We are traveling to the French and Spanish Basque areas and are wondering about the use of credit cards. Our cards have not yet been transferred to the chip and signature or the chip and pin. We are wondering if this will be a problem. It was not a problem last year in Italy. We use ATM debit cards for cash.
Posted by
🏝️ Hobe Sound, FL⛱️
3177 posts
Though I've been to Spanish Basque region a few years ago, I don't have recent experience there. On that trip my mag strip cards had no problems. In France last fall, the only places I couldn't use them were at transportation ticket machines or fuel pumps. For tickets, see a human. For fuel, go into the store, hand the clerk your card and they'll unlock the pump. Once you're done, go back inside, sign the slip and retrieve your card. Only once in my last two trips to France did I have a problem. At a restaurant in Burgundy, the proprietor tried to swipe the card numerous times but it just wouldn't work. He also tried to enter the card info manually. Still no luck. Paid cash - no big problem.
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
7432 posts
We were in Spanish Basque country about 2 years ago and just returned from France last week. We had no trouble using our CC any place. Gas stations seem to be most problematic, hit and miss. Toll booths did not take our CC in France.
Posted by
OP
Wisconsin
47 posts
Thanks for the responses. We have contacted our card companies and feel pretty sure we will have no problems. We were, however, surprised that our card companies really have no plans to move to chip and pin in the near future - only chip and signature.
Posted by
Chicago
8093 posts
US banks have decided to go with the obsolete chip and signature cards. their announced reason is that they think Americans are too stupid to use the chip/pin system. I can't fathom why the once great US economy consistently chooses to use obsolete technology, to not create high speed communication lines throughout the country, to fail to improve transportation infrastructure -- it is as if they are rushing to embrace the kind of national economic decay that brought down the UK. Very frustrating.
Posted by
Florida, USA
12172 posts
I didn't have any problem with either my debit at ATM's or my swipe and sign credit card at hotels. I don't do a ton of small shop browsing so I can't report on how they work in small stores.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Apparently you will only encounter some issues at toll booths, unmanned gas stations. Always have some cash on hand,, coins and bills.
I too am surprised that American banks don't want to go Chip and Pin,, we did ( Canada ) a few years ago and even elderly folks where I work seem to have no problem using them.. and by elderly I mean many of our clients are well into their 80 s and even 90s... ( in fact our oldest client is 96 and still lives on her own!)
Do they really think memorising 4 numbers is too hard ?