USA credit card without new technology
 

Everyone successful in using our "old fashioned" credit cards?

Where?

For what?

I have had no problem using my ATM card in any ATM in Europe, Asia or South America.

I have had no problem using my magnetic strip card or chip and signature card at restaurants and hotels. The magnetic strip cards have not worked for me at kiosks dispensing tickets for Metro, etc. Those need chip & PIN cards. But the staffed window at metro stations in Paris were able to run my magnetic strip or a chip and signature card for the tickets.

Same experience as Kathie -- no problem whatsoever with the magnetic strip cards except at unmanned places.

You will be asked to sign by merchants in shops and restaurants.

However, American cards work perfectly well at autoroute toll booths, though. I was just with a friend who used her unchipped Target Visa with absolutely no problem at every toll on the road.

My experience has been the same as others who have already posted - unmanned kiosks don't take them, but go and stand in a line. You get to have a conversation with a human, too. ;-) (My last comment in reference to the reflection of our now technology-based society, not meant to be snarky).

The only merchant where I had an issue was at a restaurant/bistro where the handheld machine they had did not have the option to run a magnetic strip. Other than that and the kisosk - no issues.

Have fun!

We just got back from a few weeks in London and France, and ditto above.

I had applied for a Barclay's credit card in anticipation of the trip, and my husband's card worked in the Pin-and-Chip readers but mine didn't.

We got along just fine without them except when I had to roam, misdirected, all over Gare de Lyon looking for a human to sell us Ile-de-France tickets to Fontainebleau while the others waited with luggage. The machine on the rez-de-chausee there takes only coins and a chip cards.

Most of the time it's no hassle to sign for things but now and again it can be irksome, though this is rare. Recently I was in Dublin and did some shopping for my mother, only to be told at the supermarket checkout, sorry we only take chip and pin cards. Not because of any security measures ,but because they no longer have the capacity to print out the signature strip.

This was the only time it's happened to be but the irony is it's a BA card from the US that has always had a chip but it has never worked in Europe!

Problem with magnetic strip CC in a restaurant in Corsica.

We have chip and signature cards and the one time we tried to use on at ann unmanned toll booth on an autoroute in France, it did not work. They also did not work at some unmanned gas stations. But they were accepted everywhere else. We have used regular magnetic strip cards in Italy and Switzerland with no problems. Always have cash on hand just in case!

I forgot to add that most banks are either automatically issuing chip and signature cards or will send you one if you call and ask for one.

Only problem is at unattended points of sale that require chip and PIN. Otherwise, no problem - worldwide.

Chip and signature is the same as 'magnetic strip only' as far as Europe is concerned. Not even worth changing cards if they can't offer chip & pin.

Kerouac...unfortunately you are incorrect in all due respect. New regulations have gone into 3ffect as of 01 July requiring all kiosks to accept emv compliant cards which do not have pins (in the parlance of credit card world that have no cvm). Many places that heretofore did not accept US chip and signature cards for lack of a pin, now do so. Reports of merchants not completing an emv transaction when the "dreaded" signature required message flashes are most assuredly on the decline. As far as French tolls are concerned, that has never been an emv issue but rather many toll roads which in France are operated by different companies simply do not accept foeign credit card whether chip and pin, chip and signature or magnetic strip.

To take it a step further, as of today there are only 2 financial institutions in the USA issuing emv (chip) cards where pins will be asked for first. Those are UNFCU issand in the last few days First Tech FCU. Every other financial institution in the USA offering cards with emv chips (almost all do now and it will become pretty universal by 01 October) no matter what the csr's tell you)issue cards that default to signature. Many do have pins as a backup but in the vast majority of cases as of 01 July, will never get to the pin verification as the terminal will accept chip and signature. Magnetic strip may be a tad more problematic. I just completed a 3 week trip to Europe, mostly in Great Britain but also in Greece, Turkey, Italy and France, used chip and signature cards and not once was there the slightest problem. I will admit I carry a pin preferred UNFCU card for backup and usd it several times at self service checkouts at Boots, Sainsbury and Tesco in London where they are just now getting around to pushing self service checkout which we've had in the USA for a decade (one thing we do do better but not many). The problem was not that the chip and signature card didn't work, it most certainly did but in Britain, they still waste time collecting sigatures for small charges again something that has been done away with more and more in the USA (yes I know, not as secure as pin but to me not a big deal as we have zero liability for fraud as they do in Britain) but rather if you use a self service machine in Britain even if it has a pin as a backup, the transaction is halted and you are told to seek assistance. You have to wait for some clerk to get off his or her behind, come over and enter a code to print a receipt which he or she never looks at and compares the signature on the card to complete the transaction. I only do this but the UNFCU pin preferred card is not my favorite because while it has no annual fee, it charges a 1% foreign transaction fee which of course is 1% higher than it should be. I can afford to take a hit of 3p on a £3 charge but it can add up. I must have lost close to 40p on the £40 worth of charges I did this way for the "convenience. Such is life in a big city I suppose.

