Europe - Suggested forms of payment in Italy/France?

Going to Italy and France (Paris) with mu wife and kids and was wondering how I should plan to pay for things at restaurants, etc.

In Canada and Mexico I've done mostly Visa/Amex and ATM/cash but
I have no chip and pin cards.

Will my normal ATM card work? Will I have any luck with my normal signature (non chip/pin) CC?

Any suggested solution? And what's the usual route taken?

Thanks.

You should not have much of a problem with your normal credit card. Some places like automated ticket machines, gas pumps, etc it may be an issue, but for the most part they will just run it as a regular card. And of course, they love cash.

Your normal ATM card should work as long as you have a 4 digit PIN and your bank has not restricted it.

You should not have much of a problem with your normal credit card. Some places like automated ticket machines, gas pumps, etc it may be an issue, but for the most part they will just run it as a regular card. And of course, they love cash.

Your normal ATM card should work as long as you have a 4 digit PIN and your bank has not restricted it.

You will be able to use your non chip card at non-automated places. Some waiters/stores might give you a little bit of hard time, but just stand firm and tell them the US doesn't issue chip yet and that it works just fine. Just tell them that they need to swipe it. Not a big deal

i do not worry about much, but someone messing with a credit card charge is one of the few. a pretty famious cafe in venice added a zero to our bill a long while back. with adjustment, the bill was 2000000 lira. that's closer to $1000 than 100, which was the correct bill. since then, when paying in funny money countries,i always pay cash i get money in €200 increments from atms.

Make sure tou tell them before charging you to charge in local currency (mostly restaurants, in EUR). Their exchange rate is always horrible unlike your bank's.

Be aware that Amex is not as widely accepted. In France just point out that your card is a non-chip card, and it should work so long as a human is involved in the transaction. But non-chip cards may not work at machines such as SNCF ticket machines, etc.

Make sure tou tell them before charging you to charge in local currency (mostly restaurants, in EUR). Their exchange rate is always horrible unlike your bank's.

Definitely true. I think you're referring to the dynamic currency conversion (DCC), which many FTers have likened to a scam (which it is!). Make sure when you charge to your cc that you are being charged the local currency, and not your home one. I'd search the forums regarding this topic if you are not sure whether you are being charged DCC

Be aware that Amex is not as widely accepted. In France just point out that your card is a non-chip card, and it should work so long as a human is involved in the transaction. But non-chip cards may not work at machines such as SNCF ticket machines, etc.

This. Amex is almost worthless in France, IME. SPG personal and corporate Amex are my everyday cards at home, but in Europe I use my Chase BA card (still non-chipped) because it offers the benefit of no foreign transaction fee.

I spent 11 days in Provence this past March, Chase card was accepted everywhere with no problem, and the savings on foreign transaction fees more than made up for the $95 annual fee I just paid on the card.

but in Europe I use my Chase BA card (still non-chipped) Not sure if you know this, but you can contact Chase now and get a chipped version of this card.

This. Amex is almost worthless in France, IME. SPG personal and corporate Amex are my everyday cards at home, but in Europe I use my Chase BA card (still non-chipped) because it offers the benefit of no foreign transaction fee.

I spent 11 days in Provence this past March, Chase card was accepted everywhere with no problem, and the savings on foreign transaction fees more than made up for the $95 annual fee I just paid on the card.

Amex is pretty worthless anywhere outside of the US. Even in Canada, my VISA gets 3X the number of transactions than my Amex.

Amex is pretty worthless anywhere outside of the US. Even in Canada, my VISA gets 3X the number of transactions than my Amex.

That's a bit excessive. However, it's true that in France and Italy American Express is likely to be accepted only at fairly "up-market" establishments.

Not sure if you know this, but you can contact Chase now and get a chipped version of this card.

as and of last month the saphire blu card was not available in chipped form

Moving this thread to the Europe forum. Thanks for your understanding.

Jouy31
TravelBuzz co-moderator

Returned home from France last week and had no problem at all using our Hilton Amex, Marriott Premier Visa(no forex charges) or our local bank debit card. None of these cards had chips and we used them at gas stations and restaurants in eastern France and Switzerland, for the most part.

Bobette

as and of last month the saphire blu card was not available in chipped form

OverThereTooMuch was referring to the BA card, which you can get chipped now.

Amex is pretty worthless anywhere outside of the US. Even in Canada, my VISA gets 3X the number of transactions than my Amex.

Works just fine over in Singapore, just a handful of places I know don't take AMEX (usually the smallest of stores, discount places, etc.).

This. Amex is almost worthless in France, IME. SPG personal and corporate Amex are my everyday cards at home, but in Europe I use my Chase BA card (still non-chipped) because it offers the benefit of no foreign transaction fee.

