Conflicting Information -- European ATMs

[Roses2]

We were in Europe this April and had no problem using our American debit cards (non-chip) in ATMs anywhere. Some recent posts have stated that non-chip cards no longer are accepted in European ATMs while others have said there is not a problem.

 

Is anyone in Europe now that can give an authoritative response?

 

Thanks,

 

P&J

[2pbears]

When we were in France and Italy in July we had mixed success using our ATM cards. The ATM card issued by our credit union did not work but the ATM card issued by our bank did work. Perhaps the difference was that the bank card was a "debit/credit" card, I don't know (neither card had a chip). At any rate, I would not head to Europe these days without a backup ATM card just in case one does not work.

[msmoger]

I've never had a problem using my bank issued ATM Debit Card (which also has a Visa logo). Just remember to notify your bank the dates of your trip and countries to which you will be traveling prior to leaving home so your transaction will not be denied.

[beg3yrs]

We were in Rouen, France in June and the magnetic strip cards were accepted at the ATMs.

 

Word of warning: If you're going to be on a long trip (over a month or two), check the expiration dates of your cards. It happened to us with one card - yes, a different backup card is always a good idea.

 

If your card is going to expire while you're on the trip, an advance call to the bank will get you a renewed card.

[HJH]

We were in England in June, Spain and France in August and had no problems with card in ATM machines.

 

However, a non-chip credit card will not work in the Paris Metro ticket machines.

[Roses2]

The reason for our post:

 

We never have had a problem using our non-chip cards in Europe and we generally get to Europe twice a year. However, there have been several posts recently that have stated that non-chip cards no longer are accepted.

 

We have an up coming cruise in October with our first stop and opportunity to obtain Euros on a Sunday in Le Havre. We have advised those going on a tour with us that we will stop at the first ATM to obtain Euros.

 

If non-chip cards are no longer accepted we need to advise the others soon so they can take that into consideration. That is why we would like to have information from someone who is in Europe now or very recently returned.

 

Thanks for your replies thus far.

[CruiserBruce]

I think people are confusing the ATM cards and credit cards. The problem is further compounded by the alleged total lack of acceptance of US non chip credit cards in Europe.

 

We were in Italy in June. No problem with standard US ATM and credit cards. We have been to Europe (all over- north, south and central) for over 100 days total in the last 5 years. An occasional decline of our US credit card at non staffed ticket machines and the like has occurred. But in that time, we have done probably 90-100 credit card uses and 20-25 ATM uses. Never had our ATM declined, and the credit card decline total might be 6.

 

The problem is way over stated. Might it get to be bigger as the US phases in PIN and chip cards? Yes.

[-Lew-]

 

I think people are confusing the ATM cards and credit cards.

I agree... In our European travels I have never come across an ATM that accepted or required a debit card with a chip. I don't know that they even exist.

 

We have a chip and PIN credit card that we use in Europe. Only once have we been asked to enter a PIN...usually we're asked for a signature.

 

Lew

[DonnasMom&Dad]

When we were in France and Italy in July we had mixed success using our ATM cards. The ATM card issued by our credit union did not work but the ATM card issued by our bank did work. Perhaps the difference was that the bank card was a "debit/credit" card, I don't know (neither card had a chip). At any rate, I would not head to Europe these days without a backup ATM card just in case one does not work.

 

It could be that, a credit union, is more of a localized institution, where a bank is more national/international. :rolleyes:

 

Cato. :)

 

 

Completed Cruises !

 

Pre-cruise Days - The Big Red Boat, 1993 ??

1st cruise - Coral Princess, 19 November 2008, 10 day Panama Canal, FLL to ACA

2nd cruise - Coral Princess, 15 May 2009, 3 day Repositioning, Los Angeles to Vancouver.

3rd cruise - Sapphire Princess, 25 November 2009? 7 day Mexican Riviera.

4th cruise - Golden Princes, 12 June 2010, 7 day Alaska. (Golden Anniversary Cruise)

5th Cruise - Island Princess, 04 October 2010, Vancouver - Los Angeles, Repositioning

6th cruise - Sapphire Princess, 05 January 2011, 10 day Mexican Riviera. LA to LA.

7th cruise - Golden Princess, 11 May 2011, 3 day, LA to Vancouver, Repositioning

8th cruise - Sapphire Princess, 14 May 2011, 1 day, Vancouver to Seattle, Repositioning

9th cruise - Coral Princess 19 May 2011 2 day, San Francisco to Vancouver, Repositioning

10th & 11th cruises - Coral Princess 02 July to 16 July 2011, round trip Vancouver - Whittier Alaska, B2B

12th & 13th cruises - Sapphire Princess, x2, Cabins, 18 Sep. 2011, 1 day, Seattle to Vancouver, Repositioning

14th & 15th cruises - Golden Princess, x2, Cabins, 24 Sep. 2011, 1 day, Seattle to Vancouver, Repositioning.

16th cruise - Oasis of the Seas, 26 Nov. 2011, 7 day, Western Caribbean, Ft. Lauderdale, Ret.

