Could it be? A real chip and pin card from USAA

Good information. I was planning to look at Andrews FCU offering, since I'm out there fairly regularly. It's nice to know there are some choices so I can shop rates and fees.

Thanks for sharing Catherine. I imagine there are many USAA members on the helpline (me included), so your information is very helpful!!

I just received one in the mail from Amex (Platinum card) I have not activated it or used it yet, but supposedly is for European travel. I also have an Amex Delta card but have not received one for that, so maybe it is only for certain cards?

That's great news. I just requested one. It seems that the Chip and PIN is available for some but not all USAA cards since they were able to convert my USAA MasterCard to Chip and PIN but not my USAA AMEX. I didn't ask or push the issue on the AMEX, since one Chip and PIN card should suffice for the situations where they can't swipe a regular card.

This is fantastic news! I'm already a USAA customer, and I'm currently paying another (crappy) bank for the privilege of a chip and pin card that I can't use at ATMs or outside Germany. As soon as I order the USAA one I can cancel the other one! Wunderbar!

I can see why USAA would be rolling this out. (Deployments?) I think I will give them a call and see if they can convert my Mastercard!

They will, but the only style is black. You can't get a nice silver one with a Marine Corps emblem any more. Life sucks.

Ed, duct tape + tiny emblem sticker. Life is beautiful ;-)

More info here Someone on the ficoforums said to call in, so that's what I did. The rep I'm speaking with seems to know about it but is saying that it'll probably require jumping through hoops to get one of these. Basically, it sounds like I'll need to first apply for the Platinum Mastercard, then when I get it call in to request that it be converted to a chip & pin. One stipulation he informed me of is that you're supposed to request this 21 days prior to your travel date. We're leaving on 3/10, so I'm not sure if I'll even qualify, but he's checking for me beforehand. Seems like this may be a lot of trouble to get. There's also a 1% foreign transaction fee, and this is a credit card (not a checking/debit card).

Jeremy, call USAA again. The person I spoke with knew exactly what I wanted. I since have received Mastercard chip and PIN cards (one card for each person on the account), and the PIN came in a separate mailing. I've used the card stateside with the mag stripe, and there also is a visible EMV chip for overseas use.

Jeremy, sorry I missed your last post. We already had a Mastercard with USAA, so the request was easily handled. I do not know how long it takes to open a new account, but hope they can help you quickly! There are not many options out there for chip and PIN credit cards (as opposed to chip and signature).

Thanks Catherine! I went through with the application. The rep I spoke with was mostly concerned about the timeframe and me getting the card in time before we leave in March. But it sounds like it'll probably work out fine. He's going to rush the initial non-chip&pin card to me Fedex (and offered to waive the $8 rush fee - very nice!). Hopefully I won't forget to call back in and get it converted! Really pushing the envelope on this at this point... BTW: I know Andrews FCU also offers a chip & pin card. It's a Visa GlobeTrek card. In fact, I've already submitted an application for that one :) Good thing I have no immediate plans to purchase a house or car... I'm sure my credit score will be dropping in the next month or two :(

Interesting, I inquired about chip & pin and they said they're not offering it: "Please be advised, certain overseas merchants may require a Chip/PIN credit or debit cards. Currently, USAA does not offer this type of functionality with our credit cards. However, we are currently working on a solution to accommodate our members when they travel or live overseas." Maybe I just didn't read it correctly, but he seems to be implying that it's not available but that something may be available soon? Has anybody actually gotten their chip & pin card from USAA yet?

Gotten it, used it in US and Europe. It's dual - - mag stripe and chip and pin both. Call then. Sometimes the internet breaks and you have to actually talk to people.