Chip and pin question

I was in Switzerland in 2011 and had no trouble using my old-school American credit/debit cards with magnetic strip. I have not been to Italy in a few years, but I've heard they are quickly switching to chip & pin.

Susan, Whether you "need" a "Chip & PIN" card may depend on whether you'll be using any automated ticket Kiosks, fuel pumps, etc. Those are increasingly C&P only. If you'll be using the cards mostly at staffed locations such as Hotels and restaurants, they should be able to still process transactions using the magnetic stripe. The inexorable march towards the new technology is continuing, so at some point in the future C&P credit & debit cards may be necessary for all transactions. A number of posters here have indicated that the Andrews Federal Credit Union offers C&P cards in the U.S. Apparently it's not necessary to reside in their normal service area to obtain one. Do a search on some of the previous posts here. Happy travels!

Here's what I wrote in the Trenitalia kiosk forum (http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/helpline/index.cfm/rurl/topic/88215/trenitalia-kiosks-anyone-else-noticed-this.html) which you might want to read. I'll add (to my post below) that the regular credit card did work at restaurants, hotels, museums, etc., but not at the train kiosk. Just got back from Italy. I, too, couldn't use my Capital One credit card at the Trenitalia kiosks, even though I thought I knew the PIN. I tested it at an ATM in the US, as if I wanted to take out cash. I didn't actually take out cash, because there are fees for doing this on a credit card, but I got to that point after entering a PIN, so I thought I knew it. But the Trenitalia kiosks wouldn't accept it. I should have called Capital One to confirm my PIN, but I still doubt it would have worked. However, my TD Bank checking account debit card worked just fine with its PIN (and they don't charge foreign transaction fees) so all was well. But this proves that the kiosks WILL accept non-chip&PIN cards.

Thanks, this has all been very helpful! Happy travels!

I've found two critical places where, without a Chip and PIN you are stuck being unable to make a purchase: 1) The Trenitalia kiosks 2) At gasoline stations that are not manned. This was pretty common for us on a Sunday off the autoroutes. On the autoroutes, the Autogrilles are always manned, so it's not an issue. It was a MUCH bigger issue in France though. Cheers!

David, I have to slightly disagree. At the Trenitalia kiosks, I didn't need a chip & PIN card - my TD bank debit card doesn't have a chip (as far as I know), but it did work, with my PIN.

As noted, there are only a few cases that magnetic cards won't work. ATM cards are all fine - though sometimes for other reasons they don't work for certain machines. If that happens, just move on to another ATM. Another option if you NEED a chip & pin card, is to buy the Travelex cash passport. It comes with chip & pin and works like a pre-loaded credit card. But it is expensive, their exchange rate is about 10% above the interbank rate your ATM and credit card gives you (though often with 1-4% supplemental fees). If you go that route, only use it for the times you need it.

At TrenItalia kiosks one can still pay also with an American Express card and it will not ask for a PIN. So apparently TD Bank and Amex work there, apart from using cash, or using a chip&pin card. So I am paying with my Amex for the time being whenever I need a train ticket, but of course that does mean a foreign transaction fee as well.

TD Bank is Toronto Dominion Bank - an Ontario based (originally) one, one of the biggest banks in Canada.

Know wonder I didn't know.....I am way down south in the USA!

TD is headed your way Susan....they have 250+ branches in Florida and South Carolina;)

Susan, A bit more trivia regarding TD Bank..... A few years ago, they acquired Canada Trust, so on this side of the border they're officially called TD Canada Trust. One of the nice features that they retained from Canada Trust was longer operating hours, so they're much more convenient to deal with than other Banks. They're open every day here, including Saturday and Sunday, as well as 8 - 8 on Thursday and Friday. They're headquartered in Toronto. The U.S. branch of TD Bank is reportedly one of the 10 largest Banks in the U.S. They offer not only banking services but also Insurance and "wealth management". They have a presence in several locations around the world, so operate globally. Cheers!

I am sorry not everyone knows what TD bank is...I am one of those!

Now, that's what I need "wealth management"! That is, I need more wealth to manage! Maybe they will be coming to Alabama soon....

Chase offers a few chip and pin cards but they can be expensive. Their British Airways card is C & P and also has no forgien trasaction fees. That said, annual fee is $95 in the first year!
The thing you really should be worried about are forgien transactions fees with a credit card. I used Chase Sappire and I saved 3% on all of my Visa charges (My Milage Plus card charges 3%). It is not C&P but it works just fine in Europe and is free the first year.