PIN for Credit Card Question

[Aussieflyer]

Is this recent, since January? If not, it must be different for overseas cards, as we used our chip/signature card in Australia and New Zealand in January without problem - in hotels, restaurants, and shops.

 

Presume it must be - as for Australian cards it's all PIN now. Maybe the machines flag that you have an O'S card.

I have used PINs for cards overseas all the time now for the past few years. I have to remind myself to sign a new card when I receive it.

 

And yes, Toybook, the change came in on 1 August 2014 (I checked). Quite surprised that people are still able to sign.

Edited July 6, 2016 by Aussieflyer

[lyndarra]

I'm not sure what the situation is with the use of overseas credit cards in Australia, but in Australia we no longer have signatures for credit card use and you must use a PIN. That is unless it is for a fairly small amount - I think less than $100 then you can most times just get away with tapping the card on the reader and not even have to put in your PIN.

Yep, up to $100 just a tap or wave, except ATMs where PIN is required for all transactions. Over $100 PIN is required. No more signatures.

[Aussieflyer]

It's odd because Kartgov (post #22) said they could sign in January. I thought signatures were all gone, dead and buried so to speak (except for pay wave or touch and go transactions).

Edited July 6, 2016 by Aussieflyer

[GUT2407]

Technically, in Australia, there is still facility for signatures for overseas visitors, most shop assistants have no idea about it however.

[262]

In the Baltic now on the Emerald and the answer is NO if it's a US based card with a chip. US uses chip and signature not chip and pin. I used it in Denmark, Belgium and UK with zero issues so far.

 

 

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Edited July 6, 2016 by 262

[SWORRUB1]

Do I really need to put a PIN on my credit card??? :confused:

 

I'm about to leave for a 14 day Baltic Cruise on the Emerald Princess. I have 2credit cards that I am bringing and both are chipped cards (& no foreign transaction fees) but do not have associated PINs.

 

I had researched a couple of months ago whether or not to have one of them with a PIN. After reading many points of view, it seemed pretty split on the subject. So now I am checking in one more time to see if anyone has recently returned from the Baltics with any new insight.

 

Thank you in advance! :D

 

Almost all transactions in Baltic are by PIN number not signature.(on the other hand I didnt try to sign because there was never a need!) Once you have a PIN of course you can then get money out of Automatic Teller machines that I have done successfully in Stavanger, Tallin, Helsinki Warnemunde, Stockholm and Copenhagen. Why wouldnt you get a PIN?

Edited July 6, 2016 by SWORRUB1
Spelling and the bit in brackets!

[SadieN]

Almost all transactions in Baltic are by PIN number not signature.(on the other hand I didnt try to sign because there was never a need!) Once you have a PIN of course you can then get money out of Automatic Teller machines that I have done successfully in Stavanger, Tallin, Helsinki Warnemunde, Stockholm and Copenhagen. Why wouldnt you get a PIN?

 

 

The US card companies are fighting tooth and nail preventing us from using chip and pin technology.

 

 

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[lisiamc]

As I understand it, most credit cards issued by US banks these days are "chip and signature", rather than "chip and PIN", as issued by European banks, Canadian banks, (and now by a few US banks).

 

If you have a chip and signature card, you can ask for a PIN, but it won't turn your card into a chip and PIN card. The PIN won't be used during credit card transactions, but only for things like a cash advance from an ATM.

 

Maybe someone who works for a US bank could clarify this for me?

[SWORRUB1]

As I understand it, most credit cards issued by US banks these days are "chip and signature", rather than "chip and PIN", as issued by European banks, Canadian banks, (and now by a few US banks).

 

If you have a chip and signature card, you can ask for a PIN, but it won't turn your card into a chip and PIN card. The PIN won't be used during credit card transactions, but only for things like a cash advance from an ATM.

 

Maybe someone who works for a US bank could clarify this for me?

 

 

 

All seems a little weird to me, what could be easier than remembering a PIN number and using it instead of signing. I would also insist on a photo on the card which seems a sensible extra security precaution. Didnt realise that even if you get a PIN on a US card that you still had to sign in person.

It is still good to be able to get local currency out of an ATM though rather than having to worry about Bankers hours! Stavanger on a Sunday was one of my first calls on a particular cruise! It is fair to say it was quiet!

:confused:

[lstone19]

The latest chip card I received from a US bank made it very clear that the PIN was only for getting cash from an ATM and was not for foreign credit transactions which would be chip and sign. Just back from a Baltic cruise and had no problems with chip and sign although I did not try to use it at any unattended devices where a signature might not be possible (on the other hand, I've had no problems with unattended chip transactions in Canada although they're more used to U.S. signature cards).

 

 

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[caribill]

All seems a little weird to me, what could be easier than remembering a PIN number and using it instead of signing.

 

As long as you have the same PIN number for all of your credit cards, nothing could be easier.

 

Of course for security purposes, it is recommended that you have a different PIN for each credit/debit card. Then it is more difficult to remember them all.

[OzKiwiJJ]

I've had pins on credit and debit cards for so many years now that I find it rather archaic when I'm asked to sign, and was very happy indeed when Australia brought in the requirement for pins to be used.

 

However I do recall days in the distant past where signing was more common and was astounded at how few merchants actually checked that the signature matched that on the card. :eek:

Edited July 7, 2016 by OzKiwiJJ

[SwissDave]

I've had pins on credit and debit cards for so many years now that I find it rather archaic when I'm asked to sign, and was very happy indeed when Australia brought in the requirement for pins to be used.

