ATM at Pennysavers

[Donna Baylis]

We usually take a small amount of cash and then use the ATMs on the island. This year on one occasion we stopped at Pennysavers and tried to use the ATM there before doing our shopping. Much to our surprise we were unable to get money out using our maestro card (our usual method) and even using our credit card (who had been informed we would be on Tobago just in case we needed to use it). On returning to our accommodation we phoned both companies to be told that they had put a hold on our accounts until we contacted them because this particular ATM only reads the magnetic strip and not the chip and pin and therefore is more likely to be used for fraudulent transactions. Fortunately we had enough cash for our shopping and were then able to use an ATM more local to us which we checked would be problem free.
Hope I am not repeating information already shared but thought it may save somebody else from a potentially embarrassing situation!

[David Watkins]

I had similar problems at First Citizens in Scarborough,with different card from different issuers.I foun however that the Big Blue and Scotiobank machines worked fine.On return to UK I was given the same reason that if a machine did not access the chip it would not br able to dispense via the strip info only.
David