ATMs
 

I just read on the Rick Steeves site that someone tried to use their Debit card in England and it was refused! Apparently because it had no Chip. this is a new thing that started February 12. Has anyone used theirs since that date or is this an urban legend. I am a little nervous.

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I use my American debit card in England all the time (I live here) and never have a problem. It works just fine in an ATM with the four digit PIN. When using a card (debit or credit) without a chip for purchases in a shop, sales clerks are supposed ask for your signature as usual. If they hesitate, ask them to insert your card in the reader, and it will instruct them to get a signature.

I talked to Wells Fargo about this yesterday. The rep told me there would be no problem and she hadn't heard of any change. When I asked her to look into it further and to her surprise the normal ATM cards issued by Wells Fargo will NOT work in England ATMs. Wells Fargo will be sending me a 'special overseas ATM/debit card' sometime this week.

Apparently this is not a normally known issue at Wells Fargo and I couldn't find anything on their website so beware. I will post an update when I get the new card.

I learned that my credit card would not work in a number of other machines, including train ticket machines in Amsterdam's Centraal Station because it didn't have a chip, but never heard of this ATM problem.

Incidentally it is generally a good idea to try to use bank ATMs when the bank itself is open. That way if you have any problem, you can go inside and get it taken care of. The rejection for a lack of a chip would be one such good reason for doing so.

cadillac1234 - I used my regular Wells Fargo debit card in ATMs in London last May and had no problem. So, for Wells Fargo at least, apparently things are now different. Maybe a quick return trip is in order to check things out for myself <g>. There is one other "problem" with Wells Fargo that I expect is still true: There is a $5.00 fee for each ATM transaction in Europe. Ask your bank to increase your daily withdrawal limit so you can keep your transactions to a minimum.

There's a lot of confusion over 'chip and pin' cards in UK itself, so it's not surprising that foreign visitors are getting muddled as well.
Pin-only after Feb 14 only refers to UK-issued chip-and-pin cards, and retailers can refuse to accept your card if you don't use or have forgotten your pin. Foreign cards without chip will continue to be accepted, as are chip-and-signature cards issued in UK, and you will be asked to sign the slip. It's possible you may come accross a shop assistant who is unfamiliar with the procedure, but a quick word with the supervisor should clear it up in no time.
There is no reason why a regular US debit or ATM card should not work in UK ATM, provided it's on either Visa/Plus or Mastercard/Cirrus and you have four-digit pin.

The $5 transaction fee is really steep, I know... We have the maximum allowable ATM draw already on our cards so hopefully we can minimize it.

With all the banking consolidation going on it looks like the end-user is going to get nailed by ridiculous charges more & more.

I'm still confused and undecided about using ATMs on my June Baltic cruise. I have a debit card thru my local bank that is allied with Master Card. On the back it says NYCE, Maestro, Cirrus and STAR -- presumably the "networks" from which I can withdraw cash. Many of these postings assert that Travelers' Chex are "a thing of the past" and that cashing them on the ship will yield a poor exchange rate. Of course, I will use a credit card for purchases, but for extra cash in a particular country, such as for lunches, cabs, local busses, and small items from local shops, I need CASH, most likely. Help! Also, when I obtain local currency (thru whatever method I get it), can I change it back to dollars when I leave? OR would local currency obtained in Tallinn be accepted in Helsinki? Thanks.

While you'll get a poor exchange rate at an exchange bureau, you should be able to exchange one country's currency for another's or for US dollars. Try to spend any coins you have before leaving a country or you'll be stuck with them.