US Credit cards in ports

Does anyone know if I will be able to use a US credit card to get gas when we are renting cars?

I hate dealing with cash when I don't have to. Mainly Charlottetown, Sydney, and Gaspe.

Also, what about other locations? US cards don't have chips or pins.

sent via forum app on my S4

I doubt you will have any issue with your US card. It seems there is a swipe option even on chip machines, I have had trouble with my chip card, so just swipe and sign instead.

Without a chip card the only problem you may encounter is not being able to pay at the pump. You may need to go inside the gas station to pay (or perhaps prepay).

Bigger issue may be whether or not you'll be happy paying our high gas costs :eek:

If it is one of the major cards such as Visa, MC or Amex you won't have an issue as they are widly accepted across the world let alone Canada. Amex can be a little trickier but not to worry. Other minor cards like Discover and such could very well be an issue. I have used my Canadian MC throughout the world and I have never had one transaction declined.

Car rental you won't have a problem - as already mentioned the terminals for chip & PIN also allow swiping & signing. I have seen a few small merchants refuse to accept non chip cards recently though - and these *are* available in the US, odds are high that when your card(s) come up for renewal they'll turn into chip & PIN versions. Citi, Chase, BoA, AMEX (platinum only) and others already offer cards with chips, but you have to request them specifically - call your current card providers to see if they can send you a chip card.

Discover cards were not accepted at places in the Maritimes, according to a co-worker who did a land tour last summer. He had no problems with other cards, did not need a chip-and-pin.

Thanks all. My Chase has major foreign transaction fees. My Capital One doesn't have a chip. I'll take both and play it be ear.

sent via forum app on my S4

Does anyone know if I will be able to use a US credit card to get gas when we are renting cars?

 

I hate dealing with cash when I don't have to. Mainly Charlottetown, Sydney, and Gaspe.

 

Also, what about other locations? US cards don't have chips or pins.

 

sent via forum app on my S4

All Canadian companies can process without EMV (Chip & PIN). That being said, there are a few places like Montreal's Metro where US cards are accepted only at a few specific stations.

MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted. Amex is accepted. Discover is accepted only by tourist oriented businesses. That being said, I run a B&B and we don't accept it. I've tried, Discover keeps on asking me, but when I call they don't have a person who can process the applications.

Thanks Ephraim,

Good luck with Discover. I know people who love it, but I have always been a VISA/MC person.

Once upon a time, long long ago, Diners Club was almost as big a Travel & Entertainment card as is/was Amex. It had wide acceptance throughout the world including the USA. It was owned by Citibank and that entity decided to dump it. Acceptance rates fell. Citibank sold the Diners Club franchise in North America to Harris Bank, a Chicago bank. Diners Club was rebranded as a mastercard with a few perks but personal Diner Club cards which conspicuously sport the mastercard logo at present are only issued in Canada (with emv chips).

Discover was sold the Diners Club network outside North America so you can use a Discover card anywhere outside North America where there is a diners club logo. It is widely accepted in China but not so much elsewhere as the whole international Diners Club network has been left to rot. It is rarely (Discover that is) taken in Canada.

Once upon a time, long long ago, Diners Club was almost as big a Travel & Entertainment card as is/was Amex. It had wide acceptance throughout the world including the USA. It was owned by Citibank and that entity decided to dump it. Acceptance rates fell. Citibank sold the Diners Club franchise in North America to Harris Bank, a Chicago bank. Diners Club was rebranded as a mastercard with a few perks but personal Diner Club cards which conspicuously sport the mastercard logo at present are only issued in Canada (with emv chips).

 

Discover was sold the Diners Club network outside North America so you can use a Discover card anywhere outside North America where there is a diners club logo. It is widely accepted in China but not so much elsewhere as the whole international Diners Club network has been left to rot. It is rarely (Discover that is) taken in Canada.

A lot of people don't know that Harris Bank is actually a subsidiary of the Bank of Montreal, which recently decided to rebrand the US bank as BMO Harris. The card is available in the US and Canada, but it's not open to public membership, from what I can see. And is EMV (Chip & PIN) in both US and Canada... since BMO is already fully EMV capable.