Back from trip to Germany without a chip and pin card - report
 

thanks to all of you who answered my frantic last minute post about not having a chip and pin card. Now back from the trip and the bottom line is - if you can get the chip and pin, get it before you go. We had a few issues including one at a hotel, which I did not expect. I had loaded up on cash in anticipation of problems and that was a very smart thing to do. Most touristy places were fine with the american cards but the more off the beaten path you get, the more problems you will have. Also thanks especially to the poster who advised me to get gas on any day other than Sunday - the gas machines do NOT accept american cards so you need an open and manned gas station for service. Hoping US banks catch on soon and give at least the option of a chip and pin.

Do the gas stations have pumps that accept cash?

I"ve never seen any gas pump that accepts cash, anywhere. That's why you need to find one that is open with a clerk if you want to pay cash, you have to pay them, not into the machine.

I'm surprised that your hotel had a hard time reading your card. Were they able to just input your card number and go from there or did you have to pay cash for your entire stay? Was it a big hotel or a smaller, off the beaten path B&B?

Here's a recent blog on EMV techology and the U.S.

http://creditcardforum.com/blog/chip...dit-cards-usa/

This is from BankRate. It is not dated, but implies it was made in late 2012 as it references 2013.

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/cred...t-cards-1.aspx

no, there were no gas stations that had automated pumps that take cash, i've never seen that. As for the hotel, it was a large hotel in the black forest. We didn't stay there, we had dinner there so thankfully I had enough cash for that. But if we had stayed there, I would have had to get enough cash to pay them because they were completely unable to use the cards I had.

Once the US gets onboard we can drop the magnetic strip from our cards, making them more secure all round.
Some EU banks are now issuing chip only cards, with no magnetic strip - if their customers travel to the US then they have to apply for a special card.
My bank blocks the use of their cards in the US - resulting in a whopping 98% drop in card fraud!!! If I travel to the US I have to set the permission to allow use there online before I go.