ATM's in Amsterdam using "non-chip" cards

We will be arriving in Amsterdam in October to begin European travels. Today, someone who has traveled there extensively told us that he could not use his ATM card at ATM stations in Amsterdam because his US bank issued card has the magnetic strip and that only cards with the "chip" work in the machines. Is this correct information?? We have not had a problem thus far in other European countries but have never visited Holland.

We just got back from Norway on the Constellation. We stayed at the Doubletree Hilton in Amsterdam the night before. The ATM in the lobby would NOT take a mag stripe card.

We will be arriving in Amsterdam in October to begin European travels. Today, someone who has traveled there extensively told us that he could not use his ATM card at ATM stations in Amsterdam because his US bank issued card has the magnetic strip and that only cards with the "chip" work in the machines. Is this correct information?? We have not had a problem thus far in other European countries but have never visited Holland.

We just got back from Norway on the Constellation. We stayed at the Doubletree Hilton in Amsterdam the night before. The ATM in the lobby would NOT take a mag stripe card.

European ATMS (EU) only take chipped Debit and Credit Cards. Unless you have a chipped bank you are out of luck in Europe. I have been told that the banks in EU countries by law have to issue only chipped cards. If you have time contact a Canadian Bank that deals in US Dollar accounts and get a card from them.

European ATMS (EU) only take chipped Debit and Credit Cards. Unless you have a chipped bank you are out of luck in Europe. I have been told that the banks in EU countries by law have to issue only chipped cards. If you have time contact a Canadian Bank that deals in US Dollar accounts and get a card from them.

We had no trouble 9 months ago..I know they don't work in ticket machines for transportation. You can use them at the person manned booths.

There are only two or three big banks in U.S. that offer chip cards. And only if requested. They are not offered to customers normally yet.

I must take exception to Kamloops50 as we have been using our ATM cards to get cash out without a problem in past years. The person who told me about the Holland issue claims it is a problem unique to Holland right now. Thank you Redman1947 for your first hand experience. I hoping to hear from more posters who have been to Holland recently.

I got cash from an ATM in Amsterdam just one moth ago just look for the bank ATMS they are all over the place. I also got cash at the airport in Amsterdam. There is also money exchange places as well don't be concerned.

European ATMS (EU) only take chipped Debit and Credit Cards. Unless you have a chipped bank you are out of luck in Europe. I have been told that the banks in EU countries by law have to issue only chipped cards. If you have time contact a Canadian Bank that deals in US Dollar accounts and get a card from them.

With all due respect that is simply not true. We have traveled all over Europe and NEVER had a probalem with a non-chipped card at an ATM. We did have a problem once with our non-chipped credit card at a Paris train station kiosk (unmanned). The more likley culprit is that their card was not activated by their bank for international transactions. This is done by many banks to reduce the risk of fraud.

I must take exception to Kamloops50 as we have been using our ATM cards to get cash out without a problem in past years. The person who told me about the Holland issue claims it is a problem unique to Holland right now. Thank you Redman1947 for your first hand experience. I hoping to hear from more posters who have been to Holland recently.

We were in Amsterdam last September and did not have a problem but something may have changed.

Debet card payments at registers in stores require a chipped card. As far as I know all Dutch bank ATM's are suitable for swipe cards.

The person who told me about the Holland issue claims it is a problem unique to Holland right now.

No it is not. The chip is used widely across Europe as a security measure on debit bank cards.

In some countries you need a pin-code with your credit card, for example in Italy and the Czech Republic.

No it is not. The chip is used widely across Europe as a security measure on debit bank cards.

In some countries you need a pin-code with your credit card, for example in Italy and the Czech Republic.

I have never needed a pin to access my credit card in those countries and we were just in the Czech Republic last month:rolleyes:. I am not sure why you would say this as it is simply not true.

No it is not. The chip is used widely across Europe as a security measure on debit bank cards.

In some countries you need a pin-code with your credit card, for example in Italy and the Czech Republic.

Since we're getting posts from folks who have been successful using US swipe technology and folks who haven't been successful, I suspect that some ATM machines are programmed to recognize cards from US banks and respond without requiring a PIN number. Perhaps the ATM machines associated with banks and credit unions have more sophisticated programming in contrast to private ATM machines.

Last month we were in Normandy and Paris and in London. With one exception, we successfully made purchases and withdrew money from ATM machines using our old-fashioned US swipe cards. The exception was trying to buy train tickets from a human in the Gare Montparnasse. She used our swipe card, trying it five times before giving up and asking if we had any chip credit cards. We did -- although it was chip and signature not chip and PIN -- but the main point of this anecdote is that the ticket seller expected her equipment to be able to read our card and apologized for its failure.

Since I asked the original question and I'm seeing answers that vary, I wonder if we are all talking about the same thing. We use our Capital One money market account which has a bank card that can be used ONLY at an ATM. We CANNOT charge anything with it. It does not have a Visa or MC logo nor does it have any kind of hologram type seal on it. And while it has 16 numbers on the front, they are grouped differently than regular debit cards (ours is 6 3 and 7 as opposed to 4 sets of 4 numbers). We have been using this banking card successfully all over the world for the last 5 years. I now believe it will also work at a bank ATM in Holland.:)

Since I asked the original question and I'm seeing answers that vary, I wonder if we are all talking about the same thing. We use our Capital One money market account which has a bank card that can be used ONLY at an ATM. We CANNOT charge anything with it. .:)

This is the card we use at atm's in Europe for the most part. Never had a problem. UM....Other than once having it gobbled by the machine in Norway.:eek: But that was my fault. Hadn't used this particular account for over a year and it was chomped for my protection. PLUS I hadn't called to report our travels. Double whammy. Now I use the card every couple months just to keep it active. It'll be ready next month when we are off to Spain.

We do carry another regular debit card for emergencies.

What's nice about the card we use is we can load the account with just the amount of money we want available without tying it to any other account at home. Plus the no fee and free conversion is nice.

While I am late to this discussion we spent two weeks in Europe following a TA. We arrived in Amsterdam following the TA in May 2014, spent a week in Belgium and then spent another week in Amsterdam before flying to Iceland for another week before returning home. So my recollections are at least recent (if not correct).

I know that we used Northern American ATM cards (with no chips) at ATMs in Amsterdam's Centraal Station at least three times with no problems. While we have a "chip and pin" (as opposed to a "chip and sign") credit card we had no problems using a non-chip credit card in not only Belgium and the Netherlands, but also used it with no problems in Iceland as well.

I have to chime in as well. Been in Europe every summer for the past six years. Never had a problem with my magnetic swipe card except once. That was at a McDonald's in Copenhagen. Used the cards at ATM's as well as charging for everything I bought. No problems at all.

A friend who travels extensively in Europe couldn't use a credit card w/o trip for food in Amsterdam airport, also had a problem someplace else in Amsterdam recently.