U.S. Bank debit card in London

Don’t tip? Also, how can you enter a PIN before you insert a card? Is that a thing?

Have you done ATM withdrawals without inserting your card other places? I confess I always insert my card to do a withdrawal, I didn’t know it was possible otherwise.

How many times has your debit card been sucked in and not given back? I'd just insert it. Though I tap while out shopping etc in the US, I've never tapped my debit at an ATM. Does it still ask for a pin number when you tap it at an ATM, because in the US when you tap, you aren't always asked for the pin. Perhaps that's what is happening and why it is not working?

It’s not possible to just tap. You have to insert and give your pin. I think there is some way of using your banking app to withdraw money without the card being used at all but this obviously won’t work with a US bank account.

I have never lost a card before in the U.S. and I always tap. It just asks for my pin. I guess I have nothing to lose at this point. It hasn’t worked so far. I’ve just heard of stories of them being sucked in and no option to get it back. Besides, I’ll just get a new one back in the states if I do lose it. Put a lock on it if it happens. Thanks. Thought maybe there was some magic or something I was missing.

Insert your card into the chip reader slot and enter your pin. That has always worked for me in the UK.

It could be that the contactless cash withdrawal option is restricted for your U. S. card (e.g., perhaps Barclays doesn’t allow a cash withdrawal using contactless if you have a foreign debit card).

This is not unusual or uncommon. It is a matter of the bank.

All of my local ATMs are tap/contactless enabled and I can use the machines' contactless feature with my contactless card from my large big box national bank. However the contactless cards from my small local regional bank will not work with the ATMs' contactless feature and I just have to insert those, while they work contactless just fine everywhere else.

When using the contactless feature at an ATM it still asks for the pin and you still cycle through the same questions and prompts as if you inserted your card.

Our ATM debit cards are from US Bank, and we’ve always inserted them, both in the USA and abroad. They’ve always worked fine in ATM’s, including at several machines around France two months ago. We’ve also been in England a number of times over the past two years, but are still working off cash that was withdrawn prior to Covid, so haven’t needed to withdraw any Pounds in England recently.

If you’re very worried about the atm eating your card, use a machine at an actual bank during business hours. That way if you have problems there will be staff on hand to help. But I guess you may have to wait until Monday.

I’ve just heard of stories of them being sucked in and no option to get it back.

My debit card was once "sucked in" to the ATM with no local option to get it back. I learned, on that occasion, that the local bank would have no reason for doing that. The decision to "keep the card" lies with your issuing bank. The local ATM just follows the instruction to keep the card, if your bank tells it to.

In my case, I did not have the most up to date card - long story about a lost-in-the-mail card.

I suppose the local ATM could malfunction, but that's even less likely.

I've never seen an ATM with tapping in the UK. I did not know that was a thing. You'll need to throw caution to the wind and insert your card sounds like.

edit just to add: The limit for tap payments on UK debit cards is £100. Insert and enter a PIN after that. That would preclude you getting money if you were trying to get more than that with a tap at an ATM. But yes, I've never used a tap ATM or noticed that function on any machines I've used.