Any credit cards?

[heatherrnw]

I am curious if you can use any type of credit card. I will have cash and use cash machines, but I know there are some places that do take credit cards. Do they have to be a certain type? Like with a chip or only from Europe?

 

[trecile]

I used my credit cards from a US bank while on the Camino. Mine have a chip, but don't have a PIN.

 

[james walter purdum iv]

hotels and some of the casa reals or more upscale allergies will sometimes take credit, but for the other 89% of the time it is all cash based. smaller bills are ideal due to the cheapness of everything...5-7 euros for municipals 10-13 for albergues and cafe con leches! i used an atm whenever i could find one took out 250 euros and then walked on. it will last for 10 days so plenty of time to walk through another bigger town that has an atm.

 

[november_moon]

Visa and Mastercard are the most likely to be accepted. You can use cards with a chip or with a magnetic stripe - the terminals can accept both. For a chip, it is usually a slot on the bottom of the machine, for magnetic stripe, it is usually a slide along the side. If you have a magnetic stripe card, you may have to point out the slide on the side of the machine to the person processing the card - sometimes people don't know how to process since they aren't common in Europe anymore. If you have a chip and signature card, which most US cards are now, you will press Enter when prompted for a PIN and a receipt will be printed for you to sign.

 

[jirit]

If you are planning to use your credit cards to even an ATM card in Europe, make sure your bank is aware of this, so they don't accidentally lock your accounts.

 

[dougfitz]

some of the ... more upscale allergies will sometimes take credit

I don't think I'd be inclined to pay an allergy, high class or otherwise

 

[Anemone del Camino]

If you are planning to use your credit cards to even ATM card in Europe, make sure your bank is aware of this, so they don't accidentally lock your accounts.

Many credit card no longer require you give them the heads up when travelling. That is the case with TD.

 

[natefaith]

Most places still won't take American Express, so it will be good to stick with Visa or Mastercard. And - I don't know if this has changed at all - we once used our credit cards - instead of our debit cards - to withdraw cash from an ATM in Europe. Big mistake! We didn't know it but the bank started charging interest right away on our "loan", and we received a large credit card bill later that month. We vowed never to do that again.

Also, in Spain, if you use your credit card at a vendor (store, restaurant, etc) they will ask you if it's PIN or "firma" (signature). If your card doesn't have a PIN, you'll say "firma" and then they'll ask to see your ID (passport should be fine). They are very consistent about checking your ID here, so you can be prepared for that.

Buen Camino!

 

[Saint Mike II]

I am curious if you can use any type of credit card. I will have cash and use cash machines, but I know there are some places that do take credit cards. Do they have to be a certain type? Like with a chip or only from Europe?

I have travelled across most of Western Europe and about the only credit card problem I had was with the Real Madrid Club store in Madrid - who would not accept my AMEX card, but they were happy to accept the Master Card so it may have been an issue with the AMEX fees rather than a general credit card ban. (BTW when I posted on a similar subject a year ago the pro-AMEX/con-AMEX responses were about even).

 

[Saint Mike II]

I used my credit cards from a US bank while on the Camino. Mine have a chip, but don't have a PIN.

MMMM - a chip but no PIN. Would you mind explaining how this works?
Here in Oz (Australia) we went the other way - about 12-15 months ago it became mandatory for all credit card purchases (and I think Debit cards as well) to be completed via the use of a PIN - 4 or 6 digits. We also have "pay-wave" for those that like it (not me) for purchases up to $100.
Cheers

 

[trecile]

I don't think I'd be inclined to pay an allergy, high class or otherwise

Tee hee

 

[trecile]

Most places still won't take American Express, so it will be good to stick with Visa or Mastercard. And - I don't know if this has changed at all - we once used our credit cards - instead of our debit cards - to withdraw cash from an ATM in Europe. Big mistake! We didn't know it but the bank started charging interest right away on our "loan", and we received a large credit card bill later that month. We vowed never to do that again.

It would have been the same if you had used your credit card at an ATM in the US. It's considered a cash advance, and they begin charging interest the minute you take out the money

MMMM - a chip but no PIN. Would you mind explaining how this works?
Here in Oz (Australia) we went the other way - about 12-15 months ago it became mandatory for all credit card purchases (and I think Debit cards as well) to be completed via the use of a PIN - 4 or 6 digits. We also have "pay-wave" for those that like it (not me) for purchases up to $100.
Cheers

I don't know why we haven't gone to chip and PIN here, but while debit cards have PINs, most credit cards don't, even with the chip. Depending on the merchant, we need to sign for CC purchases in the US. Many stores will have a limit. For instance, at Costco, you don't have to sign if your purchase is under around $100. I don't know the exact amount. Other stores it's $50, etc.

 

[natefaith]

It would have been the same if you had used your credit card at an ATM in the US. It's considered a cash advance, and they begin charging interest the minute you take out the money

Yes, sorry for any confusion. Since we always used our debit card in the US to withdraw money from that bank's ATMs, I never even thought about credit card cash advances until that trip in Europe. But it makes sense that it's a cash advance everywhere.

 

[james walter purdum iv]

I don't think I'd be inclined to pay an allergy, high class or otherwise

No auto correct on Camino or is there???

 

[alaskadiver]

Most places still won't take American Express, so it will be good to stick with Visa or Mastercard. And - I don't know if this has changed at all - we once used our credit cards - instead of our debit cards - to withdraw cash from an ATM in Europe. Big mistake! We didn't know it but the bank started charging interest right away on our "loan", and we received a large credit card bill later that month. We vowed never to do that again.

