Yesterday I tried to use a magnetic stripe card at the ticket kiosks in Rome's Termini Station. It did not work and I had to use my "pin and chip" card (I get better terms on my magnetic stripe card otherwise I would use the pin and chip card all the time.).
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32405 posts
Bob,
I noticed when I used the Kiosks at Firenze SMN last year, that they were processing the transaction using the Chip & PIN system rather than the magnetic stripe. It sounds like they've now also updated the machines at Termini.
The inexorable march towards Chip & PIN continues, so I wonder how much longer magnetic stripe cards will be accepted at the machines?
Posted by
Portland, OR
30 posts
Are there any good national banks that offer a debit card with a pin & chip??
Posted by
OP
Reading, PA, USA
1637 posts
I got my pin and chip card from USAA.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16240 posts
I'm sure one day the US will fully adopt that technology. It will be when the metric system will also be adopted nationwide.
For now we will have to make do with the Swipe and Sign (or the Chip and Signature) to purchase land lots measured based on how much land a set of oxen can plow in a day.
While traveling in Italy please also respect the speed limit to avoid fines. The speed limit in Italy on the freeways is 645 Furlongs per Hour. A remarkably high speed for an ox.
Posted by
Tampa, FL, USA
1054 posts
Mastercard and Visa are mandating US credit cards go to chip technogoloy or the Banks are held accountable for any fraud on the cards and this is by late 2015. Most banks have already been upgrading to the Chip and Signature model for their cards, I work for a large bank. I have a Chip and Pin credit card from Andrews Federal Credit Union, which purchases their cards from a Canadian company that uses Chip and Pin. It's a free card and you get 0% foreign transaction costs. They do make you open a savings account with $100. I used my Chip and Pin no problem last year in Italy.
Love the speed comment Roberto!!!