Chip and pin card?

maybe this is a dumb question, but how do I know if my US bank issued Master/Visa card is a chip and sign card or a chip and pin card? I have a couple cards with chips, but the ONLY time I use a pin with one is my Target MC at a Target store, no sign, just pin... does that make it a chip and pin card and I could safely use it where chip/pin required? When I use it elsewhere it's chip/sign.

My other cards may have pins, but I don't know, so is this something I call the bank to ask if a pin works and set one up?

Thanks!

We are headed there this summer and I just went online for my visa and setup a pin for it and then set my travel alerts

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Great question- are there countries requiring chip and pin now? I only have chip and sign

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My Citi Prestige actually sent me a PIN when I opened the card. If you know you have a card with a chip and no foreign transaction fees, maybe call and request a pin. The only bummer is you cannot choose the number ( that I am aware of) which makes it tricky to remember.

I called and requested a PIN with my chip card just in case. Also called to ensure no foreign transaction fees.

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My Citi Prestige actually sent me a PIN when I opened the card. If you know you have a card with a chip and no foreign transaction fees, maybe call and request a pin. The only bummer is you cannot choose the number ( that I am aware of) which makes it tricky to remember.

I have several chip and pin cards (including a chip and pin debit card) and I have selected the pins on all of them. Typically, a random number is assigned to the cards when they are first issued, but you can call or go online to update the pin to something more memorable. Some cards require you to take specific actions once a pin is set (like enter the pin twice the first time that you use it), so read the fine print or ask your credit card rep if you have to do anything special to activate the new pin prior to traveling abroad.

I have several chip and pin cards (including a chip and pin debit card) and I have selected the pins on all of them. Typically, a random number is assigned to the cards when they are first issued, but you can call or go online to update the pin to something more memorable. Some cards require you to take specific actions once a pin is set (like enter the pin twice the first time that you use it), so read the fine print or ask your credit card rep if you have to do anything special to activate the new pin prior to traveling abroad.

Thanks for the info! Have never actually used a pin!

Whoa...slow down a step or two.

Yes, you may have a PIN and chip card. But you definitely want to know if that PIN is for cash advances only...which come with a hefty fee, or a true, world wide PIN and chip card, which is what you need. You can only determine this by asking the issuer.

I have not heard of any countries that require a PIN and chip card. As commonly discussed on this board, there is increasing use of PIN and chip cards, even in the US, but most places outside the US (exception, again, commonly discussed here- unstaffed locations like train station ticket machines) will accept American chip, but non-PIN cards.

I have never heard of a ATM (or "debit" card) that didn't have a PIN.

Great question- are there countries requiring chip and pin now? I only have chip and sign

You may encounter a rare situation where you'll need a chip and PIN card. Despite all the predictions of terrible problems without a PIN, most Americans use their Chip and Sign cards in most places with no difficulty at all.

If you can set up a PIN online, or change the PIN originally assigned by the bank online, then it isn't a true chip-and-pin card. That pin enables you to take cash from an ATM or will function like a debit card. True chip-and-pin cards have the pin embedded in the chip and cannot be changed online . They are typically needed for unmanned offline kiosks in Europe - toll stations, gas pumps, etc. Most places will accept the chip-and-signature or if the kiosk is online you are good to go. Unfortunately most US bank customer service reps don't know the difference - a pin is a pin to them, not distinguishing between the technologies.

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If you can set up a PIN online, or change the PIN originally assigned by the bank online, then it isn't a true chip-and-pin card. That pin enables you to take cash from an ATM or will function like a debit card. True chip-and-pin cards have the pin embedded in the chip and cannot be changed online . They are typically needed for unmanned offline kiosks in Europe - toll stations, gas pumps, etc. Most places will accept the chip-and-signature or if the kiosk is online you are good to go. Unfortunately most US bank customer service reps don't know the difference - a pin is a pin to them, not distinguishing between the technologies.

Great advice that bears repeating "If you can set up a PIN online, or change the PIN originally assigned by the bank online, then it isn't a true chip-and-pin card. That pin enables you to take cash from an ATM or will function like a debit card. True chip-and-pin cards have the pin embedded in the chip and cannot be changed online ."

American tourists have the weight of the US bank's stubborn behavior behind them. US banks complained that their customers would never get used to keying in a PIN number as part of every purchase and refused to cooperate with European demands. As a result, European card stations are now programmed to recognize US credit cards and skip the step that asks for a PIN.

