Just got back from Germany - maiden voyage for my AFCU Globe Trek card. Mixed results.

Before we left, I called the card processor's 800 number to alert them to pending travel. At the end of that call, the agent said I should also call AFCU and tell them the same info. Why? Well, just because that's what we do. Why indeed! Nobody could give me a good answer on that one. OK, so I called. Each call seemed to take way more time than it ought to. Anyone else have to go through this?

First in-country use was at the Wiesbaden train station buying S-bahn tickets to Frankfurt from an agent. She asked if the card was new and had to swipe it 2-3 times; also stuck it in the chip reader. Finally OK and sold us 2 round-trip tix for about 27 Euros. No signature required, and no PIN requested.

In Frankfurt, tried to buy 2 "Frankfurt Card" day passes for unlimited tram/bus use. Could not get the card accepted in 3 different ticket machines. Standing in slow-moving line at a busy ticket office and getting very crabby, wife suggests "why don't you just use cash?" <Oh, Duh!> Back to the ticket machine which happily accepts cash and off we go.

Later, back in Wiesbaden, I try the card at a bus stop ticket machine - no luck. Machine asks for PIN which I enter, then the transaction is denied. And yes, I used the right PIN. Possible explanations why my unattended transactions didn't work: (1) I missed some essential step in directions (I speak some German, but have no prior experience with European ticket kiosks); (2) the transaction was too small, so machine wanted a cash payment - got no indication of this, however. Can't come up with any others.

Over next 2 weeks, used the AFCU card about 10 times for various transactions, mostly small (Euro 20-50). All were in-person with hotels or merchants, accepted with no problem, and all required my signature. On most of these, the card was read with a swipe reader. On one big purchase (Euro 950), the merchant swiped the card, then stuck the chip end into a chip reader, and I was asked to sign, but no PIN required.

Bottom line: I have yet another working VISA card, but no idea whether it works at unattended kiosks, which is why I went through the hassles to get it in the first place.

I suppose I could verify the PIN with AFCU and/or the card processor and ask them why the transactions didn't work, but I don't anticipate a very useful answer. And, I would rather get an independent verification in "live fire" conditions. Anybody have thoughts on how to test Chip-and-PIN around Chicago?

Better luck to you all