American debit cards without necessary "chip" technology...
 

Please forgive me if I am over-looking 100 threads about this. I am on my phone and am not able to search the forum.

I am having trouble finding a bank with a debit card with the "chip" that is needed to use in Europe. Apparently it will not be required in the US debit cards until the fall, which does me no good for my spring travels. The only one I have talked to that has it is Bank of America... Does anyone have any other recommendations or is Bank of America the route to go?

USAA.

Look at the Barclays Arrival Plus card. Also, It's a credit card though; not a debit card.

Yes, I got the Bank of America Visa card...travel rewards...before going October to Spain.

This thread is tagged "Italy." Italy is not a country where the CHIP usage is common neither for credit cards nor for a debit card. I have not encountered situation in Italy where CHIP was needed.

If you are going to France, Scandinavia, Netherlands, etc, it is a different story.

Debit/ATM cards used in Europe do NOT need chip to work. Few, if any, US DEBIT/ATM cards have them.

I have used a variety of these cards from USAA, Cap One, Andrew FCU, without chip and they have worked flawlessly in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic.

>>American debit cards without necessary "chip" technology…<<

I think you are confused (not surprising since there are so many conflicting posts here and articles in the media. Credits cards are a different issue than debit cards.

>>I am having trouble finding a bank with a debit card with the "chip" that is needed to use in Europe.<<

An ATM/debit card doesn't need a chip. And credit cards really only need them for some automated ticket machines/toll booths etc.

janisj nailed it.

You do not need a card with a chip when it comes to an ATM card. Except for a few situations, even a chipless credit card works in Europe.

I'd disagree about Italy. I've certainly used it in Venice and Rome, even in small supermarkets.
You can still use the old fashioned credit cards, but I feel safer using chip and pin

You might also spare some consideration for what it will cost you to use any kind of plastic abroad like you do back in America. Many, perhaps most, credit and debit cards impose a foreign-currency fee for each transaction. Those can add up fast if you are using them for every small purchase. Better, financially, to extract a substantial amount of the local money from a bank machine and use the cash for all but the biggest buys. Old-fashioned, maybe, but cheaper, and easier too.

To withdraw cash from a cash machine (ATM) does not require a debit card with a chip.

To make a purchase with either a debit card (with Visa or MC logo) or credit card if you are dealing with a human (as in a restaurant or shop) does not require a chip.

To purchase something from an unmanned vendor - a train ticket from a kiosk, gas from an unmanned pump, toll both, etc. DOES require a chip, including in Italy, as least as of last summer. I was behind a woman with a card without a chip at Termini station in Rome and she was unable to use it, I had no problem with my chip card.

If you are in the Netherlands you do not need a chip to withdraw money from an ATM.
For any other transaction with a debit/ATM card a chip is needed. POS machines in the Netherlands do not allow for cards being swiped.
This is also true for many shops and restaurants which accept credit cards since they use the same POS machine.

Exceptions: Sometimes even a credit chip card will fail and you are SOL because it is an unmanned situation (fuel pump, toll booth, metro kiosk). Sometimes a shop owner will insist on a chip card. Both happened to us. In the end, going to the hassle of getting a chip card may only provide a small convenience for the trip because you will still not be covered in every situation.

Perhaps of greater import is getting a credit card that does not charge foreign transaction fees, and getting an ATM card that does not charge % and lump sum fees. Capital One is one bank that provides both.

Andrews Federal Credit Union has true Chip and PIN credit cards with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee. Their ATM card is just ATM [no Visa or Mcard logo, so can't be used for purchases] and it is also fee free.

I have used both extensively in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic in the past year with no problems.

The credit card has worked this past year in all toll booths in southern France [there had been issues in 2013] at unmanned gas stations; at train kiosks.

I recall that even Europeans have posted saying that they can have their chip and pin cards refused, so I don't think there's such a thing as a bulletproof credit card for Europe.

With regard to credit card use abroad, American Express is now offering a card with a chip. A VISA agent told me they were implementing the chip technology but it would not be available until sometime in 2015.

We don't use our cards for debit purposes, but in the event our VISA card is refused for lack of a chip, a manual transaction saves the day.

Just don't forget to notify whichever company you use about a vacation schedule.

Thank you for your responses, and advice. A couple things...
I tagged Italy because that is where I am traveling too. We have a connection in Germany where I also may use the ATM. To take out cash ONLY.
When talking to both banks I am a member at they completely shut me down and sai that "our debit cards will not work in Europe with out the chip" then I started calling around and was giving the same info from several other banks, most of them referring me to Bank of America, which confirmed that they did have it. I don't want to assume my card I have will work then be stuck when I get over there.
I have been told that ATM is the best way to access (take out) cash for hotels, etc. please if this is incorrect set me straight. I need all the help I can get! I am set in the credit department, I have talk to my company and they are very helpful. I just wanted the easiest way to access cash with the lowest fees.

What banks do you currently use? That might help with answers.

I set up accounts with both Cap One and Andrews for the express purpose of having at least 2 accounts for Cash withdrawals with no fees [beside standard exchange rate conversion, which all cards will have as you are taking out foreign currency, it must be converted to US $]. IT is a good idea to have more than one account; lest an card get "eaten" by ATM or have it compromised in other ways.

Also, be aware, that some ATM's ask if you want the amount converted to US $ at the ATM. That is known as Dynamic Currency Conversion and you DO NOT want to choose this option. ALWAYS withdraw local currency!!

tom_mn, we have used our cards through Europe, as have our friends and family, not only with Dutch, but British, Spanish and German cards and have never had a card refused because of the chip.
The only time we have ever had a problem was when the magnetic strip was corrupted on an ATM card. Since we carry multiple cards that never proved to be a real problem.