Spending…. Card or cash?

[rkacruiser]

18 hours ago, ldubs said:

I didn't know travelers checks were still around

 

The checks that I have are AMEX checks sold by Chase Bank and have their name on the checks.  Chase stopped selling these 2-3 years ago, but, I am fairly certain that AAA stills sells them.  

 

Trying to cash several at a Fort Lauderdale branch of Chase, the teller had no idea as to how to do so.  She had to have the branch Manager help me.  His comment was "I haven't seen one of these for a long time."  Thinking that I might have an issue, I took my passport with me.  That along with my driver's license helped to verify that I am a Chase Bank customer and got the cash that I needed.  

[slidergirl]

On 12/2/2021 at 6:37 PM, ldubs said:

 

Interesting.  Have you actually tried the "soft" pin in Europe?  I have not (don't want a "soft" pin because I don't need it).  The reason I ask is my CC company says I could use the soft pin in Europe.   They don't use the term "soft" pin, but I think that is very descriptive.   

The only card that I have a PIN for is my debit card.  I haven't asked for a PIN for my others.  So I cannot give you an answer from personal use.  I am spending a month between France and Italy next summer (COVID-willing) and am driving and taking trains.  I'll see if I can remember to get a PIN for one of my cards and give it a try!

 

I guess the "hard" vs "soft" comes from my computer programming days - "hardware" vs "software".

Edited December 4, 2021 by slidergirl

[KBs mum]

On 12/3/2021 at 1:37 AM, ldubs said:

 

Interesting.  Have you actually tried the "soft" pin in Europe?  I have not (don't want a "soft" pin because I don't need it).  The reason I ask is my CC company says I could use the soft pin in Europe.   They don't use the term "soft" pin, but I think that is very descriptive.   

Yes, it will work in Europe. We don't use the terms soft pin or hard pin, bur cards here have one or the other. It makes no difference. 

[ldubs]

20 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

The checks that I have are AMEX checks sold by Chase Bank and have their name on the checks.  Chase stopped selling these 2-3 years ago, but, I am fairly certain that AAA stills sells them.  

 

Trying to cash several at a Fort Lauderdale branch of Chase, the teller had no idea as to how to do so.  She had to have the branch Manager help me.  His comment was "I haven't seen one of these for a long time."  Thinking that I might have an issue, I took my passport with me.  That along with my driver's license helped to verify that I am a Chase Bank customer and got the cash that I needed.  

 

Your comments prompted me to take a look.  Travelers checks are still available today.  With the widespread use of credit cards, I suspect they are very rarely used, just as your experience shows.  

 

We had some old Canadian currency.  Tried to use a $2 CDN note or coin (I can't remember which) last time we were there.   We experienced the same thing in a small shop.  Young clerk called over the owner.  The owner asked if we could pay with something else, even USD.  Suggested we redeem the $2 at a Canadian bank.   We were happy to oblige.  Far as I know we still have that $2 CDN.  

[ldubs]

14 hours ago, slidergirl said:

The only card that I have a PIN for is my debit card.  I haven't asked for a PIN for my others.  So I cannot give you an answer from personal use.  I am spending a month between France and Italy next summer (COVID-willing) and am driving and taking trains.  I'll see if I can remember to get a PIN for one of my cards and give it a try!

 

I guess the "hard" vs "soft" comes from my computer programming days - "hardware" vs "software".

 

We parallel your experience -- only the debit card as a pin.   I want to talk to my CC company more to make sure there are no unanticipated consequences to my adding a pin to my credit card.   I'm not aware of any, but wouldn't want any surprises.  Even so, when it comes right down to it, because I have the debit/pin I really don't need to add a pin to my credit card.  

 

"Soft pin" will become part of the financial jargon.  Years from now I'll be telling my grandchildren it came from Slidergirl!    😃

[ldubs]

12 hours ago, KBs mum said:

Yes, it will work in Europe. We don't use the terms soft pin or hard pin, bur cards here have one or the other. It makes no difference. 

 

Thanks KB's Mum.  Helps confirm what my CC agent told me.  

[slidergirl]

1 hour ago, ldubs said:

 

We parallel your experience -- only the debit card as a pin.   I want to talk to my CC company more to make sure there are no unanticipated consequences to my adding a pin to my credit card.   I'm not aware of any, but wouldn't want any surprises.  Even so, when it comes right down to it, because I have the debit/pin I really don't need to add a pin to my credit card.  

 

"Soft pin" will become part of the financial jargon.  Years from now I'll be telling my grandchildren it came from Slidergirl!    😃

It makes sense to me.  Soft PIN you can change it anytime like software, a hard PIN is hard-coded into the chip and is given to you by the CC folks and it can't be changed without swapping the card, aka the "hardware."

 

Hey, you can tell them that I was there when the Internet was invented, too!!!  (true!)

[rkacruiser]

3 hours ago, ldubs said:

We had some old Canadian currency.  Tried to use a $2 CDN note or coin (I can't remember which) last time we were there.   We experienced the same thing in a small shop.  Young clerk called over the owner.  The owner asked if we could pay with something else, even USD.  Suggested we redeem the $2 at a Canadian bank.   We were happy to oblige.  Far as I know we still have that $2 CDN.

 

Not sure that there has ever been a CDN $1 or $2 note.  Loonies (the $1 coin) and the Toonies (the $2 coin) are still being used as far as I know.  (Maybe some of our Canadian friends can chime in and properly inform us.)  I know that I have some Loonies and Toonies.  I also have a mixture of the older Canadian currency with the more recently issued notes.  Have not had any difficulty in getting a merchant to accept the older currency; have heard a comment "that's an old one".  