Incidentally, just to finish the thought. If you are from the United States and think you must have a chip and pin card, the only places to look are UNFCU and First Tech FCU. All the rest are signature preferred that once in a while may come in handy but the vast majority of time, it won't matter.

Having just returned from France, Visa with a chip worked everywhere, including toll roads.

My wife's ATM Visa without a chip worked at the ATM machine.

<I>As far as French tolls are concerned, that has never been an emv issue but rather many toll roads which in France are operated by different companies simply do not accept foeign credit card whether chip and pin, chip and signature or magnetic strip.</I>

Since you seem to be an expert, can you offer a link for confirming this? I took toll roads all last week with American friends, and we used their chipless cards for the tolls as a test, and they worked every single time. I used to use my chipless American Express and (French) Monoprix cards on these same roads without a problem.

Hi...on various blogs I have read that assertion about some French toll roads both here and elsewhere long before chip and pin became an issue. There was also a claim that whereas often mc and visa wouldn't work, Amex cards (and US Amex cards do not have pins) worked. Perhaps the new regulations regarding unpersonneled kiosks which became effective 01 July are having the desired effects. One of the things all of us have to be careful about is comparing what is going on new with what went on during the transition. In trying to justify its insistence that Americans prefer signature to pins (not something I necessarily agree with but I'm just a humble reporter), visa said it would begin vigorous enforcement of the requirement that all valid visa cards must be honored even by kiosks (automated gas pumps in France on Sunday afternoon). Many were and remain skeptical but as I said, in many cases (the sncf kiosks at CDG for example) places where Americans had trouble using cards lacking pins now take chip and signature cards. In my estimated, chip and signature cards will work 99.9% of the time now without pins. I am sure that we can find some places where this is a problem but nowhere near what was once true even just a year ago.

Like it or not, as I have said, in the USA at least emv means chip and signature not chip and pin. The distinction no really matters.

My PenFed chip and PIN cc didn't work at an unmanned gas station the other day in Narbonne. But, my chip and signature BOA card worked.

That sort of thing will depend on the amount of fraud that the American banks are willing to eat. French service stations will be happy to accept any card at the automatic pumps as long as their revenue is totally guaranteed. They will not accept cards where the charges can be cancelled because there was no signature.

Thanks, all!

joannyc - have you used your PenFed card successfully?

The PenFed cards are chip & signature. Mine has been accepted at any unmanned gas station where I have tried it.

Yestravel, I have successfully used my PenFed cc in the US as a test run for my trip to France. In the US, it is treated as a chip and signature card.

In Europe, it is meant to be used as a chip and PIN card. I have only tried it at a toll booth once and at a rail ticket machine in Toulouse once. Both unsuccessfully.

Sarastro, have you used your PenFed card in Europe at unmanned gas stations?

The Pen FCU cards are no different than almost every other US card. They are signature preferred with pin capabilities. In theory, if you run into a situation where signature cvm is not recognized by a terminal, it is supposed to then fall back to pin. I've used the card at pos terminals in Europe and as expected, it defaults to signature. I have not tried it at any place which doesn't accept signature but the question remains just how many such places exist as of 01 July. That I can't answer.

BTW a thread on use of credit cards in Europe should not be left without reminding customers to not fall for the dynamic currency conversion scam. If you are asked to sign a credit card slip and it has a US dollar amount listed no matter what lies the merchant tries to sell you, refuse to sign it and tell the merchant to void the transaction and run it properly using the local currency (euro, sterling, kroner, francs). The merchant may lie to you with statements such as the dollar amount is only an approximation to assist you or you will be charged a conversion fee (you will usually be charged the fee if you fall for this scam) or it locks in the exchange or it is the same as if the banks do the exchange or they have no control over it; it is done automatically by the terminal or of course the universal no speak English. If the clerk refuses to void the transaction and do it properly ask to speak to the manager. If you still can't get satisfaction, do not offer to pay cash. Just write on the slip local currency not offered (an advantage of chip and signature as you can't do this with chip and pin) and tell the merchant you will be disputing the charge when you return home. When you return home, inform your bank you are requesting a charge back for failure to follow mastercard or visa regs (amex doesn't allow dcc) and either the bank will charge back the charge or pay you the difference. It is a scam that is metastasizing through countries such as Spain and Italy and Poland I've heard mentioned from its birthplace in the Republic of Ireland. Forewarned is forewarned.

