Cargojon

I have a B of A Travel Rewards chip card - was recently in Switzerland and every automatic POS (McDonald's scree-order, etc) required PIN use.

Was annoying since I never bothered with a PIN for the card. Had to switch to my regular swipe debit card.

jason8612

Last I tired my USA non chip and pin cards in Poland (about a month ago) I didn't have any issues using it at any manned POS. I would still sign for it. They never worked at the automated kiosks where even the chip and sign ones dont work.

stimpy

I got forced to change my Starwood Amex to chip and sign, but it's been quite a failure. At many places the chip doesn't work, and when I go to swipe it the machine says you can't swipe a pin card. It appears the US companies made this switch without much testing or without understanding how many Euro machines work.

jason8612

Yup. My Amex Plat with the chip has issues. The chip apparently doesn't have any info on it, so when it's used in the POS it'll say to swipe it.

AlicorporateUK

Same here with my [British] Amex however today, surprisingly enough (I am not even sure why I used Amex when I would normally pay with a Polish card whilst in Warsaw - perhaps I was hungry & tired), the card worked a treat (chip&pin) at my local Carrefour. Result.

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stimpy

It's been hit and miss at my Carrefour in France. It worked today, but not last week. And like I said, when the chip doesn't work it won't let me swipe because it is a chip card.

AlicorporateUK

Frustrating, I know. To me, though, the most irritating bit is when the card doesn't work and the woman/man at the till will make other [fruitless] attempts (despite my usual "I've got another card - this should work") but looking really annoyed, as if I was trying to wind them up in purpose...

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jason8612

Interesting. Could be different with the USA Amex chip+sign

AlicorporateUK

Probably. What typically happens is that I would initially try using it with the PIN method (as I do in the UK), which probably prompts a message somewhere asking for the staff to swipe the card instead; the guy at the till would then do so but, 90% of the time I'd say, it will just not work. Moreover, as you also previously mentioned, my card has never worked in automated kiosks such as PKP or ZTM, even though the Amex symbol is clearly displayed. P.S.: the other place where I recently made a successful attempt is Sphinx restaurant (no swiping required) whereas last night, at Bierhalle, as soon as the bill came and I asked whether they would accept Amex, the waitress said yes but had to swap the POS she originally got with a different one (again, the card worked alright with no need to swipe it).

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MarcinT

I use my US bank traditional credit cards with a magnetic strip all over Europe all the time. I am now based seasonally in Poland so I use them there every day, many times a day. Experience really is king as you sometimes have to help the cashiers, etc. get the sale done but most of the time I don't have a problem and if there is one, I can resolve it together with the seller. Sometimes getting to the right (signature) screen is a little bit difficult. For example, in Poland, when prompted for PIN, you usually need to just press the red button and the terminal goes to the signature screen. In Portugal, just the opposite, press the green button (without putting the PIN in) and you get the signature screen. Other countries may have this even more complicated.

miles4sheli

Earlier in this Thread there was some discussion about whether or not Chip & Signature cards were accepted at Schiphol's manned station for train tickets. (Though not at Schiphol, once at the Amsterdam train station, I was told at the manned desk I would also need a PIN).

Just checking to see whether or not they accept Chip and Signature. Some friends told me my ATM PIN will suffice for the PIN aspect, but I have not previously done that.

I want to buy tickets from Schiphol to Rotterdam on the faster InterCity Direct Train and don't know if I should buy online in advance and get the supplement once there with the small amount of Euros I have on hand or rely on my Chip and Signature credit card for the entire purchase (I do understand getting money from an ATM is an option, but since I have had problems with ATMs before, I am going to have a backup, just in case).

Thanks in advance for your advice!

blue_can

My experience was you can use a chip and sign at Schipol but you will need to show a photo ID. The sign at the counter said chip and pin only but in actual fact they will take chip and sign.

I would suggest you buy a return ticket there although Rotterdam would be a larger station and most likely be able to accept the chip and sign. I was travelling to Dukenburg (on the outskirts of Nijmegen) which is a small station with automated machines only. I had the person I was visiting ask NS before my trip and was told that the machines would only take chip and pin cards. If you plan to visit such a place a return ticket from a bigger station would be a better idea.

I would be skeptical about your ATM pin being the same as the pin for the chip.

JBord

It's been a year since I was there last, but the manned desk at Schipol took my chip and sign card. I don't recall being asked for a photo ID either, but could have been.

Good advice on the return ticket. One thing that's guaranteed is the automated machines don't work with chip and sign...I've tried!

I've actually called my credit card company and they told me there actually is not a PIN for the chip and sign card, so don't count on that. Although it could be different by card issuer of course.

pbiflyer

We used my Marriott Visa and to a lesser extent Delta AmEx in Italy, Germany, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. It was chip and sign. We never had a problem with them.

LoraM