lajc....I live in NY and applied and eventually got the Andrews FCU chip & pin card; it was arduous but I finally got it just in case. Do reember, this credit card charges a 1% foreign transaction fee so it's not necessarily the bet. It worked but in every case, basically functioned as chip and signature or didn't ask for a signature or pin at all in some kiosks. Some have reported that the card did not work in some places such as automatic toll booths and unmanned or unwomanned gas stations, others say it did.

Take a look at the Bank of America travel rewards card. No annual fee. No foreign transaction fee and chip and signature as a possible alternative. (Although there's nothing of course wrong of carrying the Andrews card when all else fails).

Tony, yes, I mean that quite literally, it was a photocopy. I'm not talking about official purposes, of course, I'm talking about stores who want some ID when you use your credit card, that's all. Or when cashing travelers cheques at bureaux de change, although I haven't done that in some years. This discussion was about using it in stores with a credit card.

lajc, I have a different point of view. I would never leave my passport in a hotel safe. It can be opened by hotel staff. I carry it in a money belt underneath my clothing. It used to drive me crazy when hotels took my passport and kept it (in the good old days, before copiers)