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 We’ve also been in England a number of times over the past two years, but are still working off cash that was withdrawn prior to Covid, so haven’t needed to withdraw any Pounds in England recently.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.

Another potential factor is that if you tried using the large white ATMs inside Barclays these only work for Barclays cards as they are more of a service centre. Some branches now stick up signs to this effect.

The N Americans seem obsessed with tipping. You are not (usually) expected to chip in for the staff wages in the UK.

My understanding is that a debit card can be tapped for a point-of-sale transaction. A withdrawal from an. ATM is not a point-of-sale transaction, and requires insertion in some form with the entry of the PIN to follow, else a stolen or lost card could yield a lot of money before stopped. If the issue is a fear of the machine eating the card, then don’t use ATMs, but seriously, how many times has your card been eaten by U.S. ATMs?

Thanks everyone. Will give it a try.

The machines used to suck your card back in and keep it, if you didnt take it back right away, as a safety feature so you just wouldn't leave it behind. Now I think they all require you to take the card before dispensing cash. Is that not true?

I had one kept by the machine in Germany once but that was 15+ years ago.

I've since read that all Santander machines should have a tap function. I think Barclays has some too, as Marco mentioned. I'll need to check the machine outside Santander the next time I'm passing.

ATM is not a point-of-sale transaction, and requires insertion in some form with the entry of the PIN to follow,...

As I said in my previous post it is a matter of the banks, and how they've enabled their systems.
Wells Fargo says, "Wells Fargo ATMs: You can use a contactless debit card plus your PIN to tap for access at any Wells Fargo ATM." and, "Non-Wells Fargo ATMs: Currently, most non-Wells Fargo ATMs are not enabled to provide “tap” access for Wells Fargo contactless cards or digital wallets. Other banks manage their ATMs differently, so you may or may not be able to tap at another bank’s ATM..."
Bank of America says, "Contactless transactions can be completed at all Bank of America ATMs." and "contactless feature will work at all Bank of America ATMs. Non-Bank of America ATMs may or may not have the ability to facilitate a contactless transaction."
Chase allows use of mobile wallets at their ATMs.

Most banks have their systems enabled so that their own customers can use their ATMs contactless, but do not necessarily have the systems set up so non-bank customers can use the contactless feature. But this is inconsistent.

Just to clarify for others, Yes, contactless is a "thing" for ATMs, more and more ATMS are including contactless as an option. You do still need to enter your PIN for the ATM transaction to proceed, insertion is not a mandatory action to use a PIN.

I have seen contactless at ATMs in the Netherlands, Germany, Spain; I believe Portugal, but I may be misremembering. I do not recall contactless in the UK, but then I don't recall using an ATM, or if I did, maybe just once. In the Netherlands, the contactless function would not work with my card, but did in Spain and Germany.

I think the UK might be a bit slow on the uptake of it compared to other places. It's not at all common. I can't imagine banks being keen to rollout loads of new ATMs with tap functionality, because of the way cash usage has declined in the last few years. I think cash handling in banks in general has scaled way back.

It's only Santander that are promising that their machines will have tap at the moment as far as I can tell. If the OP failed at Barclays with a North American card, it would be interesting to try tapping at a Santander machine in the interests of science. They supposedly support all the basic ATM functions for all banks. I think you'd still be bound by the £100 contactless transaction limit though [edit: maybe not actually if you're still entering your pin].

check the machine outside Santander

you have bank branches there? Most of all banks have closed around here.

So is Santander now more corrals for the Online bike rental program in London than bank branches?

you have bank branches there? Most of all banks have closed around here.

Yes there's lots, now you mention it. My local TSB in Stoke Newington closed a few years ago, but Stamford Hill branch is still handy for me. There's a Santander near me

So is Santander now more corrals for the Online bike rental program in London than bank branches?

No, Santander definitely have branches. I think they're a decent bank. If I were to fill in a survey my perception of them might be categorised as "quite good".

The TfL / Santander bike hire program has died a bit of a death. Everyone uses Lime rental bikes now. TfL have been too slow with e-bikes. I'd expect them to rethink and relaunch at some point in the not too distant future.

Any reports of the demise of the Santander bike scheme in London are premature. The B&B we stay at in the Fitzrovia part of London (including just 2 months ago) is right on a corner, with a big Santander corral beneath the windows of the first and second floor rooms. Sometimes that’s full or mostly full, and other times it’s empty, only to have more bikes deposited by participating riders throughout the day. It appears to be quite popular.

Lime bikes and stand-up scooters have riders, too, who seem to dump them haphazardly on sidewalks (pavements), without regard for pedestrians who might want to get by, or to get through to a crosswalk. If Santander is a nice bank, that’s great, but their bicycle participants are more courteous (maybe obliged to be) than many Lime dolts. Good if the bank has available ATM’s, too.

it has been my recent impression that many of the Boris (yukk!!!) bikes are used by tourists and people not used to cycling (especially a herd I saw the other day in the Strand) whereas commuters now gravitate to Lime ebikes, or their own suped up ebikes - that's why we have so many fires these days.

I just remembered that I have a long disused Barclays Boris bike key in my desk. I suppose I should try to cash it in one day.

Lime bikes and stand-up scooters have riders, too, who seem to dump them haphazardly on sidewalks (pavements), without regard for pedestrians who might want to get by, or to get through to a crosswalk.

That's not my experience really. It doesn't seem too bad to me. I don't remember having to step over a Lime bike recently. I've never rented one, but I believe they track with GPS to make sure you're leaving it in the right place, and you have to take a photo at the end of your rental. Sometimes it's painted on the pavement where to leave them, sometimes it's a "virtual" parking spot. Because TfL have the docking stations, that precludes them being left around the place willy-nilly, rather than it being a question of the personal qualities of the rider.