[iancal]

CAD two dollar bills were discontinued years ago.   I saved a few.  $1 bill has gone the same way.    As has the one cent coin.   

Edited December 4, 2021 by iancal

[ldubs]

3 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Not sure that there has ever been a CDN $1 or $2 note.  Loonies (the $1 coin) and the Toonies (the $2 coin) are still being used as far as I know.  (Maybe some of our Canadian friends can chime in and properly inform us.)  I know that I have some Loonies and Toonies.  I also have a mixture of the older Canadian currency with the more recently issued notes.  Have not had any difficulty in getting a merchant to accept the older currency; have heard a comment "that's an old one".  

 

1 hour ago, iancal said:

CAD two dollar bills were discontinued years ago.   I saved a few.  $1 bill has gone the same way.    As has the one cent coin.   

 

Yep, there were definitely CDN 1 & 2 bills.  I was talking about this with Mrs Ldubs and she says, we still have them.  Here they are!  

 

 

[iancal]

34 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

 

Yep, there were definitely CDN 1 & 2 bills.  I was talking about this with Mrs Ldubs and she says, we still have them.  Here they are!  

 

 

Some of the $2. (according to google searches) have significant value.  Depends on the date of issue, markings.   I have yet to check mine.   

 

One anomaly was that it was my understanding that the popularity and use of the $2 varied by region in Canada.

Edited December 5, 2021 by iancal

[ldubs]

2 minutes ago, iancal said:

Some of the $2. (according to google searches) have significant value.  Depends on the date of issue, markings.   I have yet to check mine.   

 

One anomaly was that it was my understanding that the popularity and use of the $2 varied by region in Canada.

 

Who knows, might even pay for a cabin upgrade or perhaps even a cruise!  I'll have to check it out.  

[Twickenham]

46 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

 

Yep, there were definitely CDN 1 & 2 bills.  I was talking about this with Mrs Ldubs and she says, we still have them.  Here they are!  

 

 

 

Those are old bills - there were at least 2 versions after those came out... Would think they're worth quite a bit more than their face value...

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, Twickenham said:

 

Those are old bills - there were at least 2 versions after those came out... Would think they're worth quite a bit more than their face value...

 

I agree as to their possible worth in comparison to their face value.  I have in my safe deposit box some U. S. currency that I inherited from my parents and Grandfather that are worth more than their face value.  

[wowzz]

14 hours ago, slidergirl said:

It makes sense to me.  Soft PIN you can change it anytime like software, a hard PIN is hard-coded into the chip and is given to you by the CC folks and it can't be changed without swapping the card, aka the "hardware."

 

Hey, you can tell them that I was there when the Internet was invented, too!!!  (true!)

I must admit the notion of hard and soft pins was a new one to me. AFAIK every cc issued in the UK allows you to select your own PIN. 

[ilikeanswers]

4 hours ago, wowzz said:

I must admit the notion of hard and soft pins was a new one to me. AFAIK every cc issued in the UK allows you to select your own PIN. 

 

Same here. In fact our banks recommend you set your own PIN😂. 

[TheOldBear]

Some factors in security are 

• Who you are
• What you have
• What you know

A 'hard pin' answers the 'what you have' - you have the card/chip [or a good copy]

A 'soft pin' answers the 'what you know' - you know a secret shared only with a presumed trusted back end system.

Systems like fingerprint and face recognition on a smart phone can use a combination of 'what you have' and 'who you are' to unlock a wallet.

The 'hard pin' may be verified locally, without exchanging information with another system - that seems to be the sole advantage.

 

Needless to say in property implemented, 'PCI compliant', system the pin itself never crosses a system boundary - cryptographically secure signed tokens are exchanged.

[iancal]

6 hours ago, wowzz said:

I must admit the notion of hard and soft pins was a new one to me. AFAIK every cc issued in the UK allows you to select your own PIN. 

We never had a 'hard' pin number until we signed up for a new card.  One the items on the info doc was do not fret,,,we are working to move the card to a soft pin.  And they did six months later.  We were able to change our pin by phone.

 

The only issue we have ever had with credit cards while traveling was purchasing on line air.  We had our cards turned down a few times.  Always one of two airlines-Air Asia or Scoot.   The card still worked everywhere else.

[lissie]

7 hours ago, iancal said:

 

The only issue we have ever had with credit cards while traveling was purchasing on line air.  We had our cards turned down a few times.  Always one of two airlines-Air Asia or Scoot.   The card still worked everywhere else.

Yes  I've had  bookings with those airlines and similar (ie Asian airlines that don't fly to my country). They weren't declined but  I did get a phone call from the fraud department asking if it was me. We had a conversation and I said this will happen from time-to-time and had no further issues. 

[iancal]

1 hour ago, lissie said:

Yes  I've had  bookings with those airlines and similar (ie Asian airlines that don't fly to my country). They weren't declined but  I did get a phone call from the fraud department asking if it was me. We had a conversation and I said this will happen from time-to-time and had no further issues. 

I too had the conversation with the card issuers (Canadian). 

 

Each time they claimed to not even see the charge coming in for authorization.  Strange.  Perhaps it was the type of reward card.   Happened  twice on Air Asia,  and at least once on Scoot (Singapore AIrlines).  Prior to covid we would  both typically be buying three of four Air Asia or Scoot regional flights each winter while in SE Asia.  Never a problem with Jetstar.

 

Not a big deal  Just used another card and moved on.  This is exactly why we travel with multiple cards.

Edited December 6, 2021 by iancal