had emergency cash cover on my travel insurance but couldn't get through to the insurance company, and burned through my phone credit trying to.
So was left with no cash, no phone credit, and due to fly home the next day. Eventually emailed a friend at home through the hotel WiFi, we both googled our nearest Western Union office, and he transferred me enough to cover me to get home. I had the money within two hours of first mailing him.
Neither of us had ever used it before, but the process was fairly straightforward. I'd definitely recommend it again in an emergency.
Answer 5
Some banks offer "emergency cash" facility where they will give you cash, usually via ATM or office of their "friendly" bank.
Answer 6
If your concern right now is the hotel, you can book the hotel online and pay using your bank's app or other online payment methods. If you include breakfast and possibly even more meals, you are even covered for those costs.
Answer 7
In addition to other answers: keep some cash separately from your cards. 200 USD or 200 EUR are welcome (almost!) everywhere and can get you a lunch, a local SIM (and a phone). A local currency may be better (depending on where you are).
Answer 8
With Apple Pay, Skrill, or PayPal, if you can find someone you trust who also trusts you, you can pay them, then they give you cash.
Answer 9
This is not a general answer, but since your situation and your example were in Europe, doesn’t your bank allow you to identify yourself at an ATM? Every ATM I went to in Spain had an option to withdraw cash without a card. I never tapped it since I didn’t have an account there so I don’t know how they authenticate.
Answer 10
I will suggest Bitcoin.
As a western-world citizen, - "France" -, you are able to open coinbase.com account. There, you could invest / trade / or withdraw / exchange Bitcoin to Cash and vice versa.
The account required long-time verification procedure, so emergency - this is not your salvation. However, for the future, you could bypass this procedure, by sending em scan of your passport, something like bill payment for water/garbage with your current address location. And 2-3 days - they will open you account. Thereafter, you register your debit/credit card inside your account - deposit a little, and push "BUY Bitcoin" button - there is large exchange with low spread, you deal would be good even if you will decide withdraw this "emergency pillow" on the next day. However, the volatility of Bitcoin is high. Today - it is 8k$, at the summer - will be 200k$, year after - might be again 8k$... because of "halving" mechanism...
Nevertheless, you could keep your coin-base account in cash or even empty. And in such situation like yours now, you easily could buy with your valid debit card - bitcoin on-line, thereafter - find in the Ireland someone - who will exchange you your Bitcoin to Cash. Easy-peasy. There are thousand of different platforms, where peoples connects with each-other, however - beaware - there are plenty of scammers, who will bring to connect gun and grab your bitcoin.
Anywhere else, you could find a real Bitcoinomat, like ATM - and withdraw cash via this device. I've seen one right in France, Bordeaux in the center of city. There was something like "boutique of Bitcoin". There is exist map radar.
For example, in the Switzerland, you could easily Buy/Sell Bitcoin via any trainstation's ATM... It is thousand of thousand places, easily reachable... Seems, something good might be found in Ireland too.
Additionally, when I've traveled to Paris, I've realized that only one card - is not a safe case. I've hide couple of thousands of euros in my main bag, inside hidden pocket. Plus I've gathered with me another card of another bank. So, my first debit card - was my main horse, restaurants and caffes, metro and Montparnasse Tower / Louvre, etc... But everytime I could lost this my work-horse card. And I've everytime been calm, cause of in my back, safe hidden pocket were another card and cash couple of ths euros. Also, my wallet, every-day time keeps couple of hundreds, because, there might be such situation - that service not payable via card, cash-only...
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