Do ATMs in Spain require a chip in your card?

[lrisvold]

My bank does not yet make cards that have the chips in them. I know some european businesses online require a chip to do transactions. Will I be okay for ATMs with my debit card even though it has no chip? 3 more sleeps to go and getting nervous!

 

[MechEngr69]

Some do not require a chip. For example, in Burgos I had to try three ATM before I found one that worked with my US bank debit card without a chip. I don't know if the problem was due to a lack of chip or something else. It would be a good idea to stock up on cash in one of the larger cities. I had no problem in April-May 2015, just took extra time to find one that worked. Buen Camino!

 

[LauraK]

I walked the VdlP from Salamanca in March and had no problem with my ATM card which does not have a chip. MechEngr69 gives good advice on stocking up in the larger cities...I got down to 15 € once when I forgot to check the size of villages. This shouldn't be a problem on the CF. Have a wonderful camino!

 

[MTtoCamino]

I had a chip, & every single atm worked, when your walking this far do you want to go searching? If you can get a chipped card do it. (Hopefully you will have another card just for backup) every machine I used sucked the entire card in, so best be prepared if it doesn't come out again.
Buen Camino!

 

[newfydog]

No

 

[fjvjess]

I had a chip, & every single atm worked, when your walking this far do you want to go searching? If you can get a chipped card do it. (Hopefully you will have another card just for backup) every machine I used sucked the entire card in, so best be prepared if it doesn't come out again.
Buen Camino!

Every machine?! Oh my. Were you able to retrieve it each time?

 

[MTtoCamino]

Every machine?! Oh my. Were you able to retrieve it each time?

Not 1 problem, Just go & enjoy it! Any issues will simply work out.

 

[Scott Sweeney]

It is always a mild rush of apprehension when you place your card in the atm's. I've never had an issue but the "what if" always gives me goosebumps. Had a Wells Fargo machine shred my card once because I didn't remove my card quick enough. ha
The chip seemed to making purchasing a little easier but don't worry.

 

[waveprof]

The chips are quickly becoming standard in Europe. Spain isn't there yet. Not having one will only cause problems in random spots. Give it just one or two years......

 

[t2andreo]

Ask your home bank or credit union if they offer a chipped Debit Card or ATM card. Also ask if they have a pre-paid chipped debit card.

I have both the mag-stripe only debit and credit cards, and a separate chipped prepaid Visa debit card issued by my credit union. I use the mag-stripe card as my default and revert to the prepaid card only in emergencies, like if my regular ATM card does not work.

Generally, the ATMs in larger towns and cities should work with mag stripe cards as they receive more tourist business. The key thing is to ensure that your debit / ATM card has a FOUR NUMBER PIN. Only that is acceptable. if you do everything I suggest in this post, then the particular machine is being finicky. Move to another bank down the street and try it again.

Finally, another thing many people simply forget to do before they leave for the Camino is to notify their bank and / or card servicing office that they (and their debit, ATM and credit cards) will be in (Country) from (date you land there) to (date you lift off to come home). You do not need precise dates.

In fact, I customarily inform VISA card management services, by phone, that I will be in, say Belgium, France and Spain, from April 24 through June 10. You do not need to say more than that. This means that when you try to make a purchase or use your card in an ATM in one of those countries during that time frame, the computer KNOWS that you told the issuer you would be there during that time period, so the transaction is likely authentic.

BTW - NO ONE uses Travelers Checks anymore. Don't even go there...

I hope this helps.

 

[grayland]

Often, the problem with an ATM card not being accepted at certain machines in Europe (Spain) is simply that your card bank is not on the same linked network group as the ATM bank. Usually you can see the networks on the back of your card and on the machine.

There are several banks in Spain that are closed to just their own cards.
There are a few that have a restrictive system. You card will not work in these.
It has nothing to do with chips.
As of now...chips are not required in ATM machines

 

[tominrm]

Don't worry about the chip. My debit card does not have one, and it worked every time.

 

[jmcarp]

We had no problem on the CF with a magnetic strip ATM card, but you do need a 4-digit PIN number. We only had one problem with our ATM card (in Portomarin), but we just walked down the street to another ATM machine and it worked fine. I don't know if it the lack of a chip or simply that that particular machine did not accept the ATM network that my card uses. In any event, try to get more cash when you get down to reserve of €100 or so.

 

[november_moon]

No problem using a card with magnetic stripe and no PIN in ATMs in Spain (or elsewhere in Europe). It's totally fine. The machines read both types of cards. That's not to say that every ATM will work - some malfunction, some are just out of cash - most don't tell you what's wrong, just that the transaction can't be processed.

The only time magnetic stripe, no chip cards (credit or debit) are really a problem in Europe is when you want to buy something at a kiosk - such as train tickets from an unmanned machine. If a person is processing the transaction, then they can handle magnetic stripe cards. You might have to remind them that they need to swipe the card, but they can do it.