Credit cards in Europe

Hi, does anyone know if a credit card with a chip and pin number is more widely accepted in europe than a credit card with just the magnetic strip? Which is more accepted Matercard or Visa or does it matter?:):D

Mastercard and Visa are more or less accepted equally.

I do have a chip on both of my cards and I do have a pin. But I´ve never used the pin ever in Europe except for a non manned gas station in France on a Sunday. You might need a chip as most of the newer machines they don´t slide the cards anymore but put in the chip. But usually you still have to sign the slip and don´t enter a pin.

steamboats

Usually (emphasis on that word) the only time not having a chip is a problem is at unmanned points of sale like a gas station or trying to buy public transport tickets from a machine (but even these sometimes will take a non-pin CC)

Check you credit card for foreign transaction fees. There is a big difference between cards.

We could not purchase train tickets from the manned ticket counter at Central Station in Amsterdam as our VISA did not have a chip. It has happened occasionally elsewhere as well.

We went to a nearby ATM and withdrew cash and went back to purchase tickets.

Hi, does anyone know if a credit card with a chip and pin number is more widely accepted in europe than a credit card with just the magnetic strip? Which is more accepted Matercard or Visa or does it matter?:):D

We have used American Express and never have been refused in Europe and the Med. area. We are getting ready to go to New Zealand and Australia and will use it, and for money will use ATM for cash. Have decided after reading alot that ordering at a bank before leaving that it costs us alot more. Does anyone have comments on this?

Check with your bank to see what exchange rate they are offering and any fees added. You will almost always get the best exchange rate from an ATM in Europe. For our trip earlier this year, we ordered a small amount of Swiss Francs and Euros ($100) because we weren't sure how quickly we would find an ATM. We were able to get a very competitive rate from the bank.

Gradually more and more creditcards in Europe are issued with chip and pin. Even though many cards have them, the owners do not have to use them everywhere. For example, in Germany pin codes are hardly every used, although theoretically everybody has one. It is a good idea to memorize your pin code. We have found out the hard way in a few European countries (mainly UK, Czech Republic and Italy) that pin codes were required for certain transactions.

Check with your bank to see what exchange rate they are offering and any fees added. You will almost always get the best exchange rate from an ATM in Europe. For our trip earlier this year, we ordered a small amount of Swiss Francs and Euros ($100) because we weren't sure how quickly we would find an ATM. We were able to get a very competitive rate from the bank.

Thanks, who do you bank with?

We have used American Express and never have been refused in Europe and the Med. area. We are getting ready to go to New Zealand and Australia and will use it, and for money will use ATM for cash. Have decided after reading alot that ordering at a bank before leaving that it costs us alot more. Does anyone have comments on this?

Specifically AMEX might become a problem as time goes on. Acceptance seems to be going down in Europe, and as a vendor accepting AMEX we can understand why.

If AMEX keep insisting on the mountain of paperwork they just forced on us, which they will not be getting, we will not be partners anymore from the 1st of January 2013 - as will other enterprises with low turnover on AMEX. Most AMEX customers have an alternative card anyway, and AMEX is relatively expensive for the vendor... so we will take a chance on losing that € 600 turnover per year we have on their cards.

If part of your european trip includes UK then I have not seen any transactions without chip and pin for ages, except certain small touchless transactions that are being introduced. Even then the vendor sometimes asks for chip and pin.

As far as AMEX cards go I have witnessed some retailers in the past ask the customer if they had a Visa or Mastercard as they were prefered.

Yes, can't really say what its like in Europe, but in the UK you would not be able to use a card of any sort of you don't have the PIN.

Bank of America's new Travel Rewards visa card has chip technology -- the pin will be mailed to you separately after activation. There's also no foreign transaction fee.

Capital One visa doesn't have a chip (yet), but there's also no foreign transaction fee.

We also use our Bank of America ATM to get Euros or local currency -- try to use a network bank (Deutsche Bank, BNP (France), etc.) as there's only a 1% fee. Otherwise there might be a $5 fee each transaction on top of the 1%.

We were in Amsterdam and found we could not buy train tickets without the chip. We were told that most ATM's require the chip but we have not used one so can't say for sure. Capital One is the only credit card that I am aware of that does not charge a foreign transaction fee, most are 3%.

Also please remember to alert your credit card company of your travel plans.

Bank of America's new Travel Rewards visa card has chip technology -- the pin will be mailed to you separately after activation. There's also no foreign transaction fee.

 

Capital One visa doesn't have a chip (yet), but there's also no foreign transaction fee.

 

We also use our Bank of America ATM to get Euros or local currency -- try to use a network bank (Deutsche Bank, BNP (France), etc.) as there's only a 1% fee. Otherwise there might be a $5 fee each transaction on top of the 1%.

Thanks for the tip about BofA's new card. We typically use Capital One.

I hadn't seen the new Travel Rewards Visa. I just looked at their website, and it looks like a good deal.

I copied this info related to the "Chip Technology" on their website:

Now with Chip Technology - Expanded global acceptance when shopping outside of the U.S.

• Shop with confidence in over 130 countries around the world including Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom, where chip cards are standard.
  
• Chip cards are the most widely accepted way to make purchases when you travel internationally.
  
• The embedded chip also adds an extra layer of security because it's extremely difficult to counterfeit.
  

