US Visa card holders beware!
Aug 16th, 2006, 12:07 PM
#21
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 9,017
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
>but I cannot!
Why not, I use mine everywhere, havn't had a single problem up to now.
Anywqay, the "Deutsche Bank Sparcard" is my favourite, since they dont charge any fees, when you're using their partner banks to get cash and they even use the correct "wholesale" exchange rate. Plus the card is free
Why not, I use mine everywhere, havn't had a single problem up to now.
Anywqay, the "Deutsche Bank Sparcard" is my favourite, since they dont charge any fees, when you're using their partner banks to get cash and they even use the correct "wholesale" exchange rate. Plus the card is free
Aug 16th, 2006, 12:08 PM
#22
Guest
Posts: n/a
May, June, and July used a Visa card without a smart chip about 150 times in 150 different places -- Italy, France, Spain, and the UK. The only problem was in some ticket machines at train stations in France and in Italy. No problem at any store, museum, or restaurant. I can't imagine what places would "repeatedly" not accept your card.
Aug 16th, 2006, 12:11 PM
#23
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,874
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The "education" part is making me laugh. I can imagine this restaurant owner in the south of France getting a scolding form letter from Visa - in English - attaching a copy of some agreement - in English. Sure, that will help....
Aug 16th, 2006, 12:12 PM
#24
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 22,982
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I had absolutely no problems with my card in the Dorcogne (does this qualify as southern France?). I have known for years that the card does not work in self-service stations and that an attendant must be present. Since I speak French fluently, I warned the person each time that there was no <i>puce</i> and that they had to slide the card through a slot. The only time I had a problem was in Bragança, Portugal, where the restaurant claimed that they had two different systems for cards with and without chips, and the connection for our card was not working that night.
Aug 16th, 2006, 12:14 PM
#25
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I live in Spain, but have a British 'chip and pin' card. I'm glad because here in Spain with the old swipe cards, they took your card, swiped it and gave it back before you signed it without ever checking the signature! They do, however, insist that any credit card purchase (other than in better restaurants) is only possible with photo ID. In the UK we don't have ID cards and I always forget my passport!
Aug 16th, 2006, 12:27 PM
#26
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,357
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I am departing for SW France and the Dordogne in a month. The 4 places where I am staying all have my credit card information when making the reservation. It seems that they are able to use them when people are no shows!! Anyway, I have just e-mailed each of them, telling them about the forum discussion and asking if my cards will be accepted by them.
I will post back when I receive the responses.
Joan
I will post back when I receive the responses.
Joan
Aug 16th, 2006, 12:29 PM
#27
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,605
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We were in Nice (and Paris) in late June and had no problems w/our Visa. We also used it at gas stations w/the caveat that it didn't have a puce. We always use change on the highway so can't comment on that.
Aug 16th, 2006, 12:40 PM
#29
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 37,416
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I ran into that in Copenhagen this last winter. My neice was living there and she mentioned the pin number deal with the credit card NOT debit card. But, only had a "problem" at one store but it was resolved. I wasn't quite sure what they were talking about until these recent posts. NOW I get it...duh.
Aug 16th, 2006, 12:55 PM
#30
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,995
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm kind of dense, though. So, basically, some stores, ATMS, etc. will not accept debit/credit cards that don't have a smart chip, but all CCs and DCs issued in the US don't have this chip. I'll be living in the UK starting soon for a year and plan to do a fair bit of travelling; hopefully I won't have any issues.
Aug 16th, 2006, 01:05 PM
#33
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 17,549
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I used a cash machine card from the US in ATMs all over France, as well as in Spain, Italy, Greece, and Turkey last year and in the UK earlier this year. Ditto a VISA card and no problems at all in any of those locations.
Aug 16th, 2006, 01:08 PM
#34
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 4,667
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
>>>>>
Most French people we spoke to about our problem seemed to agree: the US refuses to shift to smart card technology because it is jealous that the system was inveneted not in the US but in France.
>>>>>
don't listen to these people. this technology has been seriously questioned by security experts and many think it is a waste of money to implement as it won't provide payback (it is extremely expensive). most of us are not experts on this sort of thing so we can have opinions either way but a country not wanting to implement this (and there are many besides the US) hardly means that they are not doing it because they are jealous of france. do some americans worship europeans so much that they will accept whatever they say no matter how silly it is?
missy...visa and their partner banks would communicate to french merchants in french...just as french people get their visa bill in french and the work to install and educate the CC equipment in the first place is in french. frankly it is obsurd to assume that it would work any other way. anyway, this "education" would most likely come from the french visa partner bank who would have no reason to speak or write anything in english.
many multinational companies have been occused of being culturally insensitive but they are not THAT stupid.
