Chip and pin credit card in the US

[scotlass]

At long last, and none too soon, I now have a chip and pin credit card issued from the US. When Barclays transferred our USAirways Master card over to an AA Aviator card, I found out it is actually a chip & pin! This is huge for overseas travelers who need it for European travel. I had read that those traveling in different areas of France encountered petrol stations that had no one in a booth to take their credit card and could only pay using chip & pin. As we are planning to be in Normandy soon, I was quite concerned about this but now, voila! No problem! As a bonus, they also do not have a foreign transaction fee, making this a card I will keep for a very long time! YAY!!!!!

 

[x3 skier]

At long last, and none too soon, I now have a chip and pin credit card issued from the US. When Barclays transferred our USAirways Master card over to an AA Aviator card, I found out it is actually a chip & pin! This is huge for overseas travelers who need it for European travel. I had read that those traveling in different areas of France encountered petrol stations that had no one in a booth to take their credit card and could only pay using chip & pin. As we are planning to be in Normandy soon, I was quite concerned about this but now, voila! No problem! As a bonus, they also do not have a foreign transaction fee, making this a card I will keep for a very long time! YAY!!!!!

If it's truly a chip and PIN and not Chip and SIGN, that's very nice. I have several Chip cards from US institutions and none are Chip and PIN. All are Chip and SIGN.

Still they work fine in Europe (usually) since the reader prints a receipt to sign. Usually surprises the clerk, server, bartender, etc. The U.S. Banks think a PIN is too hard for Americans.

BTW, I've yet to encounter a chip reader in the States.

Cheers

 

[Passepartout]

If it's truly a chip and PIN and not Chip and SIGN, that's very nice. I have several Chip cards from US institutions and none are Chip and PIN. All are Chip and SIGN.

Still they work fine in Europe (usually) since the reader prints a receipt to sign. Usually surprises the clerk, server, bartender, etc. The U.S. Banks think a PIN is too hard for Americans.

BTW, I've yet to encounter a chip reader in the States.

Cheers

When you encounter a chip/PIN situation in Europe, just hit the <enter> key after inserting your (chip) card, and it spits out the approved receipt. You can either sign it for the clerk/waiter, or stuff it in your pocket at an unmanned toll plaza.

Every card reader at Walmart is a chip reader, as are the ones at my local Kroger and Albertson's and many other places. What I have yet to encounter in the U.S. is a waiter carrying the hand held device to my restaurant table to swipe- or insert card into- at my table, in my full view as happens in Europe.

My 'big bank' credit cards (Citi & CapOne) are chip/sign. My credit union is still just mag stripe. I'm lobbying them to go all the way to chip/PIN by October when the official change-over date is (I think).

 

[WinniWoman]

Where I live and in New England where I travel, none of the registers are the type for chip cards where you insert the card and not just swipe it.

 

[mdurette]

Where I live and in New England where I travel, none of the registers are the type for chip cards where you insert the card and not just swipe it.

I came across my first in New England yesterday at a local target.

 

[A.Win]

I think I have a chip and sign card (United Visa). It worked in France most of the time. But at TWO different gas stations, it did not work. I was able to find nice French folks who swiped their cards and took my cash.

 

[Blues]

If it's truly a chip and PIN and not Chip and SIGN, that's very nice. I have several Chip cards from US institutions and none are Chip and PIN. All are Chip and SIGN.

This is a very good point. A true chip & PIN card issued by a US financial institution is a very, very rare beast. Even the CS reps you get on the phone will swear it's a chip & PIN, but very few are. I have 2 chip & sign CCs, both of which were claimed to be chip & PIN, but aren't. Buyer beware.

OTOH, when we went to France in late June, the only problem was at a single unmanned gas station. Everywhere else, the machine spit out a receipt for signature, and the waiter/sales clerk/whatever had no problem with it.

