elliott.org comes through again - advisories re: the need for PINs to use your credit cards in Europe, and a warning that cards not "chip-enabled" may not or will not work there. Here is the blurb:

Thanks. I know the alert is focused on Europe, but I think I'll call our credit card folks about "pins" and "chips" before we head to Mexico in a couple of weeks.

I just called my CC companies yesterday and NOT ONE OF THEM mentioned I might need a PIN. Better make some more calls today.

Not to seem contentious, but I question the warning in the article quoted in the original post. Perhaps Doug Carlson had that experience; but it is certainly not the experience we've ever had anywhere in the world, including Europe.

We just returned from CAVIAR, the Black Sea cruise. We used credit cards at the Frankfurt, Germany airport, in several cities in Turkey, in the Ukraine, in Russia, in Romania, and in Greece. Never was there any issue of either a PIN or a chip. In most cases, the little portable credit card receipt printers the restaurants use don't even have the capability to take PINs or read a chip.

On CAMEL in April-May of this year, we used credit cards is many places in the Middle East and Europe, again without any issue of PINs or chips. I am not suggesting that Doug Carlson did not have the problems cited in this article; but I do suggest that either he has very bad luck, a weird credit card, or perhaps a demeanor that provokes suspicion.

If any other LCTer has ever had such an experience, it would be good of her/him to post and let us know of the experience. In the absence of such, I consider this "alert" from elliot.org and Mr. Carlson to be inaccurate and a bit hysteric. (Please remember that this suggested moderate response to the "alert" comes from me, someone who is notoriously A-R with respect to all sorts of trip preparations and is often accused of making far too many precautionary preparations for trips.)

In any event, happy PINing. Cheers, Fred

This sounds like the same misinformation about prescription drugs that sent us all in a tailspin on CAMEL.When I questioned an agent at the Dubai airport he shook his head and said "Not true", same for personnel at our hotel.I'm grateful for any information pertaining to the countries I'm visiting but too much is, as Fred said, "hysteric"

Michael, I did not have a problem using my credit cards this spring and summer, and hit a lot of countries on my two cruises. I would think that Europe would bring the greatest stress for future cruisers. I was able to access my bank account, and charge in shops without one incident. One caveat, make sure the ATM you are accessing has one of the stamps that is on the back of your card, STAR, PLUS, etc.

A neighbor I play poker with occasionally grumbled about this problem earlier this spring, after returning from a vacation trip to Europe. So when I spotted this report I posted it. But first I called AMEX, who told me a PIN was needed ONLY for cards with microchips in them. They couldn't definitely tell me if cards without microchips are still being accepted universally, or if we needed to get a card with a chip (they did offer to do it without charge, but then you have to enter the PIN every time I gather).

We did need a PIN with our AMEX card several years ago in Australia, in 2004 I think, but only to get money, not for purchases, I recall. Our card is linked to a brokerage account, which is why we had a PIN. I'm almost positive that card did not have a chip in it. I don’t recall ever trying to use our AMEX card in an ATM here in the US; we just use our bank’s ATM/debit card. At that point, I don’t think Wachovia had gobbled our regional bank up yet. In any event, its ATM card wouldn’t work “down under”.

The European Union has very strict rules re: privacy, etc., so this development may be something to protect banks and other businesses there get around, or comply with, EU requirements. Speculation.

Here we go again: A new CURRENT reports of problems using American-issued credit cards in Europe, this time from a post on Boston.com I learned about at www.consumerworld.org. Have a look at it here - http://www.boston.com/travel/articles/2008/09/07/us_travelers_face_credit_snafu/

This post does not make a distinction between cards which have micro-chips and those with magnetic strips, as the article explains the rationale of American credit card issuers and their reluctance to change to pin-based approval systems. Plain and simple, it would cost too much to replace all of the machines.

Don't know about Europe, but I used 3 different cards in Peru last week and did NOT have to input a PIN ... NONE of those cards has a microchip.

No problems with our Amex or Visa in Scotland, in May. So far, so good.

While in England for my last business trip, I found that most places would accept my company credit card which does not have the chip and pin system in place, but some of the cashiers/servers didn't know how to do it, and needed to get a manager's help.

This was in a small town not used to foreign tourists though - so although they could still accept our cards, they just didn't always know how to.

I never had a problem with a manager being able to figure it out - just the "front line" personnel were a little confused sometimes (although our favorite restaurants got used to it pretty quick!).

:)
Liz

I have both US and European cards. In Europe I always use my Swiss UBS card. This has a chip and a PIN. I was in London last week. I used the card several times (as one does!). Although UK-issued card owners were asked to put in their PINs, I was not. I signed for all my purchases. The only place I have found locally (living in southern Switzerland) that requires PINs, aside from ATM withdrawals, are `Swiss and French petrol stations.