I have one of rare US cards that actually has an assigned PIN number. I have been asked to key in my PIN number only once in many trips to Europe. The automated ticket machine at the VASA museum in Stockholm demanded my PIN. Without a chip and PIN card, I would have had to wait longer in line to buy tickets from a human, but we're only talking about a 10 minute delay, not a crisis.

The most difficult part of that experience was doing it in Swedish. I fumbled my way through the entire purchase relying on experience and using clues from a few words that seemed similar. Oddly, the Swedish word for ticket is "billjet" and this reminded me of the French word "billet" so I guessed I was being asked how many tickets I wanted. Why Swedish, a North Germanic language, should include a word similar to a Romance language (French), instead of from a West Germanic language (English) is a mystery to this day.

As CruiserBruce said, US cards are chip and signature cards. Pins are for cash advance use. That being said you may use your chip and signature card as a chip & pin, often times I just insert a random number and then sign for the transaction rather than explain to a clerk that it is not a true chip & pin card. The only time I have encountered not being able to use my card is at an unattended gas station. There it is required to have chip & pin. You have to find gas stations with attendants to run the card for you.

My husband is in the industry and we go over this every time we travel.

Great advice that bears repeating "If you can set up a PIN online, or change the PIN originally assigned by the bank online, then it isn't a true chip-and-pin card. That pin enables you to take cash from an ATM or will function like a debit card. True chip-and-pin cards have the pin embedded in the chip and cannot be changed online ."y.

Of course you can change your PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER. Just go into your bank branch. I have traveled all over the world and have been using CHIP technology for years. The only place in the world I have had credit card fraud was in the US. It is a great security feature, we have been using them in Canada for over 10 years.

Well this thread clears it up [emoji4]

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Of course you can change your PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER. Just go into your bank branch.

The most difficult part of that experience was doing it in Swedish. I fumbled my way through the entire purchase relying on experience and using clues from a few words that seemed similar. Oddly, the Swedish word for ticket is "billjet" and this reminded me of the French word "billet" so I guessed I was being asked how many tickets I wanted. Why Swedish, a North Germanic language, should include a word similar to a Romance language (French), instead of from a West Germanic language (English) is a mystery to this day.

On the off chance that this isn't a rhetorical question... Both the Swedish 'biljett' and the English 'ticket' were adopted from French at roughly the same time (late 1600s). Swedish picked up 'billet' while English adapted the Middle French 'etiquet.'

It's the bottom line, folks. The USA banks have decided the losses due to fraud with lost or stolen emv compliant cards will be less than the cost to convert to pin preferred cards. Period. Everything else they say is window dressing. The fact is the American card structure is far larger than elsewhere and Americans tend to carry more cards than most others (we also have far more banks that issue cards here). it can be a pain, not an overwhelming one but a pain nonetheless, to remember which pin goes with which card if you have four or five different cards. In some cases, you can change your pin online or request a specific pin from your bank but not always. It is what it is.

But it is important to remember that while I am not saying it is a pleasant experience, having your credit card hacked is not in and of itself identity theft and relatively benign. You tell the bank which charges are fraudulent, they are immediately removed from the account, a new card is issued with a new number and life goes on. In the USA, and most other places, there is zero liability for fraud and more often than not it is the bank that immediately recognizes the possibility of fraud and contacts you. The biggest pain in all this is changing whatever bills are automatically paid from your account when the new card is issued. For that reason, the possibility of a card account being hacked, the advice is to travel with more than one card.

Finally, the chip cards in the USA comes in different varieties although not as many as Heinz. They are almost universally signature preferred which means that at pos terminals, a signature will be required. The merchant will probably mutter under his or her breath while looking for a pen you will sign, the merchant may actually compare the signature with the signature on the card which is almost never done in the USA anymore and you'll be on your way. Many but by no means all of these signature preferred cards do have provisions for pins at kiosks and automated fuel pumps but many do not depending on your bank. There are very few cards in the USA which are pin preferred so don't bother looking or calling the bank.

On the whole, the American cards will function almost all the time in Europe no matter what you may hear from naysayers. Just make sure your card has no foreign transaction fees and a nice rewards program.

It's the bottom line, folks. The USA banks have decided the losses due to fraud with lost or stolen emv compliant cards will be less than the cost to convert to pin preferred cards. Period. Everything else they say is window dressing. The fact is the American card structure is far larger than elsewhere and Americans tend to carry more cards than most others (we also have far more banks that issue cards here). it can be a pain, not an overwhelming one but a pain nonetheless, to remember which pin goes with which card if you have four or five different cards. In some cases, you can change your pin online or request a specific pin from your bank but not always. It is what it is.

