atm card

No problems at all. Just make sure you notify your bank when and where you will be traveling.

We had no problems in England, France, Italy, or Switzerland with either ATM or credit cards generally. As that was just a month ago, I doubt you'll have a problem either.

I have never had any problems using my atm card or my credit card. I mostly use the atm card and get cash, but I have used the credit card in stores. I have used both in Germany as recently as a couple months ago. Haven't been to France for awhile, so I can't comment on there.

Bob - the OP was asking about using her ATM card for cash. In the US, many banks issue ATM only cards; other banks issue debit cards that can be used for purchases or at the ATM. ATM's do not require chip and pin. The other information about chip and pin cards for purchases is accurate. Although most of us strongly advise against using a debit card for purchases in Europe.

Chip and pin only applies to credit cards and most retailers, hotels, car rental agencies, etc. in tourist areas know how to run magnetic strip cards. For ATMs there are only a few potential problems I can think of. First, sydicates for your card. If your card doesn't have a Visa, Mastercard, Cirrus or Plus logo on it, you may have trouble finding an ATM that takes your card. If your card has any of the four logos on it, you should be to use virtually any machine you find in Europe. Know your pin by number. The keypads on European ATMs don't show letters. If you've memorized your pin using letters, make sure you know the numbers that go with those letters. Avoid fraud. I normally get my cash from ATMs inside of banks, because they are harder for thieves to alter than ATMs on streets. I then pay cash for snacks, small purchases and admissions rather than using my debit card. ATM related fraud comes in a couple of forms, but they rely on intercepting your PIN either with a camera or someone looking over your shoulder. Most European ATMs show a depiction of shielding your hand as you enter your pin with your other hand. Get in the habit of doing this - and walking away from any ATM where you feel crowded, unsafe or someone offers to help you.

Finally, there can be issues with your bank. Let them know when and where you are traveling so they don't see an overseas transaction and put a fraud alert on your account. If they do put a hold on your account, it won't clear until you call them personally, then it usually clears overnight. When I worked for a bank, our ATMs would catch cards periodically. The cards were usually kept in a wallet (in a back pocket) and were bent slightly. When the ATM tries to return your card, it may not feed through the slot so the machine "eats" it. When that happens, you may get lucky and have the bank retrieve it for you - to be correct, they are supposed to send it back to your bank. Avoid this, and have the freshest magnetic stripe, by ordering a new card before you leave home. Keep the contact phone numbers for your bank cards handy. If your card is lost/stolen you should contact them as soon as you know it's missing.

Just a small correction to what Brad wrote. In the U.K., all cards are chip and pin, both debit cards and credit cards. I am not aware of any cards which are ATM only. Cards usually have both a chip and a magnetic strip. Almost invariably, a British card holder will have to enter a pin to use a card. In most cases, only the card holder will handle the card, ing it into the terminal or ATM themselves, and then entering their pin. Many terminals will only accept chip and pin cards, but there are usually alternatives when the card offered only has a magnetic strip. Terminals which are unattended (rail or tram tickets, car parks, etc) usually require chip and pin. Debit cards mean the amount is immediately debited from your bank account, while credit cards mean the amount is added to a monthly statement. A shopkeeper will pay a flat rate commission to the card processor if a debit card is used, while a credit card incurs a percentage commission.

atn crds with four digit PINs should work, One additional thought I would pass on after my wife's bitter experience with Bank of America. Take two ATM cards from different banks. My wife called Bank of America and did all the notifications about going overseas and making larger than normal withdrawls before we left. The first time she tried to use it in Europe at the bank that Bank of America recommended it was refused. Rather than make the many telephone calls needed to straighten it out we used my ATM from another bank. When we got back a supervisor at Bank of America said that they had done nothing wrong and that she should be happy that their security system had worked so well. It has only happened on the one trip but had it not been for my card with another bank we would have been in a real mess.

Yes, we had some minor problems in Vienna outside the city center and in Slovenia. Some bank ATMs require cards with chips. I went to an ATM at a Ljubjlana bank early in the morning. My card didn't work, and I had to wait until the bank opened. I had no problem getting cash inside the bank, however. In Vienna, just outside the ring, I had the same problem and was told that the ATMs inside the ring catered to tourists, and, sure enough, they worked. I would recommend using an ATM during regular banking hours, if possible. Also, the ATMs requiring chip cards will show a symbol of the card with a chip. I have not had any problems in other countries, but I don't know just how prevalent this experience has become. -- Jerry

This is the first I have heard about this issue, so the answer to your question, in my experience, it's not prevalent at all.

Yes, I had a problem with my ATM card. On my last trip, I used it almost every day or a total of 13 times. It worked every time! And that was the problem. I spent more money than I had planned for. Those dad-blamed gelati bars!!