Hi. My wife and I are visiting Ireland in May. I just found out recently that our car rental company (Europcar) won't take chip-and-signature cards. I did some research and decided to go with Bank of America's Travel Rewards card. The card seems to be a true chip-and-PIN card with signature priority. It has an online-PIN. The rental company's card terminal has an internet connection. Since they don't take a signature, will the terminal switch over to PIN? Should I have any problem using this card when we pick up our car? The last thing I would want to run into is an unusable card and be up a creek without a paddle. Thanks in advance!
Posted by
Houston
3522 posts
I have one of those cards. It is Signature, not PIN, primary. The advertising is very misleading on this.
I have used it in Europe at ticket kiosks and similar places where PIN was required and was able to enter my PIN and have success with the transaction.
I had not heard that Europcar would not take a chip & signature card. The only mention of card type on their web site specific to Ireland is "Holders of a 'Chip and Pin' card must know their PIN number." How do you know the "terminal has an internet connection"? True chip & PIN cards have an offline PIN (which was the main reason they were created in the first place so they would work in areas with limited connectivity).
Posted by
OP
3 posts
The only mention of card type on their web site specific to Ireland is "Holders of a 'Chip and Pin' card must know their PIN number." => Yeah, what both BofA and Europcar say is misleading then. I emailed Europcar to find out about the chip-and-PIN and online-PIN. I wasn't understood when I asked about "online-PIN," but in the second email, I just asked if the card terminal has an internet connection-the answer was "yes."
Thanks for the answer and the clarification about what exactly is a true chip-and-PIN card!
Posted by
1 posts
I have the same card for traveling. You just need to contact the bank and tell them you would like to add a PIN number to that card. They will send you a form to fill out and send back. Once the process is complete you have a chip and pin card that will work in Europe.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thanks Bill! Now I feel more at ease.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7963 posts
I'm also surprised that a major car rental company wouldn't take a Chip and Signature. I would venture that the cardholder has little control over what the vendor's terminal does during the transaction. Even though my State Dept. Federal Credit Union Visa card has a PIN, it is Signature Primary, and produces a paper slip to sign - sometimes to the surprise of the vendor.
I wonder if the April, 2018 Mastercard (but not VISA) change to no mandatory signature at all in the US will affect Signature Primary chip and pin card performance in Europe?