 

 

 

But it is important to remember that while I am not saying it is a pleasant experience, having your credit card hacked is not in and of itself identity theft and relatively benign. You tell the bank which charges are fraudulent, they are immediately removed from the account, a new card is issued with a new number and life goes on. In the USA, and most other places, there is zero liability for fraud and more often than not it is the bank that immediately recognizes the possibility of fraud and contacts you. The biggest pain in all this is changing whatever bills are automatically paid from your account when the new card is issued. For that reason, the possibility of a card account being hacked, the advice is to travel with more than one card.

 

 

 

Finally, the chip cards in the USA comes in different varieties although not as many as Heinz. They are almost universally signature preferred which means that at pos terminals, a signature will be required. The merchant will probably mutter under his or her breath while looking for a pen you will sign, the merchant may actually compare the signature with the signature on the card which is almost never done in the USA anymore and you'll be on your way. Many but by no means all of these signature preferred cards do have provisions for pins at kiosks and automated fuel pumps but many do not depending on your bank. There are very few cards in the USA which are pin preferred so don't bother looking or calling the bank.

 

 

 

On the whole, the American cards will function almost all the time in Europe no matter what you may hear from naysayers. Just make sure your card has no foreign transaction fees and a nice rewards program.

I'm not nay-saying and I'm not saying the chip and signature can't be used in most places in Europe. But if you've ever been in a rental car going through an unmanned toll-booth or at an unmanned gas station you'll rapidly find out the hard way that there are off-line kiosks that will only accept a true chip-and-pin card with the pin embedded on the chip. The vast majority of cruisers spending one day in various ports may not encounter this. In most train stations if you run into a problem at a kiosk, there are manned kiosks you can go to that will take the chip and signature instead. It's not a "must have" unless you know you plan to interact with pay stations that are known to only take the chip and pin.

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The bottom line still remains that "true" chip and pin cards are virtually unavailable in the United States. And there are many automated toll roads that simply don't take foreign credit cards chip and pin or not. The problem is not that one would have preferred the USA had not gone off in its own direction on this (like they do in so many other ways) but that pin preferred cards are simply not being provided by the overwhelming majority of financial institutions here. That is where the problem comes in. But the number of such places where there is a problem with non pin preferred cards is not all that great but yes there are, unfortunately some, which if it is any solace is a violations of mastercard/visa regulations although they make little effort to enforce their own rules.

I have not heard of any countries that require a PIN and chip card.

I live in Denmark and I can tell you that you will have a very difficult time finding a place here that accepts anything other than PIN & chip. I have a US card that's not PIN & chip and it's basically useless to me, unless I'm buying something online.

While I don't know that it's a requirement, good luck finding someone who knows how to run anything but a PIN & chip card.

I live in Denmark and I can tell you that you will have a very difficult time finding a place here that accepts anything other than PIN & chip. I have a US card that's not PIN & chip and it's basically useless to me, unless I'm buying something online.

 

While I don't know that it's a requirement, good luck finding someone who knows how to run anything but a PIN & chip card.

Good to know--I have heard it goes both ways for Copenhagen! Some people there have no need of coinage, and others like you are pulling their hair out! I have decided to hit the ATM on the way out of the Copenhagen airport, so as to have some form of train funds.

The logic path for Visa is to fall back to a signature + magnetic strip and then offline submission, so it is weird that you are having such difficulties!

Personally, I have never had one iota of difficulty using my signature preferred cards in Denmark although I have to admit I have not strayed far off the beaten tourist trail. With the Danes sort of committed to becoming pretty much a cashless society a la Sweden, it would seem counterproductive not to honor all credit cards. Or am I missing something?

What Pet Nit Noy said to look out for is a PIN that cannot be changed online.

When I read your wording, I immediately focused on the negative meaning , as in "be vigilant to avoid." Since a PIN that cannot be changed is the one Americans should want for charge purchases in Europe, I now believe Globaliser is using the neutral meaning as in "be on the lookout for something."

On the off chance that this isn't a rhetorical question... Both the Swedish 'biljett' and the English 'ticket' were adopted from French at roughly the same time (late 1600s). Swedish picked up 'billet' while English adapted the Middle French 'etiquet.'

Not hypothetical at all! I'm thrilled with this information. Thanks!

This is a wonderful thread and all new to me. Forgive my ignorance (please!) but how/where would one obtain a "true" PIN & chip card (i.e., one whose PIN cannot be changed) in the U.S.? Thank you!