Credit Cards in major European Cities?
 

Do most places accept credit cards? Thanks!!!

Most places do, but not very small shops, and for small amounts. Here in Belgium, Mastercard and Visa are more often accepted than Amex.

Just in case you are not aware, I'll mention the following:

Discover Cards are worthless in Europe -- literally nobody accepts them.

In France (and maybe others can mention other nations) you can not use an American credit card without the assistance of the merchant. That means no pumping gas at unoccupied stations or paying tolls at self-service lanes on the highways.

Amex cards are accepted at FAR fewer places than Visa or MC. Do NOT try to get through Europe with only the former.

If you MUST use a CC for cash advance (NOT recommended, but sometimes you don't have a choice), your PIN can not exceed four digits. Note that European ATMs show only digits, so don't rely on memorizing your PIN through letters.

If you use an American CC, European merchants may try to get you to sign a CC slip showing the charge in U.S. dollars. DON'T ACCEPT THIS!! This is dynamic currency conversion, and you'll have to pay an outrageous fee for this "service" -- with the merchants getting a cut for their "trouble."

Knowing the above, I had no problems using CC's in dozens of European cities over the years.

Also note that in the Netherlands train ticket machines do not accept any credit cards, nor do supermarkets.
Most places in the Netherlands still only have swipe facilities, so that is not a problem here (yet). We are slowly changing to Chip and Pin. A chip card is something entirely different in the Netherlands it is an electronic wallet, and a PIN card is an ATM/debit card. So if you see those signs do not assume it means your CC must be chip and pin.
Some smaller merchants will only accept Dutch CCs due to the length of time it takes for them to get the money from foreign CC companies.

Thank you we will be in France, Italy and Spain. I appreciate all the tips on which cc to bring and not signing in dollars. Thanks!

Hi.No trouble in France/Italy/Spain with Visa and debit cards for ATMs but I would suggest you advise your bank/carrier that you will be traveling/when & when..this will preclude any stops on your card/cards for unexplained activity.I don't remember if AmX was good or not as I rarely use it out side Canada/USA. Careful about cash taken on the credit cards..the interest is horrible unless you make a cash deposit on the card to cover the withdrawals before you go.
Have a great time...

If you have an AE card, bring it too. It's accepted at more places than you may expect. And I actually ate at a restaurant in Palermo, Italy that takes AE but not VISA/MC.

Visa and Mastercard charge 1% of the total purchase price on all foreign conversions, along with whatever the credit card issuer charges, which is typically another 2%, totaling 3% of the purchase price.
Apply at www.CapitalOne.com
for a card - you will have NO
foreign conversion fees.

Another vote for the Capital One card. I used it in several places in Paris last year and it was a joy to not be "fee-d" to death!

My daughter just returned from Amsterdam with day trips to Gouda and Antwerp. She was unable to use her VISA at most places, even if there was a Visa logo sign present. Merchants told her that they could no longer afford the fees that Visa charges them. Since she had planned to charge everything, this was quite a problem! Has anyone else had this experience? How about with Mastercard? I'm planning a trip to Ireland in the summer and also plan to use a Visa card as much as possible.

no, I've never had that problem happen anywhere in Europe, but exactly what kind of places said they wouldn't take Visa due to costs where your daughter wanted to use it? Really major restaurants and hotels and things like that?

They actually take CCs for a lot of minor things that I wouldn't expect them to in many places. Like buying metro tickets and museum passes and things like that (I'm mainly familiar with France, but I've also used them for somewhat small purchases in other countries).

I don't ever try to use a CC for minor things like a news kiosk or snack stand, etc.

I've come across a few shops that will only accept Dutch issued Visa card here in the Netherlands. It seems the time taken to pay the merchandiser is too long for many small companies if the card is a foreign card. It can take up to 5 months apparently for them to get the money out of Visa or Mastercard USA. If you a running on tight margins then that is a long time to wait for your money.

I think the statement that foreign credit cards take a long time to pay the merchant is utter unadulterated nonsense...the merchant deposits all the charge slips through electronic terminals in this day and age and is immediately credited for all the purchases no matter where the credit card was issued...now it is possible that the reluctance to accept a foreign credit card deals with the possibility of fraud and it is claimed by some banks the reason they have to charge 3% on foreign credit sales is that fraud is much more prevelant when a card is used out of country than within the country (frankly I don't believe them but it's a good excuse for their outrageous 3% fee)...

Do bear in mind that in the USA, visa and mastercard prohibit merchants from imposing a minimum charge for use of a credit card according to their merchant agreements and also they are not allowed to surcharge credit cards (although they are allowed to give a cash discount; somehow the difference escapes me)...

