• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Article on using your cc in foreign countries

Laurie

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
3,055
Reaction score
789
Points
498
Location
NC
Thanks for posting this - interesting.

I can vouch for the fact that the Capital One cc didn't work anywhere we went in Denmark in 2006. Thank heavens we had a second alternative, which was a debit card. I had no idea this was changing elsewhere...

I wonder whether cc's that specialize in travel (like Cap One Miles One) will address this anytime soon?

My advice would be to always have a few payment alternatives - including a debit card that allows you to make transfers into your account online, if you like to keep a modest balance. (Then you only have to worry about online security.)
 

Carolinian

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
10,644
Reaction score
935
Points
598
Location
eastern Europe
I have run into that huge nuisance in the Netherlands, and was told there that if I got my US credit card company to assign a PIN to the card, I could use it in Europe. The machines there did not say ''card not valid'', they said ''enter your PIN''.

Fortunately, eastern Europe hasn't gone in for this nonsense yet.
 

Carol C

TUG Lifetime Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
3,875
Reaction score
266
Points
418
Location
USA
If Cap One cards are not accepted in some places in Europe, could it be because it's a MasterCard and not Visa? (At least the one I have is MC, not Visa...so I'm assuming that Cap One only issues MC cards?)
 

Carolinian

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
10,644
Reaction score
935
Points
598
Location
eastern Europe
If Cap One cards are not accepted in some places in Europe, could it be because it's a MasterCard and not Visa? (At least the one I have is MC, not Visa...so I'm assuming that Cap One only issues MC cards?)

My Cap One is a Visa, and it is all I use over here. At least in eastern Europe there is no need for a PIN yet, but I suppose I ought to ask for one since I will be in Germany and France in November.
 

Laurie

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
3,055
Reaction score
789
Points
498
Location
NC
Mine's also a Visa, and the issue in Denmark was definitely no PIN. Guess we Cap One card holders should call their cust svc depts and request PIN's before our next jaunt to the countries in question - if this is all it will take ... Carol, I don't know whether you've got time for that, they probably have to mail it to you.
 

scotlass

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
660
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
New England
We were in Ireland and Scotland in July 2008 and had no problems with either our Capital One card or American Express (for car rental). Our Capital One is a mastercard. The beauty of it is that there is no foreign transaction fee.
 

Carolinian

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
10,644
Reaction score
935
Points
598
Location
eastern Europe
We were in Ireland and Scotland in July 2008 and had no problems with either our Capital One card or American Express (for car rental). Our Capital One is a mastercard. The beauty of it is that there is no foreign transaction fee.

That is also why Cap One is the only card I use on this side of the pond.
 

Carol C

TUG Lifetime Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
3,875
Reaction score
266
Points
418
Location
USA
We were in Ireland and Scotland in July 2008 and had no problems with either our Capital One card or American Express (for car rental). Our Capital One is a mastercard. The beauty of it is that there is no foreign transaction fee.

Did you need a pin # to use it? :wave:
 

Judith Frye

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2005
Messages
84
Reaction score
2
Points
368
In Scotland this past August I used both a Starwood American Express and a Hilton HHonors Visa card. When I figured out why my cards wouldn't work in the machines (such as grocery stores, the train station, etc.), I would hand the card to the clerk and say: This card doesn't have a chip to use in the machine, but I understand you have another way to swipe it. And they always did. So you may want to try that and see if it works where you are.
 

Carolinian

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
10,644
Reaction score
935
Points
598
Location
eastern Europe
In Scotland this past August I used both a Starwood American Express and a Hilton HHonors Visa card. When I figured out why my cards wouldn't work in the machines (such as grocery stores, the train station, etc.), I would hand the card to the clerk and say: This card doesn't have a chip to use in the machine, but I understand you have another way to swipe it. And they always did. So you may want to try that and see if it works where you are.

I tried that in the Netherlands, with no luck. Good thing they at least do it in Scotland.
 

scotlass

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
660
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
New England
No, we did not need a pin#.

Oops! I thought I had posted this but didn't find it at first. Sorry for the double response.
 

Carol C

TUG Lifetime Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
3,875
Reaction score
266
Points
418
Location
USA
No, we did not need a pin#.

Oops! I thought I had posted this but didn't find it at first. Sorry for the double response.

Thanks, Scotlass. I set up my pin yesterday with my new Cap One card...it was easy and can be done via phone when calling to authorize your card. Now another question...

When I set up my pin, there was a suggestion in their outgoing instruction msg. They said overseas in some cases that if a 4 digit pin begins with zero, it might not work. Does anyone have experience with a 4-digit pin not working in England or France...beginning with a zero (or otherwise)? :shrug:
 

mfan

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2007
Messages
52
Reaction score
0
Points
366
Location
Northern California
Just wondering, even if you have a pin, would the card work without the "chip"? Are those card readers capable of scanning magnetic strips as well?

Also, I thought the pin they give out in the US is for cash advances only? Will they waive the cash advance fees when used this way?
 

Carolinian

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
10,644
Reaction score
935
Points
598
Location
eastern Europe
A few days ago I put up a link on the Links Directory (under ''Website Navigation'') at www.timeshareforums.com to an article with a good table of banks' fees on ATM and cc use overseas. That might be helpful for info on this subject.
 

Carol C

TUG Lifetime Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
3,875
Reaction score
266
Points
418
Location
USA
A few days ago I put up a link on the Links Directory (under ''Website Navigation'') at www.timeshareforums.com to an article with a good table of banks' fees on ATM and cc use overseas. That might be helpful for info on this subject.

Why can't someone post the info here so it would be easier to access that advice without surfing around?
 

happymum

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2005
Messages
978
Reaction score
326
Points
424
Location
SK
We had trouble in France using a non-chip Visa card. It was fine when swiped by a cashier, but if it was used in a stand-alone machine, it was rejected. One example was at the train station when we first arrived, and unfortunately there was no alternative available, so we had to haul our luggage quite a distance to find a manned entrance. :(
 

mfan

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2007
Messages
52
Reaction score
0
Points
366
Location
Northern California
We had trouble in France using a non-chip Visa card. It was fine when swiped by a cashier, but if it was used in a stand-alone machine, it was rejected. One example was at the train station when we first arrived, and unfortunately there was no alternative available, so we had to haul our luggage quite a distance to find a manned entrance. :(

Did you still have to provide a PIN when the card was swiped by a cashier?
 

scotlass

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
660
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
New England
My Capital One card was cancelled after they picked up a fraudulent charge on it. When I got the new one, I called to activate and an operator came on to ask if I wanted a pin number associated with it. Having read the thread about pin numbers and CC's, I said yes, and now I should be good to go in Europe. Thanks TUG!
 
Top