I have a Capital One Venture card which is a chip and signature Visa card. Prior to leaving for Sweden I set up a PIN. I have been in Linköping for three weeks and using this card for most transactions. Stores take the card but require a signature along with another ID such as drivers license and an ID number. Each time this has caused confusion because Washington state drivers license contains letters which are unacceptable in ID numbers in the Swedish transaction system. Some stores figure something out and we are allowed to complete the transaction but on some occasions my son has had to pay using his Swedish personnummber . Some stores use DOB as an additional ID number to enter into their system and it has worked, but most stores don’t know how or where to enter that info. Not once has the option to use a PIN been offered. Entering a PIN does not come up on the credit card machine either. I have told clerks that I have a PIN and no one knows how to get it entered into the system since my card evidently shows up as needing a signature. Today we just had to leave our purchases as the check out person could not figure out how to enter an acceptable ID number from my drivers license. Stores here do not take cash. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what ID number can be used along with an American Visa card in Sweden? Or know of a true chip and pin credit card that will work easily in Sweden? This is getting frustrating and a little embarrassing as we hold up lines in grocery stores.
Thanks!
Posted by
Sweden
6341 posts
Stores here do not take cash.
Some don't but others do. Having a bit of cash as a back up is probably a good idea. Especially at grocery stores, those usually accept cash.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32705 posts
It sounds like your card was set up to prioritize the signature over the PIN. Can you contact the card issuer and have them change it to PIN priority?
I think this is a holdover from the US practice of signing for everything....
Posted by
la la land...
832 posts
Just taking a stab at this, but do vendors there take Apple Pay via your iphone or apple watch if you have one? I found widespread acceptance of it on my last trip to France and Germany, even though every time I asked, they said they weren't sure it would work, but if they have those contactless payment readers, chances are good they can accept apple pay or one of the other pay systems (google, etc).
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Thanks for suggestions. We will contact credit card company and see if they can change priority to PIN priority. Also will check into Apple Pay.
Posted by
4510 posts
Your passport is all numbers, could try that.
There are several PIN priority credit cards available in the US but I don't have one. You could try to have the priority changed but I am pretty sure that won't work.
Entering a PIN will not be offered with a person there, so pursuing getting that to work is a dead end. It's possible it might work with no cashier present at the self-check out. Not really sure.
My Capital One card just worked flawlessly in Iceland, no PIN and no signature in supermarkets (only needed to sign in a few restaurants). But I had the ID issue in Sweden and New Zealand so some countries' systems are less friendly to US credit cards.
My CapitalOne does have contactless capacity, does yours?
Posted by
Sweden
6341 posts
Get some cash as well.
Posted by
la la land...
832 posts
Per Apple support, Apple Pay is accepted in Sweden.
Look for the Apple pay symbols at stores and restaurants, or on the contactless pay pads and readers:
https://cms-assets.tutsplus.com/uploads/users/99/posts/31019/image/apple-pay-logo.jpg
In France and Germany, I would see that second logo that looks like a clam shell, ask about acceptance of Apple Pay, and most of the time I got a blank stare or a shoulder shrug. I said "let's try" and it worked every time.
Posted by
Virginia, USA
5508 posts
Does anyone have any suggestions as to what ID number can be used along with an American Visa card in Sweden? Or know of a true chip and pin credit card that will work easily in Sweden?
Have you shown your passport as the ID rather than a DL? The other thing is you might mention that it is a foreign card with no pin before they take it.
Most US cards are ”chip and signature” rather than ”chip and pin”. While you have a pin, it is probably only for the purpose of getting a cash advance at an ATM. There are a small number of US cards that are true ”chip and pin.”. This is a link to an article which lists companies that offer ”chip and pin” (you will notice Capital One is listed as ”no” for chip and pin). Ideally, you would want a card with ”pin preferred” as the verification method.
https://www.creditcardinsider.com/blog/chip-and-pin-credit-cards-usa/
Posted by
OP
4 posts
My cap one card is contactless but when used still requires a signature. I’m sure this is because it is the chip and sig card. I hadn’t thought of using passport number. I think on our next visit we will plan on cash for groceries for sure. Clothing stores and other shopping venues are ‘card only’ but haven’t been as challenging as the grocery store. Our visits here will be longer than just tourist activities as our son lives here so we will pursue smoothing out this issue. Thank you for all the suggestions. It has been very helpful.
Posted by
Malmö, Sweden
127 posts
Apple pay symbols are rare I would say, but 95% or so of card readers accept contactless payments so it should work anyway.
Posted by
4510 posts
My cap one card is contactless but when used still requires a signature. I’m sure this is because it is the chip and sig card.
It shouldn't work that way. What is the amount? If high enough then it will require a signature. A websearch is saying the limit is 400 SEK. There shouldn't be a difference between using the contactless feature of the card and using the same card with Apple Pay.
Posted by
Freedonia
14944 posts
Two years ago I was able to use my credit card in Sweden without a problem. It's a pin and sig card. (Almost all U.S. cards are chip and sig.) I think at most I was asked for ID so they could check the signature.
While most of my use was in Stockholm, my wonder is if the the people working in Linkoping are used to a U.S. card and don't understand about chip and sig.
I now use contactless whenever I can and have never been asked for ID. Just tap and go.
The PIN, by the way, for that type of card, is to allow you to use ATM machines.
Posted by
Malmö, Sweden
127 posts
There shouldn't be a difference between using the contactless feature of the card and using the same card with Apple Pay.
I believe there are some small differences. With contactless card you don't need to authenticate below 400 SEK. Over 400 SEK you need PIN (or signature?). And at "random" occasions you need to use the chip+PIN/sign. With Apple/Google Pay you always authenticate (in the phone) regardless of amount and never need to use the PIN or chip. So basically once you got Apple Pay to work it should always work.
Posted by
4510 posts
I've never used Apple Pay but this website comes with the warning that PIN (or signature) "might" be required for
Apple Pay payments over 400 SEK. I guess the only way to know is to try it.
Posted by
la la land...
832 posts
...this website comes with the warning that PIN (or signature) "might" be required for
Apple Pay payments over 400 SEK. I guess the only way to know is to try it.
This is a bit odd coming from Apple since there are no PINs for Apple Pay. I did see on another Apple forum the suggestion to enter any random 4 digit code if asked for a PIN. I have never been asked for a PIN, or any other form of ID, and only a handful of times have I been asked for a signature.