Chip and Pin: NYTimes view

Pamela, I agree with Frank in that the article doesn't really present any new information. I didn't see anything there that wasn't already available here on the HelpLine. However, one benefit of the article is that with the circulation of the NY Times, hopefully it will make a much larger audience aware of these issues, people like Eliot Porter who obviously didn't "do his homework" (or read the HelpLine) before travelling to Europe. Holland seems to have adopted EMV card technology to a much greater degree than some other European countries, and I've seen a few reports that they plan to eliminate MagStripe transactions entirely by 2013. I'm not sure whether that will actually be possible, as the credit card firms require those belonging to their networks to accept MagStripe. It sounds like a few Banks and Credit Unions in the U.S. are slowly trying to address this problem, and hopefully the products they're making available to their "high end" clients will eventually be available to all. Cheers!

So, don't use credit cards. I've used ATM cards in Europe many times since I discovered in 2000 that our cards work for getting cash over there. I've never encountered a problem using magnetic strip cards in an ATM. Since 2007, three trips, I've only used my credit card in Europe three times, all at rail ticket automats - once because the only automat that sold the Länder-Ticket only took cards and, I didn't want to pay €2 more at the counter; once because it was faster than standing in line; and once because the ticket counter was not yet open, and the only automat didn't take cash. Other than that I've always used cash from the ATM. I find that Germany is a cash society, and places where I stay, which tend to be less expensive, only accept cash.

This strikes me as the typical travel filler article. Takes an issue and really does not add to it. Far more and better info on this site. Confirmed what many have posted that the Travelex card is a bad deal. Obviously Mr. Porter was not an experienced or very knowledge traveler to have to go back to his hotel for US cash and then convert to local currency.

Well, maybe I missed the comment about Chase testing out a chip and pin with their high end customers. I'd only seen reference to their "Slate" card. Since I just started banking at Chase, I'm personally rooting for them to figure it out. We'll have to see. Also, I thought he had a point about the TravelEx Cards. Yes, of course you don't want to use them for most of your expenses, but it was interesting thought to consider using them only to purchase railroad tickets and/or gas kiosks. Clearly, you would be paying extra for a convenience so you would want to bear that in mind. After all, time is money and when you are on vacation sometimes you're willing to pay for that time. And yes, Elliott Porter is clearly not an experienced traveler. I figure the more publicity this issue gets the more likely that there will be options for those of us who are not "high end" Chase and Wells Fargo customers. Pam

There was another article in the NY Times last week in the business section about chip&pin. A lot of it was stuff we already know, the article seemed to indicate that a lot of big chains in the US are ready to make the "big" switch; it now makes economic sense because of the levels of fraud. Also according the article, Best Buy and Home Depot are in the process of installing chip&pin hardware at their stores in the US. I've seen no evidence of this but who knows????