This valuable consumer protection is apparently not available outside the USA; although several years ago during the strike by armed car drivers which led to a lot of merchants in France not being able to replent their supplies of cash, the metro discovered there was no reason not to accept credit cards for small amounts and now they will accept a credit card for an amount as little as one metro ticket (€1,20).....but as noted, many merchants, unfortunately, still insist on minimum amounts for charges but sometimes that can be troublesome.

In the USA, I often go into Subway sandwich shops and they all take credit cards for any amount (although even I have my limits and won't charge anything less than $1)...several weeks ago I went into a Subway shop in London which prominently had mastercard and visa logos...they made the sandwich and when I got to the cashier and offered my mastercard, he told me there was a £5 minimum (the sandwich was £3.50)..I said to him truthfully I don't carry around that much cash...he said go across the street and use the ATM, I said no way and said, guess I'll have to pass...somehow he suddenly decided since the sandwich had been made, he would take my credit card. I said to him in a friendly manner, look to avoid this problem in the future, you should really have a sign indicating there is a 5 quid minimum...he said I was the first person who had ever tried to use a credit card for less than £5; somehow I found that hard to believe.

xyz, I find that hard to believe too. I'm always astounded in London when I see how many locals use a credit card to buy their morning coffee and snack at Pret and Manger -- tons of them. Far more than I see charging at Starbuck's at home in the morning!

Neopatrick..

It's pret a manger (take away to eat)...not pret and manger (take and eat or pret et manger)...they all take credit cards now too and have never imposed a minimum. (many McDonald's do as well and don't impose minimums).

I doubt any Subways in Munich would accept a CC. At least, I've never seen anbody asking. (Would be too embarassing anyway, since in many places, 30€ is the minimum)... Cash or EC will be o.k.

Actually I've got a selection of CC, simply because they're FREE. No yearly fees, no hassle. "Free for life", (whatever that's supposed to mean). Since I'm just a weak person that wants free stuff, I have them all ;-). One gets me 5% on gas anywhere, but charges 1.75% for foreign use. Another (gebuhrenfrei.de) doesn't charge for foreign use at all, worked GREAT in the US (great exchange rate!!!), but wants fees for cash withdrawal. Another again charges nothing for cash in € countries and 1.25% for foreign use.

It all depends..., usually CC aren't liked in Germany but tolerated. EC is ALWAYS preferred. It's quite unnsual to pay small amouts by credit card. People want cash or EC!

I am under the impression that what logos999 says about Munich applies throughout Germany and Austria -- CCs are simply used less there than in most countries in Europe.

It is also my impression that it reflects customers' preferences as much as merchants' attitudes.

Whatever underlies it, one should be particularly careful in Germany that a card will be accepted before entering on a transaction, and one should probably carry a bit more cash.

Personally, I rarely use a card anywhere for a transaction under about €50. Cash is simply quicker.

Padraig..

Number 1, I look for a logo.

Number 2 I look for a sign whether there is a minimum...

Actually many of the fast food chains in the USA take plastic as a matter of corporate regs...almost every Subway shop takes cc's..I presume the cc sales are process by the company and the company is able to negotiate a very low merchant discount rate based on volume...for small transactions, the fast food industry, at least here, was able to negotiate an agreement that you don't even sign the charge slip..swipe it and go

Which brings me to the second point..today I was at the grocery and the little old lady (god bless her) in front of me was checking out...so the price was $18.41...or something lie that...first she had a $20 bill...no too much...so she went back into her wallet, pulled out a ten a five and three singles (in the USA we're still backwards and continue to use a $1 bank note despite the fact it's hardly worth anything)...anyway, she then goes into her change purse, searches through it, find a quarter, a dime but then couldn't find a nickle or pennies so she takes the coins back, goes back into her wallet and pulls out another $1 bill and now the cashier, no brain surgeon, starts counting the money, the cash register tells her the customer is due $1.59 and fishes it out...elapsed transaction time at least two minutes...

I was next..my order came out to $7.23....told the cashier credit card (as opposed to debit card), swiped it in the terminal, after about 15 seconds out comes a receipt, sign it and gone....now tell me which is more efficient cash or credit card...with modern credit card terminals, credit card transactions are far quicker and safer for the customer and merchant, you know no cash to disappear, no arguments about whether a $10 or $20 was tendered, no having to open up a wrapper of pennies to make change, no stopping every so often to give the front desk large bills whatever...

> little old lady
happens to me every time, what I do (believe it or not) is to hand her the small cash out of my pocket.
There's always a smile and everybody's happy.

Yup but logos..you guys don't have a €1 or €2 bank note so you guys all walk around with lots of coins (BTW even though I've been to euroland quite a lot, I still can't by touch distinguish between 50 cents coin and 1 euro coin when I reach in my pocket...maybe you can...with British money..ah ha when I reach in my pocket, there's no doubt in my mind when I come across a £1 coin, nice and thick, and the £2 coin, nice and large and the 50p coin, nice and large but many sided..onlhy the 2p coin causes me confusion.