17th & 18th cruises - Crown Princess B2B, 03 - 10 Dec & 10 - 17 Dec 2011, 14 Days, South & western Caribbean

19th cruise - Grand Princess, 31 Mar. - 07 April 2012, 7 Days, Eastern Caribbean, FLL - FLL

20th cruise - Island Princess, 06-16 June 2012, 10 day cruisetour Vancouver - Wittier

21th cruise - Emerald Princess, 16 day, 10 - 26 Sep. 2012, TA, Copenhagen - New York

22nd cruise - Carnival Ecstasy 10 - 14 January, 2013, 4 Day Bahamas, Port Canaveral Ret.

23rd cruise - Sapphire Princess 30 March - 06 April, 2013, 7 Day Coastal LA - LA

24th cruise - Coral Princess, 19 May - 22 May, 2013, 3 Day Repositioning Cruise, LA - Vancouver

25th cruise - Royal Princess 16 June - 05 July, 2013, 19 Day Inaugural cruise, Southampton - Venice.

26th cruise - Emerald Princess, 06 - 16 October, 2013, 10 Day Canada - New England, Quebexc city to New York

27th cruise - Royal Princess, 24 November - 01 December, 2013, 7 Day,Eastern Caribbean, Fort Lauderdale Ret.

28th cruise - Sapphire Princess, 20 - 24 Jan, 2014, 4 Days, California

29th cruise - Crown Princess, 03 - 10 May 2014, 7 Day, LA to Vanco

30th cruise - Pacific Princess, 05 - 12 Aug. 2014, 7 Days, Vancouver RT, Alaska

[49er]

Just back from a month long trip to Europe and used our Credit Union(s) ATM cards in several countries. We did encounter a problem in Trier, Germany at two branches of SparkKasse, using two different ATM cards but had no problem at a CommerezBank. First time in 15 years of traveling to Europe we had ever had a problem with an ATM. Probably an issue in SparkKasse's software as we had used their bank a few weeks earlier with no problem. We used a US issued Barkley's MasterCard (With chip) and encountered no problems where a signature was required. On the French Autoroute toll roads it worked on some automated machines and didn't on others? Hotels will take either mag stripe or chip cards.

 

49er

Edited September 11, 2014 by 49er

[olegna]

Was in Iceland in July.

Old style credit card with strip worked everywhere......but......ATM

was a problem.

 

It seems everyone tells you to have a four digit PIN.

But NO ONE ever indicates the first digit can NOT be a zero.

 

Good thing we had a backup.

 

.....and now a new PIN.

[cruisemom42]

Was in Iceland in July.

Old style credit card with strip worked everywhere......but......ATM

was a problem.

 

It seems everyone tells you to have a four digit PIN.

But NO ONE ever indicates the first digit can NOT be a zero.

 

Good thing we had a backup.

 

.....and now a new PIN.

 

I have traveled for years to many different countries with a debit card pin that starts with a zero. Never have had a problem.

[navybankerteacher]

ATM cards issued by major US banks which tie in to major networks (NYCE, CIRRUS, etc.) should be fine in European ATM's - local credit union cards not tied to networks will not be recognized.

 

Credit cards without chips (meaning most US credit cards) will not work in unmanned points: ticket machines, gas pumps, etc. Also some manned locations: restaurants, etc. will not process cards without the chip.

[dancinman66]

Never had issues with my card only certain machines won't take my card

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Hlitner]

Let me start by saying "please trust me" cause I know of what I speak :). So lets resolve this mystery in terms of most of Western Europe. We need to discuss several issues and lets go through them one by one for those that want definitive clarity.

 

ATM Cards - Most issued in the USA work via a magnetic strip. They will work in most European ATM machines although they must be on a network accepted by your card if you want to withdraw funds. Since most cards do work on the Visa network, or Cirrus chances are your card will work fine. But a 4 digit PIN number is desirable (there have been reports of some problems with longer PINs0 and you should know that PIN in numbers (there are no letters on most European ATMs). You also should notify your issuing bank, prior to your trip, of your itinerary in order to avoid security issues that could stop your transactions.

 

There are also a few ATMs that now have chips. We do not personally have knowledge of whether they will work in European ATMs.

 

CREDIT CARDS - The European credit card system works on a system that favors Chip-PIN cards compatible with the EMV (EuroPay, Master Card, Visa system). The card reader reads the chip and then prompts for your PIN if you have one of these cards. Many US issued Chip cards are Chip-Signature cards and do not even have a PIN. These will usually work in Europe, although the card reader will prompt "signature necessary." Some US issued Chip-Pin cards (like the Globaltrek Visa issued by Andrews FCU) will default to a signature (if it is available) or allow the use of your PIN if a signature is not an option.

 

European card readers that have no humans involved (like toll booths, many gas stations, train ticket machines, etc. will ONLY WORK WITH A CHIP-PIN CARD. If you do not have one of those cards you are out of luck unless there is another option (like a ticket window manned by a human). In some places (especially in Northern Europe) you will need a Chip Pin card or cash! One great example is the train system in the Netherlands which will only sell tickets (by machine or human) if you have a Chip Pin Card (the main station in Amsterdam is the only exception). Otherwise you need to get cash. Buying gas at night can also be nearly impossible in most of Europe since you need a Chip/PIN to operate the pumps. Many highway and parking lot toll booths will only work with Chip PIN cards...although there are usually (but not always) cash options.

