I have a simple and straight forward red coloured Nationwide CashCard (not a VISA card) which generally works without complaint abroad. However since two weeks ago this cashcard which uses the CIRRUS system to enable transactions has stopped working in a number of ATM’s in Eastern Europe. When I request money the machine processes the transaction and then provides an error message saying UNABLE TO PROCESS TRANSACTION DECLINED – 068.

Annoyingly the transaction appears on my bank statement with the money going out and immediately being refunded and classified as a correction. This appears on the statement instantly so this suggested to me that there was a major fault.

I have contacted the Nationwide and reported this and they have advised that there is a fault in the Czech Republic where this is happening but also in Bulgaria and Poland. I have also contacted Mastercard UK as Mastercard global operate the CIRRUS system, and advised them of the situation. The Nationwide said that they had reported the fault but that no other complaints about ATM’s failing in the Czech Republic had been received. Quite why that mattered when they accepted that there was a fault I don’t know.

Today out of approx eight banks in the Czech Republic with CIRRUS ATM’s, only one ATM is now working. The CS bank ATM failed this morning.

Anyone else having problems and if so please report this to the Nationwide ASAP as they don’t seem to understand the urgency of this issue. If the last ATM that works today now fails tomorrow I will be stranded without cash. The Nationwide people did not seem to understand the difficulty posed by this probable software error. I also was suspicious that after years of using this type of card across the world without any problems what so ever, this fault starts to occur now shortly after the Nationwide announces significant changes to the use if their Flexaccount cash and Visa cards abroad. These changes are not scheduled to come into effect until May and June and yet suddenly a significant problem arises.

All ideas thoughts welcome, please do contact the Nationwide as the more complaints – issues raised with them may make them sort this out faster and press Mastercard to fix their CIRRUS system.

Thanks