Chip and PIN in Europe

[marko]

My AMEX, Visa and Debit card all have chips. Only my debit card uses a PIN.

Is this what we're talking about?

As an aside, we use AMEX in Europe 90% of the time with no problems. But we've never been asked for a PIN regardless of which card we use.

How new is this?

 

[audreyh1]

My AMEX, Visa and Debit card all have chips. Only my debit card uses a PIN.

Is this what we're talking about?

As an aside, we use AMEX in Europe 90% of the time with no problems. But we've never been asked for a PIN regardless of which card we use.

How new is this?

No, this has nothing to do with debit cards. And it’s been an issue for a long time.

Many US issuers of chip credit cards will also assign you a PIN, or assign you a PIN on request. Not all do. In certain situations you may be able to use the credit card at a machine with the PIN.

The most reliable credit card to use in Europe is one with PIN priority. These work all the time unless the machine refuses US credit cards (thanks Deutsche Bahn).

Fortunately, ApplePay and tap to pay are far more prevalent in Europe today so you can avoid the whole PIN or signature issue in a lot of cases now.

 

[braumeister]

Fortunately, ApplePay and tap to pay are far more prevalent in Europe today so you can avoid the whole PIN or signature issue in a lot of cases now.

Apple Pay is always my first choice. It rarely fails.

 

[luckydude]

Wow -this seems like a major hassle. We are traveling to Australia/NZ in 2024. Will have to figure that out in advance.

Chip and PIN isn't an issue in New Zealand or Australia. I travel there frequently and have never had to supply a PIN when using my card (Capital One Venture) even though the card has a PIN set up already.

 

[luckydude]

My AMEX, Visa and Debit card all have chips. Only my debit card uses a PIN.

Is this what we're talking about?

As an aside, we use AMEX in Europe 90% of the time with no problems. But we've never been asked for a PIN regardless of which card we use.

How new is this?

It's about using a "chip" credit card that has a PIN assigned to it. Some credit cards will let you assign a PIN while others don't. A PIN allows you to authorize a transaction (as opposed to signature) at point of sale.

This is fairly common in Europe and has been so for the last decade.

 

[luckydude]

I have a chip and PIN credit card from Capital One, but I've never had to enter the PIN when traveling in Europe except at unmanned gas stations in some parts of Iceland. Those unmanned gas stations ask for a PIN to be entered before pump is authorized for use. Foreign travelers have been known to be stranded because they didn't have a chip and PIN card (or didn't have a PIN) set up and couldn't get gas.

Otherwise, I've never been asked to enter a PIN at point of sale in Europe.

 

[SecondAttempt]

I haven't had any issues with our chip+signature cards on my last three trips to Europe - Netherlands, France, Spain & Portugal.

At times, the vendor would print out the receipt and have me sign. Other times, I didn't have to sign at all. The cards worked in automated ticket vending machines too. Where available, the tap & pay worked too.


I've rented cars in Spain & Portugal with a chip/signature card without issue - Enterprise on both occasions. I would call the location where you are renting from and check.

American tourists are a large part of European tourism, so it is not in their interest to make it hard for us.

The last time I was in Europe proper was in 2019 just before covid. I say proper because I was in Tahiti last summer and it is part of the European banking system. I rented a car both times (from Hertz) and had no problems using chip+signature. But when trying to make a reservation with Hertz for this trip in Sweden I was met with a warning that chip+pin was required and I would have to use an automated kiosk.

It could be because I am looking at a city center location for pickup (basically a parking garage) and they might be unstaffed so only the kiosk. I may just look into picking up at an airport where there is a human.

 

[marko]

This is fairly common in Europe and has been so for the last decade.

Well, we've lived in Europe for many years and have never had a problem. So either this is a non issue, or I don't understand the question.

 

[jesaco]

After reading this thread, I checked if I could get a PIN with my chase credit card. All I did was call the Chase PIN request phone# at 800 297 4970 ang just followed the instruction and a temporary PIN number will be mailed to me and I can change it anytime to my own number. I was in Portugal last year and not one establishment asked for a PIN number. I will be leaving to Italy end of the month and decided to get a PIN just in case.

