We just got back from Sweden, (July 2012) and still had a problems with a no chip card. We had an early train to catch out of Uppsala, no sales agents open yet, and the machine would only take a chipped card. Luckily our Swedish friends were with us and used their card, or we would have missed many connections. But it made me feel like a bum, who "forgot" his wallet. Also had the same trouble with unattended gas staion earlier, and minor problems elsewhere. Thought I had planned enough, but missed this chip issue, that was not a problem 2 years ago. Shame on me!

Another old thread re-opened but there is good news which we pointed out in another thread...

Bank of America (I know it may not be one of your favorites nor is it mine but) has announced a whole bunch of cards it will now issue with the emv chip automatically (or upon request). It would seem the best of the lot is the travel rewards card. No annual fee. No foreign transaction fee. Rewards are not the best but you can read the list of rewards. So you might wish to get one and have it just in case.

Bear in mind that these cards like most US cards that have been issued with emv chips are chip and signature not chip and pin but in many instances they do work in some (but not all) machines looking for a chip card. I can't guarantee you it will work the next time you're in Sweden, we're still learning the just how useful these chip and signature cards are but I don't see a down side to getting the dard (no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee) and having it just in case.

And yes I notice the thread is over a year old (you might have done better starting a new thread).

I am glad this old thread was opened since I am the orig poster and noticed the update. Thanks for the info xyz

Andrews FCU [which anyone can join] has a true chip and pin card. There is no annual fee and they charge a 1% foreign transaction fee.

I have one and will test it out next month in France. It has been reported here and on TA that the card does indeed work well.

Apply way in advance of going. I got mine this past spring and had it in 10 days. Now, it is taking quite some time - I am guessing they have been flooded with requests.

http://www.andrewsfcu.org/credit_car...k_rewards.html

On other blogs, it has been reported State Department FCU which anybody can join is also offering a chip and pn card, no annual fee and no foreigntransaction fee.

I'm xyz123 and I approved this message.

I used the Andrews card in France in June and it worked fine.

A few things to note.

If the vendor has their card reader programmed to accept either pin or signature this card will default to signature.

So when I tested it in a restaurant several times sometimes I was asked to enter a pin and other times a slip was printed and I had to sign.

However, when I walked up to a train ticket vending machine in Avignon it worked fine and asked me for a pin.

Also, in Paris I tried to use my regular swipe card in the Metro station to but tickets and it wouldn't work. However, with the Andrews card the transaction went thru fine. AND DID NOT EVEN ASK ME TO ENTER A PIN.

I didn't care about transaction fees or any of that stuff. I just wanted a card that would let me avoid lines.

We just returned from a month in France, Belgium, Netherlands, and Iceland, carrying a supposedly chip&pin card from Bank of America, obtained through AAA. The first time we tried to use it, at an autoroute tollbooth outside of Nice, it was completely rejected by the automatic toll machine. In restaurants and other places, the machine used by the waiter/clerk required a signature every time, even though BofA had given us a PIN number and we had changed that to our own number. No human clerk ever seemed to have a problem processing the signature; it just wasn't an issue. But we had to be very careful about not needing to buy gas on a Sunday, as most stations were closed. I will be letting BofA and my local AAA office know about this, and will cancel the card once I pay the bill.

See my response in the other ancient thread above.

cdaslick: See my post on the other thread where you posted the same thing . . . Despite what BofA and AAA may have said, that is a chip & Signature card - not chip & PIN . . . .

Supposedly the Master Card issued by USAA is a Chip and PIN card, although I can't find confirmation of that on the USAA website.

http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-...,1732345.story

I have a TRUE chip and pin card issued by Andrews Federal Credit Union. It defaults to signature IF there is a human processing the charge. The only place we had issues were at "Certain" toll booths, it worked in the majority of the booths. Worked at train ticket kiosks, unattended gas stations, restaurants, shops, etc flawlessly. No charge to use, no foreign fees. A great card.

I also have the Andrews FCU chip card. It did not work in toll booths in Provence, France.

Correct, Basking, that was where we drove and used/attempted to use the card. We had about a 50/50 success rate which wasn't good. Caused a few anxious moments, until we just carried enough cash to pay.

Pay cash while on holiday? What is this, the 20th century??

In all seriousness, there have been a very few complaints about using the Andrews card (or PenFed or SDFCU) that you have no control over how the pos terminal processes it i.e. if the pos terminal takes chip and signature, some merchants (again emphasis very few as of now) refuse to process the transaction as there is some question in their minds regarding liabilities and you can't make the pos terminal revert to chip and pin. Not a major problem right now but not really my definition of true chip and pin (although as noted it does work the way intended at most kiosks!)

I have experienced no hesitation on any merchants part to accept a pin & signature card. I have had both restaurants and hotels, usually outside of Paris, flatly refuse to accept my magnetic strip credit cards.

PenFed works everywhere I have tried it (I always pay cash on autoroutes) but it is a pin & signature card except at kiosks. The USAA Mastercard functions everywhere I have tried it and the pin was used for all transaction; never a signature required.

I can remember reading no specific complaints about the Andrews card being anything other than a pin & chip.