Another debit card question...

Why don't you just get a real credit card with a chip and pin?

That is not a reasonable suggestion. Unfortunately if your card doesn't work, it doesn't work. Where will you be travel? The chip and pin is more critical in northern Europe and less so in southern Europe. You generally can get any ticket at any ticket office so buy some of your tickets when in the larger stations. There have been some reports that the chip and signature cards have worked but I would not count on it. Have a back up plan.

You can request a PIN for your card, that will do it. I traveled with signature + PIN cards until the issuer replaced them, they worked just fine.

There is no one easy answer and results will vary depending on which countries you visit and even the way the machines are set up to validate transactions.

US banks issue credit cards now that are chip & signature. Few if any actually issue chip & PIN and people don't need to open new credit card accounts for a vacation. But some cards do issue PINs that serve as a secondary validation if signatures are not possible and should work in automated machines. If you have to ask for a PIN, your card is not one of these.

You can ask for a PIN, but those will likely only be for cash advance use at ATMs. That PIN might work for a transaction, but not necessarily and it is not the same as a validation PIN. In any event, you should get a PIN as it can be an emergency backup if you need cash and can't get it through other means.

In many places, the machines are set up to validate your transaction without a PIN. The machine will recognize that your card doesn't have a PIN and automatically approve it. At other times, you can try entering any random number for the PIN and the machine will approve it. But this is all trial and error and it may or may not work. Based on reports here, this works pretty well in Italy as an example.

Your debit card with its PIN might work and is an option worth trying. I assume your debit card has a chip (many debit cards have not yet been converted). But the way debit transactions work may not play nice with the European networks and machines. So don't count on it completely.

Some places and systems do absolutely require a validation PIN. Examples include train stations in the Netherlands (even those with people). In those cases, you will need cash.

Rest assured that Americans flock to Europe with chip & signature cards and even older magnetic strip cards and things work out just fine.

Thank you Douglas, that was very informative! I will be traveling in Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden. My main concern is the train station in Helsingor Denmark and the Brussels train from the airport. I will have cash, Visa debit with chip, and Visa credit with chip and signature, hopefully one of those methods will work! Does anyone know of a Visa card company in the USA that offers a chip and pin card? Thanks again.

Kathi, you can try Andrews FCU. I know it's not a chip and PIN by some definitions, but it comes with a chip and a PIN, so there it is. I've used it for years, and it's always worked at unmanned gas stations and tram/train/Metro ticket machines which require a PIN. The only place it's failed is at toll booths. And since the first verification method is signature, whenever I've used it with a person present it requires a signature. No big deal.

Kathi, I am currently waiting for my new Chip and PIN Visa card issued by USAA. This card is a replacement for my "old" Chip and PIN master card. I haven't received new card just yet as they have just begun the conversion but when I spoke to a representative yesterday about the change to visa, she assured me the new card would work just as well (better-no fees!) as my Chip and PIN master card has been in Europe. I hope this is somewhat helpful.
I also have a Cap One Visa but it's Chip and signature.

Kathy, over the past three weeks I have used my Chase United Explorer chip-and-signature card successfully WITHOUT A PIN at RER train ticket machines in Paris, toll road in Avignon, bus ticket machine in Nice and train ticket machine in Rome.. Also booked a train ticket online and had the hotel print out the ticket.

I used my Capital One, Bank of America, and Chase chip & signature cards in multiple places in Italy and London last October and all worked fine. I do have the cash advance PIN number for each card and used it when necessary at terminals requesting PINs. Worked every time and I was NOT charged as a cash advance by the issuing bank, just as a regular purchase.

Thank you all for your suggestions! I just called Chase to request a pin for my Sapphire card, hopefully that will be good enough as it technically is a chip and signature and the pin is for cash advances, but per others experiences it should work, fingers crossed. Only 45 days to go!

Kathi,

There is always a work around, usually it's just less convenient. Things are always changing somewhat, so I'm reluctant to say something will be exactly one way when you get there. I've run into machines that won't take anything but a true chip and pin card, most recently in Barcelona Metro stations and automated gas stations (there are more examples).

The Barcelona Metro doesn't have a staffed ticket line like train stations but the ticket machines also take cash. Even though the signs say they accept 20 euro notes, in reality the biggest they will take is ten euro notes. The first time, I ended up going back out of the station to get change because I only had 20s. After that, I just knew to have the right money before I got to the station.

I never could use the automated gas stations but I just made sure to look for other options and got gas during their open hours.

I toured Scandinavia using my stripe and signature card without too much trouble, even though the vast majority of people were using chip and pin. The only place I had an issue was in a small, out of the way, store. They obviously weren't used to tourists so weren't trained on how to process signature cards (they probably could if they knew what to do). In that case, I walked a block to an ATM, got cash and went back and made my purchase in cash.

Following up to my earlier success story, in Berlin I have been UNable to use my card to buy local transit tickets (S- bahn and U- bahn) from automated ticket machines. But those machines are happy to take coins and bills.

I had no problem using my chip and signature credit card in Sweden. In fact, that is all I used except to get rid of what little cash I had brought. I used the card in ticket machines. I have two suggestions as they both worked at different times with the machines: 1. when the machine asks for your pin, be patient, as it often waited and when no pin was put into the machine, it just skipped to the next stage and spit out my ticket. The other system, used once or twice, is to say 'no' when asked for the PIN. You'll need to see what the verbiage is to decide if there is a no or a cancel button. That was my experience anyway. Oh and if you are dealing with a live person at a counter who says the card won't work, just have her ask someone else as it is a sign she did not know how to work her machine.

Thanks for the additional info. I hope to have no problem as I am bringing several options. Fingers crossed.

Life could be lived and countries could be travelled long before the advent of plastic money and robot banking. Use your debit/ATM card at an appropriate bank machine to withdraw a substantial amount of cash. Then spend it -- quick and easy, and less of the worries that are haunting you.

This topic keeps coming up. I guess since Canadians have had chip card technology just like in Europe for many years now I have never had a problem. I notice that very few (if any) Canadians ever bring up this topic. Really,getting money couldn't be easier. Just look for a "proper" ( as in perhaps one at a bank with the Interac symbol) and go ahead and get your money. No big deal.

There's much confusion in the U.S. about the true availability and use of use of chip/pin credit cards especially given the frequent casual use of very convenient swipe credit cards we've grown so accustomed to over the years (get those airline miles).