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Problems Using Credit Cards in Norway

I've heard that many terminals and kiosks require a 4-digit security code, different than a PIN, to use with your credit card. Has anyone experienced this? I plan to use VISA.

Posted by
9109 posts

A new tread in some parts of Europe is that some merchants require the customer to enter the credit card's pin number to finalize the transaction instead a signature. I'm not aware of any other security code other than the regular PIN. If you've forgotten your CC's PIN, call your bank for a new one.

Posted by
2876 posts

Andrea, the issue here is that most terminals and kiosks in Europe are programmed for chip-embedded credit cards. Most US-based credit cards do not have chips.

So your Visa won't work, for example, at a gas station pay-at-the-pump or an automated toll booth. But if you hand it to a attendant, you'll be fine.

Posted by
9109 posts

Tom, an increasing number of merchants are requiring holders of US magnetic strip credit cards to enter a PIN number, regardless of wheter it is at a machine or at the register.

Posted by
2876 posts

Mike - if I were a merchant in a tourist area in Europe, the last thing I would do would be to start refusing American credit cards because the customer didn't know their credit card PIN. My sales to Americans would go into the tank. So I doubt this practice will become too widespread!

Posted by
9109 posts

I'm not making it up, it's happened to me. Specifically in central Brussels and Amsterdam. One notable example is the train station at Schipol Airport. PINs are required at both the machines and at the ticket counter for both chip and magnetic strip cards.

Posted by
2876 posts

Yikes. Now I have to memorize PINs for my debit card, my Visa, my Mastercard,my Amex,...

What a world we live in.

Posted by
4535 posts

Scandinavia is PIN oriented. I had no problem using a signature option, but I could see where some places would only have a PIN option. Automated machines require a card with a chip and US cards won't work. It can also be difficult to use your US card for online transactions (you may have to call to make the transaction).

ATMs work fine with your ATM card.

Posted by
970 posts

In the UK, you need to make sure you have a four-digit PIN that consists only of the digits 1-9. Zeroes and letters won't work. Credit and ATM cards.

Anyone know if the same applies in Norway and elsewhere in Europe?

Posted by
497 posts

No restriction on zeros in PINs in the UK. (Or anywhere else in Europe AFAIK.)

There used to be the idea going round the message boards (here, fodors etc.) that PINs couldn't start with a zero but it was always something someone had heard... Certainly I've never seen this restriction from a UK bank.

I think I know what you mean but PINs can never have letters (the N stands for Number). It is unusual outside the USA/Canada to see auxiliary letters on the numberic keypad so make sure you learn your number not a mnemonic.