ok another silly question...are we able to use debit cards, in the uk, for credit or debit like in the us...

yes
at one time outside of the US you needed to have a 4-digit PIN on your atm/debit card that didn't start with zero, I don't know if that is still the case
You also need to know your PIN in numbers, not letters

Not the UK,but unexpected to me.
Something I ran into for the first time this trip, and it was not a pleasnat surprise.

The ATMs in Italy were only listing up to 250Euros for withdrawal.
and if I entered in a larger amount,
the machine would tell me it was over the limit.
Also, I was only able to use each card only once in a 24 hr. period.

Have just returned so have not had time to call the banks here.

Just good to keep in mind incase you want to make any hotel payments or other major purchases in cash.

i don't want to use my credit card-except for rental car...can i use visa debit card as credit card
also my pin # does start with a zero...should i change it...just in case?

As others have said, you definitely need to have a four-digit PIN. Ask your bank for the answer to the "starting with zero" question. Tell your bank and your credit card company when you will be in Europe so your card isn't "frozen" because of what some computer thinks is unauthorized use. Ask them for phone numbers you should use while in Europe if you have problems. Bring a second debit card in case an ATM eats one or the magnetic strip goes bad. I assume--but I haven't verified it--that any business that accepts credit cards will accept your debit card for purchases.

Nan,

The limit on using your card once a day, must be a bank limitation on your part.

In Italy we used an ATM daily. While my local bank has a $300 day limit(260 euros)there was no limit on the number of times I could use an ATM each day. My bank just charged me a $1.50 fee for each transaction .

Still ..ATM's offer the best rate of exchange and many plkaces offered (without any asking on our part) a discount for payment in Euros.

I asked my bank to raise the limit on my ATM withdrawals before my last trip out of the country. No problem. I believe this is a limit imposed for your protection, and you may specify the amount.

My 4-digit PIN starts with zero. Works just fine everywhere.

After hearing all the rumors, I meant to get it changed "someday", but had completely forgotten about it until I read this thread.

Recently used it in Paris, Canada, Russia, no problems.

Has anyone answered the question of "can they use the card as a debit card?"? Everyone seems to be addressing using at a ATM.

If your debit card has a MC or Visa logo on it, you can use it as a debit card; however be warned that theft of visa or MC numbers is rampant in Europe and if your debit card is compromised, your account can be emptied quicker than you can say help. While you probably will be able to get the money back, in the interim your cheques could turn into rubber. Advise is to use a credit card as it is easier to deal with a problem just in case.

Hi Bob,

Very dangerous to use your debit card for anything other than ATM.

Once someone gets your number they can empty your bank account faster than you can say Czernowicz.

Just returned from England / Ireland & Scotland - Here's some hints:
1) Make sure that you call your CC company to let them know you are going overseas. It made life easier for us.
2) If you have a Capital One CC, make sure that you let the clerks know that the exp. date is in MM/DD/YY format - We and another family member had problems using our Capital One CC's sometimes (especially at the Boot's stores) until we noticed the date arrangement difference (they use DD/MM/YY formats)
3) Make sure that you have a 4 digit PIN # - Many of the Cash Machines still only take 4 digit PIN #.
4) MUST Make sure that you have taken an alternate ATM card and atleast 2 credit cards. My hubby had his ATM card eating in Cash Machine at The Embankment Tube station after only 4 days into our 3 1/2 week trip. He originally thought that we would only need the 1 ATM card & 1 credit card -- I proved him wrong with this problem. I had taken a total of 4 credit cards & an extra ATM card from another account.

Other wise - have fun and spend, spend, spend!!!

I've never had any trouble using my Capitol One CC in the UK and didn't have to warn anyone about dates. That is the normal date sequence for all things in the US, that must have been some anomoly. Also, DDMMYY is the normal date sequence all over Europe and I've never had any trouble using any CC anywhere in Europe due to the date sequence and I've used my Capitol One card a lot.

The difference between MM/DD vs DD/MM only becomes relevant for the current year; then all the American cards that expire on the first of the month would look like they had expired already, in early January. If you card expires next year or later, then the difference is moot.

That said, I just checked the 4 cards in my own wallet, and none of them have a DD at all, they all say "Valid through" and a month and year only.

I've found that the ultimate value of using a debit card for withdrawals from your bank account is that if you lose it or have it stolen nobody can use it, unless they know your PIN. You can have many cards for one acount.

DougP; your debit card can also be used as a credit card. When used as a credit card it does not require a PIN.

Might be a silly misunderstanding on my part, but I was told by a car rental agency here in the UK that to reserve a car, you had to use a CREDIT card (because of the guarantees provided by the CC company?) and that debit cards are NOT allowed for car reservations, even if they have the Visa or MC symbol. However, when it's time to turn the car in and pay the actual rental fee, I'm unclear whether you can put the final charge (as opposed to the original "hold" to reserve the car) on your debit card instead. (I didn't rent the car, so I never found out.)

Also: I have had retail merchants tell me that the CC machines nowadays can tell if you're using a credit card or debit card, even with the V or MC symbol, and no matter what button the clerk punches.

True or not?

That said.....I have lived in the UK for several years now, and have found that it's not a problem using my stateside debit card in shops and grocery stores, with the exception of paying my utilities (that's where the direct debit payment system comes in handy). My credit union card won't work in off-base ATM's, but I have heard plenty of other people say they have no probs with their credit union cards in regards to foreign ATM's.

As far as PIN numbers....our cards have 4 digit PIN's and work just fine (except for the credit union one).

Just to clarify:

When I mentioned the direct debit payment system, I meant my utility companies here in the UK directly debit my payments from my British account (not my stateside account), which we set up specifically for rent and utilities only.

One of the reasons I like my ATM card is that it CANNOT be used as a credit card and can only be used with knowledge of my PIN. If you like this feature you can have it that way also. Kind of like that burger joint!

Dick and Nikki
thanks for the info,
I will talk to the banks before the next trip.