Any ATM that accepts 6-digit PIN?
 

Hi, <BR>I'll be travelling to Italy, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and France this summer and I'm wondering if anyone has any idea whether the ATMs in the above countries accept 6-digit PIN? I've read a few books that seem to suggest that most ATMs only accept 4-digit PIN... is this true? Specifically, my card has the PLUS sign. I've actually checked with my bank but was told that they only issue 6-digit PIN. Please advise, and many thanks in advance. <BR>

I wouldnt trust it personally. go to another bank in your area preferably a large one. ask if their bank cards can be used in europe and get a card with four digit number. it's the only way to be sure

I wouldnt trust it personally. go to another bank in your area preferably a large one. ask if their bank cards can be used in europe and get a card with four digit number. it's the only way to be sure

John, one of my VISA cards has a 10-digit PIN and it works ok in all Plus Network ATMs I experimented with in Europe (France, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Austria, Greece and Turkey). Actually, all I need to do is to type the first 4 digits. <BR>On the other hand, I've seen quite a few reports on 6-digit PIN cards that didn't work on European ATMs. <BR>It appears, thus, that it depends on the specific card. To find out in which cathegory your card falls in, just try it out back home. Search for another bank ATM connected to your card network (Plus, Cirrus, and the like) and try to get money out by typing the first 4 digits of your PIN. If it works back home, it'll work abroad. <BR> I wouldn't recommend you to travel with a single piece of plastic (one may loose it, the magnetic stripe may get damaged, etc). You should carry a backup. If you manage to get a 4-digit PIN backup you should be 100% safe. <BR> <BR>Paulo <BR> <BR>

This is tricky, I fear. I have definitely used 6 digit PIN in Italy but in Sweden, it would not work. Luckily, my husband has a 4 digit PIN so we used his card. Another thing is the key pads frequently do not have letters so if your PIN is a word make sure you know it's numeric equivalent (It's amazing how quickly you can blank on which number matches which letter.) I think for ease you should try to get something with a 4 digit PIN.

Hi, thanks for all the advice... i guess i'll try Paulo's idea and see if my card works at home with the first 4 digits. Also, i'll check with other banks that can provide the 4-digit PIN cards. Anyway, i'll probably rely on CC, Cash, and some TC (after having read through these Forum messages.)

John, <BR>Also notify your bank that you will be using your ATM card overseas. Some banks monitor the activity on your card. They could view this overseas use of the card with suspision and then deactivate the card. This happened to me with one of my ATM cards during my last European trip.

You will need a card with a 4 digit access code. Six digits will not work. I would also bring an extra card just in case a hungry machine eats the first one. If you have any other money questions, get in touch. Good luck