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-   -   ATM Pin No. Starting with Zero (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/atm-pin-no-starting-with-zero-734952/)

mdarch Sep 8th, 2007 03:09 AM

ATM Pin No. Starting with Zero
 
Hello, All! I am leaving tomorrow for my honeymoon and have a very important question. Will my 4-digit pin starting with "0" work in London, Paris and Rome?

I have found conflicting information about this on the web, and I want to be sure of whether or not my card will work. If I have to take USD and change them into other currency, is this going to be completely impossible? I am afraid my bank is not going to let me change the PIN no. over the weekend, and I totally forgot about this until now. Please help! Thanks!

ira Sep 8th, 2007 03:16 AM

Hi md,

>I am afraid my bank is not going to let me change the PIN no. over the weekend,..

Did you ask your bank? Are they open on Sat?

My local, small-town bank only needed me to stop in and enter my new PIN into a little box. That was it.

((I))

mdarch Sep 8th, 2007 03:23 AM

They are not open on the weekends. I totally forgot about this thanks to worrying about the wedding happening today. However, they do have a "call center" open on Saturdays & Sundays (opening in 1/2 hour), so I will call them and see if they know anything. Tks!

flanneruk Sep 8th, 2007 03:25 AM

No-one's ever told me I can't have a PIN number starting with zero - and I simply can'r count how many leaflets telling me how to create a new PIN I've thrown away.

But why would your bank stop you from changing it to be on the safe side? Every cash machine for miles around here has a "PIN services" option, where it's possible to change PINS 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And if you forget, surely your airport's going to have batteries of machines?

Pinchme_iam_dreaming Sep 8th, 2007 04:09 AM

Our PIN starts with Zero and we didn't have any problems using it in Germany or Austria last year. We're leaving for Paris in 12 days so I hope it works there too? I will ask my bank on monday to make sure.

Bailey Sep 8th, 2007 05:23 AM

So sorry that you have to worry about this on your wedding day.
Congratulations/best wishes!!!! (not sure if you are the Mr. or the Mrs. to be)

Have a wonderful honeymoon!!

quokka Sep 8th, 2007 06:34 AM

Why shouldn't it work? 0 is a digit like any other on the pin pad.

ira Sep 8th, 2007 06:42 AM

>Why shouldn't it work? 0 is a digit like any other on the pin pad.<

There have been enough reports of PINs starting with zero not working to make one wonder.

((I))

nona1 Sep 8th, 2007 06:42 AM

In the UK it doesn't matter what number the pin starts with. Many of us choose our own pin number anyway, so in theory you could have 0000 if you wanted.

herself Sep 8th, 2007 06:46 AM

Im too late for this answer but maybe it will help others.
You need to switch your number by putting the zeros at the end. You can do this at the ATM machine at your local bank. In Europe just use the first four digits. In USA use all six digits.

djkbooks Sep 8th, 2007 06:58 AM

I have a PIN that starts with a "0" which I've never had a problem with in over ten years. I've used it in Paris and London (and other places). With my bank, you can change your PIN at any branch ATM or even with a menu on the customer service phone number.

On our first trip to Paris, the first few times I tried to withdraw funds from an ATM, I got a message that my bank did not approve the transaction. When I called the bank, I learned that at 9AM in Paris, the bank is offline at home conducting their overnight processing.

StCirq Sep 8th, 2007 07:23 AM

Both my debit cards have PIN nos. that begin with zero. They've worked all over the USA, Europe, and Africa for the past decade.

WillTravel Sep 8th, 2007 07:45 AM

I've not had any problems with this zero issue either, in any of the cities you mentioned or any others.

herself Sep 8th, 2007 11:15 AM

Sorry I misread the question. A FOUR digit pin will work anywhere. It's a six digit pin starting with two 00 that has had the problems since most European ATM only takes a four digit code. These may be the zero's others have posted about.

Henry Sep 8th, 2007 11:39 AM

mdarch,
I have a four diget PIN that starts with zero and it has worked in about a half dozen bankomats in Rome as well as about a hundred other bankomats.

Henry

Debs May 19th, 2009 04:39 PM

Yes, I know this post is old ... but my question is old and silly! My 4 digit PIN doesn't start with 0, but has a 0 in it ... what number on the European ATM keypad equals 0? For example, the number 1 are the letters QZ, 2 equals ABC and so on.

What is the breakdown of letters to numbers so I can use this for reference. We're not newbies to European travel, but have alreadys exchanged to local currency before leaving home or converted to local currency at a bank once at our destination. The one time I tried using my ATM, I came home, but my card stayed in Budapest!

Thanks!

Henry May 20th, 2009 08:37 PM

Debs,
Most ATM key pads that I have seen in Italy only have numbers. '0' is zero, not the letter. Know your PIN by number, not letters. You can look at your phone if you only remember letters.

alanRow May 20th, 2009 09:27 PM

ALL PINs are numbers - despite what the keyboard may say. You'll need to learn it as a number or change it to something that you can remember more easily

Byrd Sep 3rd, 2009 07:43 AM

I remember reading here about problems with the Zero-cards, and since I am about to go to our bank to change my PIN, I thought I'd report our experience with my PIN which begins with a 0.


We have been using my husband's card in Europe for several years, but I had not thought to try mine until May in Croatia. It did not work in two different ATMs.

I know that so many have reported no problems,so maybe we were just unlucky.

Anyway, I'm getting my PIN changed before we head to Portual next month.

By the way, my husband's card (same bank account) worked perfectly all over Croatia and Montenegro.

Byrd


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