I spent 11 days in Provence this past March, Chase card was accepted everywhere with no problem, and the savings on foreign transaction fees more than made up for the $95 annual fee I just paid on the card.I think a better summary is that AMEX is not accepted much outside of Paris and the larger resort areas.

Last time we were in Paris (two years ago), I had no trouble using AMEX.

In fact, we discovered that the self-service kiosks for museum tickets, which wouldn't accept any of our ATM/Visa/MC (all non-chip), readily accepted my AMEX.

I think a better summary is that AMEX is not accepted much outside of Paris and the larger resort areas.

Last time we were in Paris (two years ago), I had no trouble using AMEX.

In fact, we discovered that the self-service kiosks for museum tickets, which wouldn't accept any of our ATM/Visa/MC (all non-chip), readily accepted my AMEX.

I've been in Paris far more than two years ago. Amex seems to be accepted less than in past. Paul, for instance, the big bakery chain, doesn't accept it at many locations around France anymore.

Visa is widely accepted in France (note that I have a chipped European card, so YMMV), as is Maestro and obviously cash euros.
No idea about Italy since I have never been to Italy.

Visa is widely accepted in France (note that I have a chipped European card, so YMMV), as is Maestro and obviously cash euros.
No idea about Italy since I have never been to Italy.

I was in Paris last year with a chipped Visa and an unchipped one, and had no problem using either (I think that I probably only tried the one with a chip in machines at railway stations).

We found very few restaurants that would accept Amex (mid to low price range places), but shops such as Gap would accept it.

Nearly all of my credit cards have a 2-3% conversion fee from foreign currencies to US dollars. THe Capital One credit and debit cards have no conversion fees, which saves a lot of money. I used my debit card, with MasterCard logo for most of my purchases in Europe. I also used it for ATM transactions in Hungary, Czech Republic, and France, with only a 4 digit PIN required.
Do NOT allow stores to charge you in US dollars, as the store's conversion rate is usually massive. The difference was a few percent at Galeries Lafayette in Paris, for example. I wisely used Euro charging there.

Do NOT allow stores to charge you in US dollars, as the store's conversion rate is usually massive. The difference was a few percent at Galeries Lafayette in Paris, for example. I wisely used Euro charging there.

To clarify, since we are not all Americans, it's not only US dollars, it's likely to be one's home currency. At Abercrombie & Fitch on the Champs Elysees yesterday they offered to let me pay in AUD or Euros. Had I not been aware of this trap I may well have taken the AUD option.

Up until now, dynamic currency conversion has not been all that prevelent in Paris. We have been getting reports that more and more merchants in Paris are trying to pull this scam. Of course, it's fine as long as they ask and you remember the magic word, non. The hassles begin when they try to pull it without giving you the choice, illegal under mc/visa merchant agreements and then suddenly pull the je ne parle pas l'anglais on you.

Up until now, dynamic currency conversion has not been all that prevelent in Paris. We have been getting reports that more and more merchants in Paris are trying to pull this scam. Of course, it's fine as long as they ask and you remember the magic word, non. The hassles begin when they try to pull it without giving you the choice, illegal under mc/visa merchant agreements and then suddenly pull the je ne parle pas l'anglais on you.

"We"? Have you got some sort of inside information that you should perhaps be sharing?

"We"? Have you got some sort of inside information that you should perhaps be sharing?

I have read it on several different other blogs. But I will be in Paris in two weeks and will report back.

However, I do know from personal experience during the last time I was in London where I had almost never run into the problem, at several different merchants I received charge slips trying to pull the dcc scam.

Forewarned should be forewarned no matter where you go.

I have read it on several different other blogs. But I will be in Paris in two weeks and will report back.



Oh, ok.

I'm in Paris at the moment and I've only seen it so far at A&F as I mentioned a little earlier. Their machine clearly asked me if I wanted to pay in Euros or AUD. It hasn't happened anywhere else and I've been using my card quite a bit in restaurants and stores.

It's a good thing to be aware of.

DCC is gaining traction worldwide even in Europe and the US. Almost unbelievable that such a scam could be allowed.

In most of Europe cash is still king but Master or Visa can be used almost anywhere. Other cc's not so much.

DCC is gaining traction worldwide even in Europe and the US. Almost unbelievable that such a scam could be allowed.

In most of Europe cash is still king but Master or Visa can be used almost anywhere. Other cc's not so much.

Of course it is. Do a google search on dynamic currency conversion and read some of the garbage the credit card processors put out to merchants......serve your international clients better (in other words rip them off)....earn extra commissions (at the expense of your customers)...this is the payment way of the future (too bad it's the now too).

I was scammed last year when in Beijing on my hotel bill. Fortunatly the hotel corrected the difference (€50). So no need to read about it, I now know how it works and how much consumers are being scammed.

But still find it hard to believe they are getting away with it so easily.