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All my US-issued credit cards have been reissued with chips; however, here in the US the chip cards generally require verification by signature, not by PIN. Has that been a problem in Spain (or other areas of Europe) that generally look for PIN verification?I have a brand new terminal that I use for those who pay for the luggage storage here in Santiago. It comes with both... I usually try chip first.. if that does not work, then we swipe and sign (as before). I think most terminals have both, but the chip is definitely what is used more.
My cards are with chip and pin, that is mostly used in Europe.All my US-issued credit cards have been reissued with chips; however, here in the US the chip cards generally require verification by signature, not by PIN. Has that been a problem in Spain (or other areas of Europe) that generally look for PIN verification?
With my machine, when I put in a card from the US (using the chip) it just prints out a slip that the card holder must sign. No problem. You might find that some places will ask you for ID to make sure the signature is you.All my US-issued credit cards have been reissued with chips; however, here in the US the chip cards generally require verification by signature, not by PIN. Has that been a problem in Spain (or other areas of Europe) that generally look for PIN verification?
Thanks, Ivar. That's pretty much what I expected, and is the way my swipe cards have worked in the past when in Europe.With my machine, when I put in a card from the US (using the chip) it just prints out a slip that the card holder must sign. No problem. You might find that some places will ask you for ID to make sure the signature is you.
With my machine, when I put in a card from the US (using the chip) it just prints out a slip that the card holder must sign. No problem. You might find that some places will ask you for ID to make sure the signature is you.
I think (not sure) that the 6 number pins are on older US cards? I have never come across anyone trying to pay with a 6 pin code... I think it is one of those things that used to be a problem, but is slowly going away...I remember that in the past some people have had prblems with their PIN. If you have a 6 digit PIN you need to ask to have it changed to a 4 digit PIN. This might then have to be changed back when you get home although our card provider says that it is OK to simply add two zeros to the end of the number.
Is this still correct Ivar?
Just returned from the Camino de Santiago and used a swipe debit and chip credit cards. Never had a problem at ATM's, hotels, ship, or any other venues in SJPdP, SdC, Madrid, Barcelona, Naples, Rome, Florence, Cannes, or Marseilles. With the exception of the ATM's, everyone had a dual-method charge machine.Can both "chip" and "swipe" cards be used in France and Spain?
Something to consider is that the Camino is predominately a cash economy...so, don't make plans on using the card outside of the larger cities. Consider bringing a prepaid cash travel cards. American Express, Visa, Master Card offer these - find the one with no fees, lowest charges, etc.. I didn't and wished I had. Have a great time.Can both "chip" and "swipe" cards be used in France and Spain?
That's really good to know, I've iften been asked if I wanted to be charged in local currency or Australian dollars, but didn't know whether it made a difference.Just to reiterate - be pro-active and ask to be charged in Euros -- a couple of places charged me in dollars -- one reversed it, but it was a hassle, the other I failed to notice until I was away from the front desk. There usually are fees added to the conversion rate.