Yeah I have to agree with some of the comments here that I thought the article, especially given it was the NY Times, wasn't that great. My husband and I are dual US French nationals, so we have both kinds of cards. The Velib example was the most accurate one in terms of a time where you can't use the strip cards. Also, as others have mentioned in other posts, folks can also run into trouble trying to use the 24/7 gas pumps if they go during a time when there is no attendant. However, as stated, the chips cards don't always work everywhere. When we drove just across the French border this last July to Stresa, we ran into problems at the toll booths at the turnpike. And that is a drag-sitting there with people behind you in the credit card line. Eventually after you punch the help button they will open the gate. Interestingly enough we saw the Italians having the same problem with their cards going the other way into France.

The smart chip technology is cheap and reliable, the US military uses it for ID cards. I think the big issue for banks is the cost of conversion vs cost (to them) of fraud as many have pointed out.

I'm here in Japan where c+p cards will work in the ticket machines for the trains, but I need to stand in line for a manual transaction. As for cell phones, GSM is big in Europe, CDMA in Japan, Korea. China and US are split. Frequencies are always an issue, Japan makes certain that their system is almost completely incompatible!

...aren't there phones that exist that use the Japanese what is it WDCMA 2100....some of the international sim cards list Japan as compatible with their cards using multi band phones with that technology and frequency. As I said, I'm not a geek but do a lot of reading on this.

A few 3G phones work in japan or Korea, including the iPhone. But most phones don't.

Japanese ATMs are also problematic. Most do not work with foreign cards.

Until a few years ago, they were using and older UMTS version. But ALL international WCDMA 2100 phones sold today are compatible. However, the US is using different frequencies for UMTS than the rest of the planet. Who would have guessed. UMTS phones sold in Europe today, work in both Japan and Korea.

"I believe they have also pretty much abandoned metric in the supermarkets."

Is simply untrue.

Imperial measurements in Britain are used now only pretty much only for:
- miles on road distance signs (though all other road-related measurements, including distance signs of less than a mile, are metric)
- draught beer and cider in pubs (wine by the glass, for example, is measured in cc's, and bottled beer in pubs is measured in cc's)
- home-delivered milk (milk in grocery stores is sold in multiples or divisions of a litre)

ALL other measurements are by law metric, to an occasional point of lunacy. As a concession, dual-declaration is allowed, though the metric measure or price must be the more prominent.

My Dutch C+P CC works throughout Europe, no problems encountered with it so far.

I was surprised this morning to find my self signing for something on the ferry from Hull to Rotterdam however, obviously C+P technology hasn't reached the ferry company yet

I can't see why it should be so difficult to come up with a world-wide standard - after all the credit card companies are pretty much world wide organisations. If they choose to introduce the system then they can just use the same system throughout surely?

We came across signs in Kms in Arizona last year, so they seem to be gradually adopting the metric system, unilaterally maybe.
Ireland uses Kms but serves it's beer in pints.

I was taught exclusively in metric way back in the 60s and 70s. to the extent that when I started work I had to ask how many pounds in a hundredweight - a totally alien concept to me.

I'm glad the USA is trying to resist the globalization and homogenization that is destroying unique, interesting, diverse world cultures. A bland world with everything neatly divisible by 10. Here's to degrees fahrenheit and yards, feet, and inches! Resist the gray people!

Paul1950 - Hilarious!

<i>We came across signs in Kms in Arizona last year, so they seem to be gradually adopting the metric system, unilaterally maybe.</i>

Nope. What you are seeing is the vestiges of past, failed metrication efforts.

They are actually replacing the metric signs on I-19 with customary measures as they come up for replacement. It was signed this way because it leads into Mexico. I believe that there are also some roads leading into Canada with dual measurements on some signs.

Hi jp,

Just returned from Europe with my plain old magnetic strip card.

The only thing I had to consider was to make sure I filled up the gas tank on Saturday,

The C&P technology is a response to the very high rate of identity fraud, which we don't have in the US.

Interestingly, those ancient measurements do exist in Germany too. When you approch a rairoad crossing, the warning sign shows the distance in miles. One red stripe means 0.05 miles, 2 are 0.10 and 3 are 0.15 miles.

I guess you should worry about using your CC in Canada. My bank just issued me with a VISA card having chip & pin. And it worked fine in London btw.

I did not realize we were rampant with fraud here. I feel safer now.

I guess I'm glad my next trip is in 2010 and not thereafter. Lets hope the problem gets resolved into a single system and that some US banks or credit card companies do issue the new improved universal chip cards to those who ask for them.

This is in today
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8293523.stm

It looks as though the criminals have turned their attention to online fraud

Also "Although it's difficult to prove, we think that one of the reasons for this dip in card losses may simply be as a result of fraudsters realising that they can prosper more by targeting foreign-issued cards," said Katy Worobec, head of Fraud Control.

"Particularly those without chip-and-pin protection and which currently have stronger currencies than sterling."

<i>It looks as though the criminals have turned their attention to online fraud</i>

Not only that, but, the numbers presented in that article point toward online/mail/phone fraud being the real issue for credit cards. But this is exactly the type of fraud for which the chip-and-pin offers no additional protection.

" Resist the gray people!"
Or even the GREY people !!

Well I have a UK C&P card and have never had an issue. Used it successfully over the past 2.5 years in the UK, Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands and last week in Canada where I could use my debit card in shops!!! All my friends back in Canada are now getting their cards replaced with C&P. They now have machines that can swipe the card or take the C&P cards. So it looks like Canada has come onboard...

Oh and my brother and his fiancee were able to use their Canadian C&P cards with no problems in the UK and France in bank machines, stores, and ticket machines.

This thread is filled with misinformation and bizarre stereotypes.

In the United States, if a credit card is stolen or used fraudently, the first $50 is the repsonsibility of the card owner. Before the recession, this was usually waived for the better customers. In Europe the owner is reponsible until he contacts the bank.

I often use my VISA or Mastercard for cash from an ATM in Europe. The difference is in Europe they use a four digit PIN, while it varies in the US. Additionally, if an American does not call his credit company and tell them where he is going its use may be denied.

Like all stereotypes they are steeped in ignorance.

Identity theft is a world wide problem and for many years the worst and most aggressive were in St. Petersberg, not hiding behind the petrol station. I do not know where the ID theft centers these days. And since the problem is ON-LINE it has no borders.

>In Europe the owner is reponsible until he contacts the bank.
Another stereotype, in Germany its usually 50€ max. .