BankAmericard Travel Rewards™ credit card

The flexibility to use points to pay for more than just flights, with no restrictions

• No annual fee
  
• Earn 1.5 points for every dollar spent on purchases — 50% more than traditional rewards programs that only offer 1 point per $1
  
• No limit to the total number of points you can earn and points don't expire
  
• No Foreign Transaction Fees
  
• Receive 10,000 bonus points after qualified purchase(s)
  

I too was unable to buy train tickets, even at a desk with a person, in Denmark. Had to go get cash. My card has a pin but no chip. Note: if you use the pin with a card without a chip, some treat it as a cash advance and start charging interest immediately.

Will be getting a pin and chip card before our next Europe trip.

We were in Amsterdam and found we could not buy train tickets without the chip. We were told that most ATM's require the chip but we have not used one so can't say for sure. Capital One is the only credit card that I am aware of that does not charge a foreign transaction fee, most are 3%.

Also please remember to alert your credit card company of your travel plans.

Be aware that while Capital One doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee, that works only for credit card transactions. If using to debit your card at an ATM, they charge the money as an "advance" at a higher rate which ends up = to debits with 3% transaction fees.

Only way to get around this, seems to be a Capital One money market acct to draw from, ETrade, etc. that charges neither ATM withdraw OR transaction fees.

Yes, can't really say what its like in Europe, but in the UK you would not be able to use a card of any sort of you don't have the PIN.

In September, I was in a Waitrose in Northamptonshire, in the queue behind an American man using a credit card. The transaction went through with the clerk getting a signature on the reciept. So at least in some shops, they can still cope with cards that are not chip-and-pin.

I have also been behind Americans in a very small supermarket in rural Italy, and their card also went through with a signature, and without a problem.

Also, make sure your pin is just 4 numbers, no letters, and doesn't begin with a zero. Never had a card denied abroad yet.

Zero is starting number is no problem! PINs with a zero as starting number are handed out here in Europe and I never had a problem with that.

steamboats

I just returned from a River Cruise and used my ATM [from a local US bank] at AMS airport without any problem to obtain EU's. Again in Basel I got Swiss Fr. at a bank ATM. My local bank was aware of this trip and suggested that I not use their ATM card in Germany due to what they consider security issues.

I used my CapitalOne MC in Amsterdam, throughout Germany, France and Switzerland. It does not have a chip, so all I did was inform the merchant that it was a US CC and that I needed to sign for it. I even used it with a train station window clerk to purchase multi-day tram tickets in Zurich. He did look carefully at the signature on the card while I signed for the purchase.

Darcy

In June 2012 the only place we were unable to use our credit cards was at a small second hand store in Alesund Norway where a pin was absolutely required. All other locations had some way to manually sign for purchases. I don't believe any of our cards have chips.

Thanks for those that have posted financial information. We are going to revise our cash/credit options for our upcoming trip and current information on fees from various institutions is very helpful!

Our (mainly East European) credit card scammers just love Americans with their magnetic stripe cards. It is just so much more easy for them to steal the information and then your money.

A paper in the Nilson Report dubbed the U.S. "the world's credit fraud leader." "Despite the fact that the U.S. only accounts for 27 percent of the world's cash purchases, 47 percent of the world's credit fraud happen here. EMV chips can't be read by the card scanners thieves typically use to inconspicuously steal credit card information."

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/finally-american-credit-card-companies-are-starting-to-ditch-the-magnetic-strip-2012-7#ixzz2PQF5jDMH

I am sure I don't really need to say that you should never use your CC to get cash except in an emergency.

I would also agree that AMEX cards are unpopular here and are often subject to a surcharge.

We have found that Am Ex is not widely accepted because of the high fees. We use the Cap 1 card for all credit card purchases because of the low transaction fees. We use or Credit Union Visa for ATM withdrawals. We have no card with a chip and haven't had a problem so far. Are returning again in August to Spain and Portugal. Anyone know if chips are needed there?

Hi, does anyone know if a credit card with a chip and pin number is more widely accepted in europe than a credit card with just the magnetic strip? Which is more accepted Matercard or Visa or does it matter?:):D

In Amsterdam, I couldn't use my debit card to buy train tickets at an automated machine, so I had to wait in long lines to buy tickets, using cash. Debit card also didn't work at Albert Hejin supermarket and small boutique shops in the Jordaan district. Because we love nontouristy restaurants recommended by locals, my debit card was not accepted often. Finally, a little shop selling tea had a sign that said they ONLY accepted credit card with chip and pin! No cash! I had no trouble getting cash at ING Bank and Rabobank ATM in Central Amsterdam. ATMs often had long lines, especially late on a Friday night!

I found this information helpful in understanding what an EMV card is, since we don't have the need for them (yet) in the U.S. I am getting one for my next European trip, as a backup for my debit card.

1. A guide to EMV cards:

http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/american-travelers-guide-emv-chip-cards-1271.php

2. A user on Flyertalk has posted a Google Doc spreadsheet of all the U.S. issued credit and debit cards available with EMV chip-and-signature and chip-and-PIN. The list includes the issuer, the card, the foreign exchange fee and annual fee if any, and more.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ani-u3tGk5hedGRvcE1ELVg5UmlGZk01SHZvTUMxdUE#gid=0