<i>Sarastro, have you used your PenFed card in Europe at unmanned gas stations?</i>

I live in Paris and have a car. PenFed is my primary card (it has no FTFs). It has worked anywhere I have tried it and I have purchased gas at a number of different unmanned locations.

The PenFed card has an offline PIN. It might be more likely to work at locations where on line verification is not available.

Just for the record, the chipless American card that worked just fine at all of the toll machines last week was a Visa card from Target.

The Visa I used was a Marriott, but with a chip.

Yes, sometimes the "regular" chipless card works just fine and sometimes it doesn't which isn't reassuirng when one is traveling. Next trip I will try my PenFed card at the unmanned RER station at CDG.

Who's the bank issuing the cards that are working?

I just got back and had no trouble in Paris and Prague. I have several, some without chips and one with a chip but it's chip and signature. They all worked the same, the machine said "signature needed." I did use the one with a chip in a ticket machine in one of the metro or RER stations and it worked, also. I can't say if it would have worked without the chip or not.

I use lots of cards from different banks. The one I had with a chip was a SWA Visa card, which is made by Chase.

Just stopped at an Intermarche gas station which is unmanned. None of my credit cards worked at 2 different pumps. PenFed, Chase, BOA, nor Cap One. BOA worked at an Intermarche in Narbonne the other day, see above post.

Went to a Total with automatic pumps, filled up and paid inside with the BOA card.

Geez, sounds like the PenFed card is not worth having. thanks for reporting.

Hi NATIVENEWYORKER,

Just returned from a week in Dublin. Before going, I spoke to my local branch manager at SANTANDER BANK where I have two accounts - good to go, he assured me after processing them for overseas travel.

I tried to use the ATM at the Bank on Ireland in downtown Dublin. I needed cash - these cards did not work. I went into the bank where the attendant was very helpful, but still could not give me cash.

Went back to my hotel and had to get cash there - only needed about €400, €100 of which I had left and applied to my bill when I checked out.

These cards worked perfectly at the Kilkenny Shop, however.
I must say that I did not have any problem in London the past few years using ATMs.

Is there a difference between the euro and the pound in that regard?

<i>Just stopped at an Intermarche gas station which is unmanned. None of my credit cards worked at 2 different pumps. PenFed, Chase, BOA, nor Cap One.</i>

My PenFed card works fine at unmanned Intermarche gas stations. It has never been rejected at any unmanned gas station, anywhere in France.

if we are talking ATM cards, I also have one of those without a chip and one with (that one is a debit card, and chip and signature). Both worked in Czech and French ATMs with no problem, as I used them both.

latedaytraveler, I don't understand your question, what does th euro vs. pound have to do with your card not working in some Irish ATM? Prague doesn't use the euro, either, and I had no trouble there but the currency is irrelevant.

I used my chip and pin ATM card for small purchases in eastern Europe. I won't do that again! When I came home and balanced my bank statement, there were a lot--maybe 10--small transaction fees charged by my bank--Wells Fargo. It was quite irritating. I have enough trouble balancing my account without having to write down charges for 33 cents or 27 cents.

It's just less hassle to use cash.

Anybody been in the Netherlands this summer? As I understand it, they're going away from any form of payment (including cash) except for chip and pin cards.

Do all Americans balance their personal bank statements? Is it taught at school?

Some of us have got through life without ever having done it.

"Do all Americans balance their personal bank statements?" I do, but some others don't. Only a half of my extended family do. I find just too many "mistakes", "entry errors", and "fees charged incorrectly for my type of account" on my statements to trust any banks. Mistakes are always in their favor - statistically unlikely to be random events.

Hi NATIVENEWYORKER,

Just returned from a week in Dublin. Before going, I spoke to my local branch manager at SANTANDER BANK where I have two accounts - good to go, he assured me after processing them for overseas travel. I guess my cards are "chipless."

I tried to use the ATM at the Bank on Ireland in downtown Dublin. I needed cash - these cards did not work. I went into the bank where the attendant was very helpful, but still could not give me cash.

Went back to my hotel and had to get cash there - only needed about €400, €100 of which I had left and applied to my bill when I checked out.

These cards worked perfectly at the Kilkenny Shop, however. So they could be used as "charge cards" but not for cash withdrawal.

I must say that I did not have any problem in London the past few years using ATMs. Is there a difference between the euro and the pound in that regard?

I don't know why my PenFed card is not working. It has a zero balance and about $20-25k worth of credit so it's not like I have maxed it out. Worked in the US on a few trial runs before my trip. Applied for it specifically for gas, tolls, etc. on this trip.