Bob

 

[bogey21]

I don't know the difference between Chip and Pin and Chip and Sign. What I do know it when I use my new Bank of America Cash Rewards Card at Walmart it won't let me swipe it and insists that I put it in a slot in the card reader with the Pin end in first. I then get a message "Processing - Do Not Remove" followed seconds later with a message "Remove Card - Processing Completed". I am never asked to sign anything. Is this Chip and Pin or something else?

George

 

[WinniWoman]

I don't know the difference between Chip and Pin and Chip and Sign. What I do know it when I use my new Bank of America Cash Rewards Card at Walmart it won't let me swipe it and insists that I put it in a slot in the card reader with the Pin end in first. I then get a message "Processing - Do Not Remove" followed seconds later with a message "Remove Card - Processing Completed". I am never asked to sign anything. Is this Chip and Pin or something else?

George

That is the Chip and Pin method but very few places have it- at least in my area of the Hudson Valley, NY and in Vermont and NH where we vacation. I have to swipe and sign.

 

[dioxide45]

When you encounter a chip/PIN situation in Europe, just hit the <enter> key after inserting your (chip) card, and it spits out the approved receipt. You can either sign it for the clerk/waiter, or stuff it in your pocket at an unmanned toll plaza.

Every card reader at Walmart is a chip reader, as are the ones at my local Kroger and Albertson's and many other places. What I have yet to encounter in the U.S. is a waiter carrying the hand held device to my restaurant table to swipe- or insert card into- at my table, in my full view as happens in Europe.

My 'big bank' credit cards (Citi & CapOne) are chip/sign. My credit union is still just mag stripe. I'm lobbying them to go all the way to chip/PIN by October when the official change-over date is (I think).

We went to Olive Garden the other day. They had added tablets to every table. Kind of like the ones we have seen at Chili's the last couple years. When we went to pay by gift card and credit card, they wanted us to use the tablet terminal at the table. Not hand the card to the waiter. At Chili's however, the waiter will still take your card and bring it back with the slip to sign if you opt not to pay through the terminal.

I don't know the difference between Chip and Pin and Chip and Sign. What I do know it when I use my new Bank of America Cash Rewards Card at Walmart it won't let me swipe it and insists that I put it in a slot in the card reader with the Pin end in first. I then get a message "Processing - Do Not Remove" followed seconds later with a message "Remove Card - Processing Completed". I am never asked to sign anything. Is this Chip and Pin or something else?

George

This is Chip & Sign. The reason you don't have to sign is that transactions under a certain dollar amount don't require your signature. If you have Chip & Pin, you would have to enter a pin code to get an approval. Like using a debit card.

 

[csxjohn]

I don't know the difference between Chip and Pin and Chip and Sign. What I do know it when I use my new Bank of America Cash Rewards Card at Walmart it won't let me swipe it and insists that I put it in a slot in the card reader with the Pin end in first. I then get a message "Processing - Do Not Remove" followed seconds later with a message "Remove Card - Processing Completed". I am never asked to sign anything. Is this Chip and Pin or something else?

George

If you did not have to enter a pin number it was a chip and sign. Many smaller purchases don't require a signature and that could be what happened to you.

 

[SmithOp]

I have the Barclays chip card, in order to use as chip/pin you have to establish the pin number. You can do it online or with their ipad app. You can also enter travel dates so that purchases will not be blocked. I have a uk trip coming up and was buying train tickets online, it was blocked but I got a text right away and was able to allow it by replying YES.


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[Ken555]

I have the Barclays chip card, in order to use as chip/pin you have to establish the pin number. You can do it online or with their ipad app. You can also enter travel dates so that purchases will not be blocked. I have a uk trip coming up and was buying train tickets online, it was blocked but I got a text right away and was able to allow it by replying YES.


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I look forward to hearing about your use of this card once you are in the UK. My recent trip had difficulties using it as anything other than my other chip and signature cards. Hopefully, they've improved its functionality.