Also, in Spain, if you use your credit card at a vendor (store, restaurant, etc) they will ask you if it's PIN or "firma" (signature). If your card doesn't have a PIN, you'll say "firma" and then they'll ask to see your ID (passport should be fine). They are very consistent about checking your ID here, so you can be prepared for that.

Buen Camino!

I spent 3 1/2 weeks in spain last May and no one ever asked me for ID. Nor did they ask me if I had a pin. They seemed to just know that American CC are chip and signature

 

[alaskadiver]

It would have been the same if you had used your credit card at an ATM in the US. It's considered a cash advance, and they begin charging interest the minute you take out the money
.

My credit card must be special. I took money out of an ATM on my credit card by accident. I got distracted and pulled it out instead of my Schwab debit card. I realized as soon as I was done. I paid the card the same day (or maybe it was the next day) and never saw an interest charge. Or any fee given I don't incur foreign transaction fees. I have no intention of testing it again, though.

 

[jirit]

Many credit card no longer require you give them the heads up when travelling. That is the case with TD.

This is from TD's Help section on their website

https://www.tdbank.com/faqs/faqs_intl_indiv.html#traveling

 

[Anemone del Camino]

This is from TD's Help section on their website

https://www.tdbank.com/faqs/faqs_intl_indiv.html#traveling

Well maybe they have not updated their website because now when you call to let them know you are leaving the voice tells you it is no longer necessary to so. So even if you do call, they don't want to speak to you telling you that their new IT system is so great you don't need to warn them.

 

[jirit]

Well maybe they have not updated their website because now when you call to let them know you are leaving the voice tells you it is no linger necessary to so. So even if you do call, they don't want to speak to you telling you that their new IT system is so great you don't need to warn them.

You are correct

https://www.tdcanadatrust.com/m/credit-acc-mgmt/setup-a-travel-notification.jsp

My Canadian bank capped the withdrawals limits to my account even after I told them I would be in Europe. They apologized and even paid for the long distance phone calls I had to make to get my accounts unlocked.'

 

[jirit]

More on the

Must be a TD bank thing. But you are correct

https://www.tdcanadatrust.com/m/credit-acc-mgmt/setup-a-travel-notification.jsp

My Canadian bank capped the withdrawals limits to my account even after I told them I would be in Europe. They apologized and even paid for the long distance phone calls I had to make to get my accounts unlocked.'

More on the same subject. Obviously some recent changes

http://canada.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/call-issuer-before-travel-1264/

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

hotels and some of the casa reals or more upscale allergies will sometimes take credit, but for the other 89% of the time it is all cash based. smaller bills are ideal due to the cheapness of everything...5-7 euros for municipals 10-13 for albergues and cafe con leches! i used an atm whenever i could find one took out 250 euros and then walked on. it will last for 10 days so plenty of time to walk through another bigger town that has an atm.

What about the allergies.?

 

[Stivandrer]

I paid some by my knee making trouble on the Calzada after Carrion de los Condes, but allergies, nah!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

MMMM - a chip but no PIN. Would you mind explaining how this works?

Its a long and complicated story but it comes down to whether the banks or card issuers have to pay for fraud. The long and complicated story is told at https://www.theatlantic.com/busines...east-secure-credit-cards-in-the-world/473199/

I have only one card that was setup with a PIN but it is one that I don't use so I haven't seen a credit card PIN in action.

 

[Saint Mike II]

Its a long and complicated story but it comes down to whether the banks or card issuers have to pay for fraud. The long and complicated story is told at https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/03/us-determined-to-have-the-least-secure-credit-cards-in-the-world/473199/ I have only one card that was setup with a PIN but it is one that I don't use so I haven't seen a credit card PIN in action.

One of the advantages of having 4 major nationwide banks (with 3 or 4 smaller regional banks) is that we have uniform legislation & operating procedures, so our credit and debit cards are fast becoming an alternative to cash. (Our banks being so large - both domestically & international - have been able to negotiate with Master Card and Visa so that they have very small service fees (the banks pay as little as 0.25/0.5%) and our merchants (shops etc) usually pay a service fee of less than 2%) which has encouraged the use of the cards.

The Gen Y/ Gen X brigade are tech savy and are happy to carry just their credit/debit cards and very little physical cash. Hence our widespread usage of 4 & 6 digit PINs and ALL our cards have micro chips.

 

[Bumpa]

Well maybe they have not updated their website because now when you call to let them know you are leaving the voice tells you it is no longer necessary to so. So even if you do call, they don't want to speak to you telling you that their new IT system is so great you don't need to warn them.

This reflects the difference between TDbank in the States and TDCanadaTrust in Canada

 

[Anemone del Camino]

This reflects the difference between TDbank in the States and TDCanadaTrust in Canada

I assume if they've made the switch here at home that they will eventually get to making it down there.

 

[camino-david]

Many places around the world will not accept Amex due to the high merchants fees.
I carry a debit card to withdraw cash using a PIN. I also carry a credit card for hotels etc and for emergencies. This also has a PIN and is linked to my cash account so I can use it if necessary for hotels etc, and also to withdraw cash FROM MY CASH ACCOUNT. At the ATM window tick cash, not credit, to avoid those rip-off interest charges. Talk to your bank about this system.
And of course tell them you are going to Europe.
On two occasions (not in Spain) I have had a stop put on my debit card by my bank when police raids on fraudsters have shown up my card number in the fraudsters lists. I did not lose any money. This is why I carry a backup to get cash.