 

[sengsational]

Whenever I get a new card, I always set up a PIN for it, if available. Mainly so I have several options for kiosks and toll booths. One thing I learned about toll booths...they aren't too picky. I guess they don't want you to fumble around for minutes trying to find/enter a PIN. Kiosks and parking machines, they're going to make you go through the details, IME.

 

[NoiseBoy]

I had a Barclay travel Mastercard that was chip & pin and it worked pretty well when I needed to use it in ticket machines in Europe. But it had a $95 annual fee so during the pandemic I opted to switch to a different Barclay branded card which doesn't have an annual fee (AARP card) and also doesn't have foreign transaction fees. Unfortunately, on my most recent trip to Europe, the new card worked sporadically. It failed to work in the first ticket machine I tried it with, but l happened to be at the airport, so I exchanged $20 to have some local currency so I could buy a train ticket into town. The card continued to be problematic; it never worked at any supermarket even with a cashier, but it was generally fine in restaurants and other shops.

I was going to try replacing it before my upcoming trip in May, but then I received an offer to upgrade my Citibank card to one without foreign transaction fees. I had to accept a $95 annual fee, but decide to live with it since this is an account that I've had for a very long time. I suspect that it's not going to be pin priority, but at least I will have a backup CC that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees. If my AARP card gives me trouble on this trip, I will replace it before I travel again. This issue is annoying as it adds stress to what should be a relaxing and enjoyable endeavor.

On my last trip, I setup Google Pay to see if that would get around the issue of my AARP card not working at the supermarket, but no joy. I called Barclay and they told me that they were not seeing a transaction, so my card wasn't denying it, rather it was never making it that far in the system, I guess?

 

[Chuckanut]

I had a Barclay travel Mastercard that was chip & pin and it worked pretty well when I needed to use it in ticket machines in Europe. But it had a $95 annual fee so during the pandemic I opted to switch to a different Barclay branded card which doesn't have an annual fee (AARP card) and also doesn't have foreign transaction fees. Unfortunately, on my most recent trip to Europe, the new card worked sporadically.

I also had the free Barclay chip-n-pin card years ago. I took it to Europe one or two times and the pin part of the card never worked for me. Not once. I cut up the card and forgot about it. Last year Barclays canceled my card for non-use.

 

[Involuntary Retiree]

Those of you who hold/use the First Tech Federal Credit Union chip and PIN card for international travel, which card is it? I'm on the FirstTech website, and there are several cards available, and none is indicated to be a chip and PIN card.

 

[audreyh1]

I have the First Tech Choice Rewards World MasterCard. All their cards have chips, but I don’t know if there have been changes as we’ve had ours for many years.

I guess you have to really dig. I found this one one of their FAQs: regarding Choice Rewards World:

How do I use a Chip and PIN card?
Important: Before you can begin using your chip card, you need to do two things:

Obtain your PIN. For security reasons, your PIN is mailed separately from your card.
Activate your new card per the instructions on the front of the card.

Chip cards are easy to use. Your First Tech Mastercard has chip and magnetic stripe technology. That means, regardless of what type of terminal a merchant has, you'll be able to use your card anywhere Mastercard is accepted. Your PIN will be required for most transaction types. Some merchants may ask you to sign for your transaction.

At retailers with chip-enabled terminals: Insert your card and follow the prompts on the terminal.

At retailers without chip terminals: Swipe your card and proceed as you normally would.

Over the phone or online: Provide your card information the way you always have when you're ready to make a purchase

 

[luckydude]

Well, we've lived in Europe for many years and have never had a problem. So either this is a non issue, or I don't understand the question.

It's a non-issue. I've only had to use PIN once to use unmanned gas stations in Iceland. Never been asked to use PIN in Europe otherwise.

PIN is needed if you want to use the "cash advance" feature of your credit card---basically withdrawing cash from ATM using the card. I never use that feature.