Sent from my iPad

 

[bogey21]

If you did not have to enter a pin number it was a chip and sign. Many smaller purchases don't require a signature and that could be what happened to you.

Thanks. Makes sense. Live and learn.

George

 

[jkrich]

USAA Pin and Chip card

We were in Europe for five weeks in April and May of this year and took a chip and pin card we got through USAA bank. We didn't use it as our primary card since it has foreign exchange fees.

We did use it in self service ticket machines in rail stations in several countries. It worked (using the pin) without any problems. I also tried it at a couple of restaurants to see how they would process it. They processed it like a chip and signature, but I think that was because of their assumption that U.S. tourists don't have chip and pin cards.


Jerry

 

[Ken555]

I also tried it at a couple of restaurants to see how they would process it. They processed it like a chip and signature, but I think that was because of their assumption that U.S. tourists don't have chip and pin cards.

From what I understand, the card actually tells the machine whether or not it needs a signature or a PIN. As discussed in a thread a few months ago, the BarclaysUS card, for example, supposedly works with a PIN (just not for me) at all merchants which are expected to be unattended. Unfortunately, this means that all locations with staff would require a signature.

It sounds like your card works similarly to the Barclays card.


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[freediverdude]

What's so dumb about the signature is they don't even check it. You can sign Mickey Mouse on the terminal and it will take it and go through. What is the point. Wouldn't even be much help in fraud cases as a lot of times it's just a scribble.

 

[csxjohn]

What's so dumb about the signature is they don't even check it. You can sign Mickey Mouse on the terminal and it will take it and go through. What is the point. Wouldn't even be much help in fraud cases as a lot of times it's just a scribble.

Where this type card helps is that it can't be copied by someone and then used as a regular card, it needs the chip in it to work.

Many places I shop want to see an ID along with the card. My understanding for previous posts is that if retailers in the US don't update to the newest card readers, loss from fraud will be shifted to them instead of the card issuer.

When this takes effect, the retailers will be diligent about verifying who is using the card.

 

[dioxide45]

The current problem is that most cards with a chip currently still work as a swipe type card. So the chip doesn't do anything in about 95% of cases where I use the card. The only place that utilizes the chip so far that I have come across is Walmart and our local Goodyear Tire center.

 

[scotlass]

Further info

What I was told by the CC representative, and it was confirmed in writing, is that the card must first be used with a cashier and then the 'pin' part is activated. I created a pin number online with no problems.

For those confused by the differences between 'pin' and 'signature', in either case of a 'chip' card you insert the card into their machine. With a signature card, after approval, it will tell you to remove the card and then the machine spits out the receipt for signature. I am assuming the 'pin' card will ask for your number and then spit out a receipt.

I will certainly post my experience with the card after I come back from France. If it works, I'm sure there will be a run on this card!

 

[Patri]

Several stores in my area have the new machine, but only Walmart is actually using it for the chip card.

 

[JudyH]

Scottlass, we used the same AA aviator card in UK last month. It could be used for chip and pin, and/or chip and signature. Most time it defaulted to chip and signature. Europe is still set up for chip and signature for us Yanks, as is NZ and OZ.

 

[Ken555]

Europe is still set up for chip and signature for us Yanks, as is NZ and OZ.

No, it's your bank that's the cause of this issue.


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[scotlass]

Scottlass, we used the same AA aviator card in UK last month. It could be used for chip and pin, and/or chip and signature. Most time it defaulted to chip and signature. Europe is still set up for chip and signature for us Yanks, as is NZ and OZ.

It's my understanding that there are petrol stations in France that don't have a cashier and therefore the chip and pin is the only option. I will let you know how it works.

 

[SmithOp]

I look forward to hearing about your use of this card once you are in the UK. My recent trip had difficulties using it as anything other than my other chip and signature cards. Hopefully, they've improved its functionality.


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Hope it works to pick up my rail tickets and I'm also renting a car for 2weeks so will be buying petrol.


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