Most French people we spoke to about our problem seemed to agree: the US refuses to shift to smart card technology because it is jealous that the system was inveneted not in the US but in France.
>>>>>
don't listen to these people. this technology has been seriously questioned by security experts and many think it is a waste of money to implement as it won't provide payback (it is extremely expensive). most of us are not experts on this sort of thing so we can have opinions either way but a country not wanting to implement this (and there are many besides the US) hardly means that they are not doing it because they are jealous of france. do some americans worship europeans so much that they will accept whatever they say no matter how silly it is?
missy...visa and their partner banks would communicate to french merchants in french...just as french people get their visa bill in french and the work to install and educate the CC equipment in the first place is in french. frankly it is obsurd to assume that it would work any other way. anyway, this "education" would most likely come from the french visa partner bank who would have no reason to speak or write anything in english.
many multinational companies have been occused of being culturally insensitive but they are not THAT stupid.
Aug 16th, 2006, 01:38 PM
#35
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Before I sign off, I would like to briefly respond to some points raised in this discussion. I would still recommend that US travellers should be prepared to encounter possible CC-related problems in France.
"Many people have used US-issued CC cards without problems in a variety of different settings". Alas, this was not our experience in late July/early August this year.
"You have greater success with debit CC'ds, which have security technology". Our debit card was not accepted at two ATMs, but was accepted at two different ATMs on the same block and withi 15 minutes. Uncooperative machines immediately accepted the card of our French host (who was curious about what was going on).
"Points of sale without salespersons are the most problematic". Correct: except that one unattended peage DID accept our Visa!
"Venders will accommodate US CCs by manually swiping the card". HAH! This, I assure readers, was NOT our predictable experience! We resorted to calling/checking restaurants ahead of time. Twice we were informed by the owners that we needed either cash or a smart CC. One suggested that we ask our hosts to pay with their smart CCs.
I general, it seems that one may get away with using a US-issued card in France. At the very least, however, be prepared to run into problems and do not assume that your CC will be automatically accepted. Your Visa card is no longer as international as it was a short while ago. Even Visa International is prepared to concede this. See their statement at: http://corporate.visa.com/md/nr/press288.jsp
Visa would be happy to ensure that offending vendors will be properly "educated"--but you must remember to write down the name and address of the said vendor and pass these details on to Visa International!
"Many people have used US-issued CC cards without problems in a variety of different settings". Alas, this was not our experience in late July/early August this year.
"You have greater success with debit CC'ds, which have security technology". Our debit card was not accepted at two ATMs, but was accepted at two different ATMs on the same block and withi 15 minutes. Uncooperative machines immediately accepted the card of our French host (who was curious about what was going on).
"Points of sale without salespersons are the most problematic". Correct: except that one unattended peage DID accept our Visa!
"Venders will accommodate US CCs by manually swiping the card". HAH! This, I assure readers, was NOT our predictable experience! We resorted to calling/checking restaurants ahead of time. Twice we were informed by the owners that we needed either cash or a smart CC. One suggested that we ask our hosts to pay with their smart CCs.
I general, it seems that one may get away with using a US-issued card in France. At the very least, however, be prepared to run into problems and do not assume that your CC will be automatically accepted. Your Visa card is no longer as international as it was a short while ago. Even Visa International is prepared to concede this. See their statement at: http://corporate.visa.com/md/nr/press288.jsp
Visa would be happy to ensure that offending vendors will be properly "educated"--but you must remember to write down the name and address of the said vendor and pass these details on to Visa International!
Aug 16th, 2006, 02:14 PM
#37
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 2,121
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I haven't seen any problems with US Visa cards in France. If they have a point-of-sale terminal for smart cards, they also can handle the old-style magnetic cards, so if they say it can't be done, they are usually lying.
It is true that old-style cards have tremendous problems with fraud. Pickpockets love American tourists because the US still uses these old-style cards. They are also more likely to cause problems when they are used in terminals, since magnetic stripes are less reliable than chips.
But everyone in Paris, at least, is still accepting American Visa cards.
The recent switch of the UK to smart cards is making the old-style card more and more rare, and I suppose some merchants may be getting tired of doing things the old-fashioned way.
It is true that old-style cards have tremendous problems with fraud. Pickpockets love American tourists because the US still uses these old-style cards. They are also more likely to cause problems when they are used in terminals, since magnetic stripes are less reliable than chips.
But everyone in Paris, at least, is still accepting American Visa cards.
The recent switch of the UK to smart cards is making the old-style card more and more rare, and I suppose some merchants may be getting tired of doing things the old-fashioned way.