 

[audreyh1]

I’ve had several times I needed to use a PIN with my credit card in Europe which is why I went to the trouble of getting one with PIN priority. Never a cash advance. I have no fee ATM cards to get cash in Europe.

 

[Involuntary Retiree]

I think I have the First Tech Choice Rewards World MasterCard. All their cards have chips, but I don’t know if there have been changes as we’ve had ours for many years.

I guess you have to really dig. I found this one one of their FAQs: regarding Choice Rewards World:

Looks like I didn't dig deeply enough. Thanks!

 

[Involuntary Retiree]

My husband and I were returning a rental car in Bologna, Italy a few years ago and wanted to fill the tank before we dropped it off. It happened to be a bank holiday of some sort, and no gas stations were open/manned. The unmanned ones (and I use the plural because we tried many!) wouldn't take any of our credit cards. That experience made a believer out of me to always go prepared for anything.


Our next trip to Europe, I went armed with a Barclays card that was a true chip and PIN, but I didn't need it that trip, and then Covid hit, and Barclays canceled the card for non-use. Our first post-Covid trip is coming up this fall, so we're getting prepared.

 

[braumeister]

I have the First Tech Choice Rewards World MasterCard.

That's the one I have, and it has helped me out a number of times.

Train station ticket kiosks can be a problem without that PIN priority, although you can usually find a ticket counter where you can use a regular card.

Paying for your meal in a restaurant where the waiter brings the machine to your table is usually not a problem but I definitely appreciate being able to use the PIN instead of having the machine spit out a paper receipt I have to sign.

But recently, using Apple Pay on my watch instead of digging out my wallet or my phone is just so easy that I hope it continues to spread worldwide.

 

[audreyh1]

Train stations can be problem especially as the ticket counters often have long lines. But I have had the best luck ordering tickets ahead via an app such as Trainline, even if just the night before, and then using a kiosk if needed to print out a ticket using a reservation reference number, or just showing the tickets from the phone. A lot less pressure than dealing with a machine and a possible time crunch. Seems like in the last year or two everything was etickets anyway - what a relief!

 

[brett]

We spent four weeks on trains and city transport in Portugal last June.

Every rail ticket and bus ticket reservation was purchased on line. Lisbon subway tickets purchased on our chip card. Could have been tap....I forget.

Never once had to line up for tickets. We were 1/2 price seniors. Just input our passport details to register as senior prior to going. On the second trip the conductor came along and agreed our passports with the data on his hand held terminal.

 

[explanade]

^^^ So let me see if I understand this. If your card supports the RFID contactless transaction, then you do not need to have Chip and Pin, with pin priority??

Also, if you have an Apple CC in your Apple Pay, there is no foreign transaction fees.

Contactless is more common but a lot of unmanned gas stations and autostrada toll booths won’t work with contactless.

Also there are transaction limits for contactless though I’ve not run into them.

It was awhile ago but the train ticket kiosks in Amsterdam and Belgium only worked with chip and PIN.

 

[audreyh1]

Yes, Amsterdam was one of the tougher cities to deal with without chip and PIN and PIN priority. And we visited often as family lives there. We learned some workarounds but they were a hassle compared just having a compatible credit card.

 

[SecondAttempt]

Thanks everyone. Involuntary Retiree mentioned using a Barclay's card. I have a Hawaiian airlines card through Barclays and after some research learned that it will work as a chip and PIN card in Europe.

 

[Involuntary Retiree]

We have a 60-day trip coming up this fall in Ireland/Northern Ireland and other places TBD. DH and I are still negotiating our follow on locales. Ha! I don't really want to open another credit card account (with First Tech for EMV technology), so we will be experimenting with a Wise debit card to see if it meets our chip and PIN needs. It's not a credit card, so we will need to deposit cash into our Wise account and any use will be charged against our cash balance. We won't be using it for anything other than those odd things that won't work with a chip and signature card, so the amount of our initial deposit shouldn't be more than a thousand or so. I've had an account with Wise since before Covid, so I'm comfortable with their services, their currency exchange rates and fees.



I'll report back in November and let you know how it goes.