VIETNAM – It happens to all travellers eventually. Even the most versatile debit card hits its breaking point and stops being compatible with the local ATMs. Sometimes this isn’t a problem because you can use your credit card to get by. However, if you’re travelling in a place where cash is king (and even your hotel will only accept dollah bills) you can really get stuck in a bind if you run out of cash.

This happened to me recently in Central Vietnam. My debit card had worked with local ATMs over months of travelling abroad through seven different counties, and it had even worked in every Vietnamese ATM I had tried up until that point.

Then all of a sudden I tried several machines from different banks, and none would give me cash. Uh-oh. I panicked a bit. My hostel was waiting to be paid in cash, and I hadn’t yet eaten that day. After a bit of hand-wringing, I thought through the problem…and by working my list over a few hours, I found a solution that happily ended with me cash-in-hand and feeling much better. Fortunately my situation ended well (or at least, until it happens next time) so here are my key takeaways should you encounter a similar cash-poor state in your travels.

The first thing to do if your debit card doesn’t work in an ATM is to try another ATM. And then another one. And another one.

Make sure you are matching up the global cash network symbols on your card with those on the ATM (Cirrus, Maestro, Plus, Interac, VISA, MasterCard, Discover, etc.) My bank has told me that if you match these symbols up, your card will always work. Haha, they are definitely wrong, but it certainly helps. Sometimes your card will get declined when it should work, and work on machines with no matching symbols.

You can also try adjusting the amount of cash you are withdrawing, especially if it’s a large amount. It is possible that the ATM is low on cash and is declining your card due to insufficient cash stores.

If you have access to a phone, the next thing to do is call your bank. It is possible that:

• Your card has been blocked due to suspected fraud
• The bank whose ATM you are attempting to access is blocked by your bank due to high fraud rates
• The country in which you are travelling has high rates of fraud and so your bank double-checks all transactions from that country
• You are exceeding your maximum withdrawal amount per transaction (easy to do if you’re not sure on the exchange rate)
• Your bank is being ornery for another on a long list of reasons

Your bank should be able to fix any of the above issues immediately. In my case, I spoke to my bank and they told me there were no issues with my card and to keep trying local ATMs until I found one that worked.

It depends on the bank, but sometimes if you deal directly with them they can get you some cash one way or another. This works much better in international banks, but it’s worth a shot if you’re really stuck.

I try to avoid withdrawing cash on credit cards because my provider charges high fees. I will do almost anything to avoid it. However, sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures. It is usually easier to find an ATM that will accept a VISA or MasterCard, since these brands are almost universally recognized across nations.

Most money exchanges will accept payment by debit or credit card. It’s possible that if your card won’t work in an ATM that it will work on a point-of-sale machine. These transactions are processed differently by your bank, so if all else fails you can usually get some money from a money exchanger. You can often find money exchangers in airports, town centres, and near major tourist destinations.

I think that having cash withdrawal troubles is probably inevitable, especially if you are travelling long-term. However, there are a few things you can do in advance of your travels that will help you minimize your woes along the way:

• Call your bank before you leave and inform them that you will be travelling abroad. Some banks also let you do this online.
• Make sure you know your per transaction and daily withdrawal limits. Increase them if you know you will be needing a lot of cash during your trip.
• Learn your international cash withdrawal fees before you travel. Don’t let unforeseen fees cost you a bundle.
• Carry some US dollars with you. The US dollar is the easiest currency to exchange for cash, and businesses in many major centres will let you pay directly in US currency.
• Never travel with just one card. Make sure you have at least one debit card and one credit card, and honestly my preference is for two credit cards. Do not carry all of your cards together. If you get robbed or lose your wallet, you will be up a creek. If you are in transit, put one in your carry-on luggage and one in your checked luggage. If you are walking around, carry one on you and leave one in your hostel or hotel.
• At all times, try to carry enough cash to last you for several days in advance. It can feel uncomfortable carrying a lot of cash, especially if you’re not used to it, but this is a good way to ensure that you don’t get stuck without any money at all. When carrying cash, I try to walk the fine line between ‘having enough money for several days’ and ‘not carrying so much money that I will be ruined if someone steals it.’ The key here is to go to an ATM before you actually need one…that way if it declines your card you have plenty of time to troubleshoot a solution.