I own a retail store in Canada in a tourist area with people from all over the world...mostly Americans. We switched over to the pin & chip terminals about a year ago. I swipe every card...and then the terminal tells me whether it's a pin/chip card and if it is, then I insert the card into the terminal. Easy. As a retailer I like the added security and as a consumer with a pin/chip Visa card, I like the added security. I think it's a great way to go. There have been glitches in the system but they are getting ironed out.
I had a few American credit cards declined this summer, more than usual. We wondered if it was because of the sudden change in their spending and they hadn't notified their credit card companies that they would be out of the country. We always do when we leave for a trip to Europe for example.
As far as producing additional identification...you wouldn't believe how many Americans have actually written on the back of their credit cards "ask for additional identification"...and then get very irritaded if you don't. Then I love the folks who have the new cards and write their pin number right on the card, because they have "too many numbers to remember". Oh boy.

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

What about the other 49 sovereign states?

I'd argue that just because your losses are limited to $50 or 50 euro, that it's not an issue. Even wonder why CC companies justify their interest rates? Why, to pay for fraud (and comfprtable profits also). But I'd agree that the pros are nto going to try to scam your credit card...much easier to get the database like the did for TJMax, Social Security numbers, and other recent stories. Why bother with one card when you can create a 1,000 or 10,000. An on-line...priceless

One simple thought will make it clear, wherever you are:

Who would ever get a credit card, if he could be responsible for all possible loss in case of a theft?

You're responsible above 50€ only in case off "gross negligence", leaving it in the car or the hotel room. But this should be obvious, shouldn't it? Having it stolen out of your pocket is not negligant.

HEY DAVE! A new Zealander invented GPS and was only invested in by an American company. Get it right.

<i>What about the other 49 sovereign states?</i>

That's probably why it's not the greatest idea to generalise about how things are done in "Europe."

In the UK your liability is limited to £50 if the card is used before you report it stolen (and zero in most other cases.) So it appears the situations are very similar in the US and Germany at least.

<i>Like all stereotypes they are steeped in ignorance.</i>

Imagine my chagrin, not to mention panic, when we drove from the Republic of Ireland into Northern Ireland in a rental car with the speedometer only marked in km's. Even my ancient Ford Explorer and my slightly newer Jeep Liberty have both mph and kph. Next time I'll take a little card with equivalencies.