Credit Cards with Chip and PIN

[dj_crusin]

Can anyone just back from Rome or Florence comment about the use of US credit cards?

 

A lot of discussion on our cruise board about needing credit cards that have a chip and require a PIN.

 

Dan

[mattie00]

Can anyone just back from Rome or Florence comment about the use of US credit cards?

 

A lot of discussion on our cruise board about needing credit cards that have a chip and require a PIN.

 

Dan

 

 

Hi there. Unsure about Europe but interested in the response to your question as we are doing a 14-day Mediterranean cruise next June. We were required to have the chip card and 4 digit PIN when we were in South America last spring.

[mattie00]

Hi Dan. We were told to have a chip credit card and 4 digit pin for our South American cruise last April. Found that many places still swiped even though we had the chip card. I will be interested in hearing what the experience has been in Europe.

[cruisemom42]

Italy is in the process of converting to the "chip and pin" system, but in most places you should be able to use the old magnetic-swipe card also. The only problems come where there is an unmanned kiosk (e.g., ticket machine) where chip and pin is required, and no "human" option to use your card.

 

Here is a good summary article on the subject, along with a chart showing the standards in various countries around the world:

 

http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/outdated-smart-card-chip-pin-1273.php#

[grandbanksguy]

Can anyone just back from Rome or Florence comment about the use of US credit cards?

 

A lot of discussion on our cruise board about needing credit cards that have a chip and require a PIN.

 

Dan

 

We were in Rome, Florence, Naples and Venice first half of Sept. We had no problems using our standard AMEX and Visa cards.

[klscaz]

You may already know that you should call your bank and give them your travel dates so that they don't place a fraud alert on your account when transactions start coming in from other countries.

[RHefley228]

You won't have a problem in most shops and restaurants. Where you will have trouble, as a previous poster noted, is where there is no human available to swipe your card manually. I discovered this the hard way when I was unable to purchase gas for my rental car in the middle of the night in Germany because the only pumps available were automated and all the stations were closed. I believe there will also be a problem starting sometime next year with European ATM machines. What's most annoying is that the American credit card issuers show little interest in issuing pin and chip cards, citing the cost of converting millions of terminals in the U.S.

[CintiPam]

We have not had any problems yet in our European travels, which have been extensive in the past six years, and with such American resistance (dating from at least the late-90's, when I worked as a bank attorney and kept up with this issue), I hope that it remains that way.

 

Of course, we recently have found that we are using our no-fee Capitol One MasterCard less in Europe because so many places have been providing substantial discounts for payments in cash in the past two years. With ATM's everywhere, we have been paying in Euros for many items we used to put on our credit card.

[dj_crusin]

Thanks to all for your replies. I'm sure we will be fine. I just hate to carry a lot of cash. I had my pocket picked in paris several years ago and have been extremely cautious ever since.

 

On a similar subject I made out a check last year in Mexico for transportation. I made it out in pesos and the Mexican bank would not cash it. They said it had to be made out in dollars since it was drawn on a US bank! I still havn't figured that one out!

 

In any case I'm sure the vendors will find a way to sell us souveniers and to take our money.

 

Dan