 

As to the US issued Magnetic Strip cards, they do seem to still be accepted in much of Europe but there are some exceptions. So one should have the ability to handle these exceptions (usually cash). Our experience is that the further north you go in Europe the more problems with magnetic strips.

 

And lastly we will talk about the French toll roads. The toll booths are currently operated by 2 different private companies. The company that operates most of the roads south of Paris do not accept any North American credit card...even if it is a Chip PIN. But the company operating the roads in the Northern part of France do accept US issued Chip PIN cards (in their machines and with humans). There are no warning signs...which drove us nutz.

 

Hope this helps some :)

 

Hank

[jamessemaj]

In my experience, my bank debit card and 4 digit pin work in ATMs and ticket machines, but I only use it for secure bank ATM cash withdrawals. My credit cards don't work in ticket machines, and I have to go to a teller who can process using the credit card. You can ask the issuer to issue a pin for credit cards but I don't know if that resolves rejection from machines.

 

It would be best to check with the card issuer for advice. I always inform my bank when I travel, but once even then they blocked my credit card for what they thought was suspicious, even though I had told them of my travel. Luckily, I happened to be in an area with wifi and was able to call and inform them it was authorized purchase and they unblocked it.

Edited September 12, 2014 by jamessemaj

[SadieN]

DD once had an issue with the slow bancomat downstairs of her apartment in Rome.

It said her card was bad. Thankfully it returned the card. Called and found out nothing was wrong. Either the machine didn't have enough Euros or couldn't get an internet connection.

 

***

Bring a coin purse. The smallest Euro bill is €5. They have no problem waiting for someone to dig out exact change.

[alcpa1]

We successfully used a debit card in Le Havre in May for an ATM withdrawal. There were 4 couples using the same machine with different cards and all made successful transactions.

[Putterdude]

Although Canadian, we do bank in the US with B of A and have had no problem in Europe using their non-chip credit card and ATM card.

[msmoger]

Was in Iceland in July.

Old style credit card with strip worked everywhere......but......ATM

was a problem.

 

It seems everyone tells you to have a four digit PIN.

But NO ONE ever indicates the first digit can NOT be a zero.

 

Good thing we had a backup.

 

.....and now a new PIN.

 

I have traveled for years to many different countries with a debit card pin that starts with a zero. Never have had a problem.

 

Both of our US Banks "advise" against having a PIN that starts with a Zero if you're using it in Europe. I think the key word is "advise" meaning sometimes it will work and sometimes it won't.

 

They all tell you your PIN should be 4 digits.

[cruisemom42]

Both of our US Banks "advise" against having a PIN that starts with a Zero if you're using it in Europe. I think the key word is "advise" meaning sometimes it will work and sometimes it won't.

 

They all tell you your PIN should be 4 digits.

 

Perhaps it depends on the issuer of your card. I've never seen such a warning for mine. As I said above, I've traveled overseas 3-4 times a year for the last 10 years with this particular account, card, and pin and have never experienced a problem! I use it less frequently now that I have a different account that doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee, however.

[goose30]

And lastly we will talk about the French toll roads. The toll booths are currently operated by 2 different private companies. The company that operates most of the roads south of Paris do not accept any North American credit card...even if it is a Chip PIN. But the company operating the roads in the Northern part of France do accept US issued Chip PIN cards (in their machines and with humans). There are no warning signs...which drove us nutz

 

 

Solution: Stay out of France.

[maryann ns]

Solution: Stay out of France.

 

That would be your loss!

[hancock]

After having a discussion with my credit union, I decided to only use my credit card when in Europe last spring. The protections I have with a credit card don't apply to a debit card. I did not want to put my cash reserve(savings & checking accounts) in jeopardy. I also had the overdraft protection removed from my checking account so that the debit card could not be used to access my savings. My credit card does have a pin number. I could have deposited money beforehand in my credit card account. I chose to pay once I got home.

 

Years ago, I used my debit card to get some cash before cruising in the Caribbean. When I got home, I noticed that someone had used my debit card number while I was on the cruise to the tune of $500. It took a lot of jumping through hoops to get my money back. When my credit card has been compromised, it has been easier to resolve the problem. I am now very careful where and when I use my debit card.

Edited September 12, 2014 by hancock

[navybankerteacher]

A year ago after having a restaurant refuse a non-chip card, and having experienced gas pumps and ticket machines which can only accept chip cards, I contacted my bank (Chase) about getting a chip card - they advised that I could get one of their premium (fee required) cards. Annoyed, I contacted my insurance company, USAA, and got one of their no-fee credit cards with chip.

 

Chase seems to have entered the 21st century: today I received, unsolicited, their no-fee Visa card, with chip - accompanied by a notice that it is replacing my regular Chase MasterCard.

 

Those of you who have been unable to find no-fee chip cards might want to contact Chase.