 

However I do recall days in the distant past where signing was more common and was astounded at how few merchants actually checked that the signature matched that on the card. :eek:

 

Whenever I was in New York and went shopping I was amazed how lax the security was. When shopping at Century 21 they would swipe my card and hand it back to me before asking me to sign on the screen.

[CHIPPY49]

The US card companies are fighting tooth and nail preventing us from using chip and pin technology.

 

 

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It is not the credit card companies that are fighting this, but the issuing banks,

the rest of the world has been using chip & pin for a great many years (UK - over twenty) and the amount of credit card fraud has gone down hugely.

Although Canadian I have a US Visa card, issued by the royal bank in Georgia, that has a chip & pin, although when we were in Alaska last year the merchants had no ability for the terminals to use the pin#.

[satxdiver]

Whenever I was in New York and went shopping I was amazed how lax the security was. When shopping at Century 21 they would swipe my card and hand it back to me before asking me to sign on the screen.

 

Here in the USA we are way behind the rest of the world in credit card technology. The credit card companies used to cover the fraud but now have finally decided to join the rest of the world and cut the fraud. So now if a business here only swipes the card and the use is fraudulent, the business has to cover the loss. Slowly and I mean very slowly businesses are starting to use the chip card as intended. Now if they could just go a step further and use the PIN part, we might catch up with the rest of the world. :rolleyes:

[AZJerry]

When I was requesting PINs for cards for our trip, one bank started by issuing a random PIN via snail mail. I then tried to change that PIN and was they would be happy to send a new random PIN via snail mail. No possibility of choosing my own PIN. Blech.

[SwissDave]

When I was requesting PINs for cards for our trip, one bank started by issuing a random PIN via snail mail. I then tried to change that PIN and was they would be happy to send a new random PIN via snail mail. No possibility of choosing my own PIN. Blech.

 

Do you not get the option to change the PIN at an ATM? Here if I use my banks ATMs then it gives the option to change it to something else.

[OzKiwiJJ]

It depends on the bank or credit card company. Some allow you to choose your own pin, others just send you a pin.

 

Tip - if you have trouble remembering pins, note them somewhere disguised as a phone number. Don't put all the numbers together but spread them out in a pattern you will remember.

[Steelers0854]

It's my understanding that the PINs issued by most banks are for swipes on cash advances at ATMs which is very different than what the OP is taking about.

 

The OP is discussing the chip and PIN that is accepted widely over in Europe. Most US card issuers do not do chip and PIN but have recently just converted to chip and signature. You need to contact your specific card issuer and tell them you are going to Europe and ask if they offer chip and PIN.

[RocketMan275]

As long as you have the same PIN number for all of your credit cards, nothing could be easier.

 

Of course for security purposes, it is recommended that you have a different PIN for each credit/debit card. Then it is more difficult to remember them all.

 

One of my pet peeves, different PIN (passwords/usernames) for each account. Then they tell you not to write them down.

 

One service requires a 12 character password with a combination of upper/lower case, numerals, and special characters. They also suggest one create a "catchy phrase" to help you remember the password. I've asked them how I'm supposed to remember twenty or thirty "catchy little phrases".

 

My favorite. I had to use a service about once every two months. Each time I had to call and ask for a password reset because I had forgotten the password. One time sent me a reset and told me to be careful not to use the old password. I asked "I'm not to use the password I forgot?" and they responded "Yes, don't use that one".

Edited July 8, 2016 by RocketMan275

[broberts]

One of my pet peeves, different PIN (passwords/usernames) for each account. Then they tell you not to write them down.

 

One service requires a 12 character password with a combination of upper/lower case, numerals, and special characters. They also suggest one create a "catchy phrase" to help you remember the password. I've asked them how I'm supposed to remember twenty or thirty "catchy little phrases".

 

My favorite. I had to use a service about once every two months. Each time I had to call and ask for a password reset because I had forgotten the password. One time sent me a reset and told me to be careful not to use the old password. I asked "I'm not to use the password I forgot?" and they responded "Yes, don't use that one".

 

A sad state of affairs. The crazy thing about services that have requirements for password construction is that they are actually reducing the universe of valid passwords. Making brute force password cracking a fair bit easier.

[RocketMan275]

A sad state of affairs. The crazy thing about services that have requirements for password construction is that they are actually reducing the universe of valid passwords. Making brute force password cracking a fair bit easier.

 

Have you ever tried to explain probability and statistics to a security person?

[broberts]

Have you ever tried to explain probability and statistics to a security person?

 

:D:D

 

I have tried . . . gave up after a few minutes.

[GUT2407]

Have you ever tried to explain probability and statistics to a security person?

 

No but I have tried explaining it to students, so I will pass on trying with security.

[RDC1]

Not the OP's itinerary, but for those visiting 'down under' chip and pin is the only accepted method for credit card transactions in Australia. This came in in 2014. For amounts under $100 you can pay wave which does not require a pin but anything over that does. Debit visa or master card will provide cash from ATMs without this being considered a cash advance. We use these overseas all the time for cash and the CC for purchases, hotels etc.

I know when we were last in Norway back in 2010 we needed a pin for the credit card that was being used there.

 

Are you absolutely certain about that? I was there in 2015 and was able to use a chip and sign card just fine. Immediately prior to the trip I contact Visa and Master Card and they indicated that their agreement required merchants to accept US issued chip and sign cards.

 

Are you certain that the requirement is not that the requirement is determined by issuing county. That since Australia requires chip and pin, all card issued in Australia must meet that requirement, but not that merchants cannot accept cards issued outside of Australia such as US chip and sign ones. That is what Visa and Master card both said.

Edited July 10, 2016 by RDC1