Originally Posted by
AllieKat
I don't think so, here in the US credit cards matter a LOT to me. I'm moving to England soon, and aside from getting basic banking needs sorted, I couldn't care nearly as much there. Why? They don't give me an INCENTIVE to care, unlike banks in the US.
In fact, in Europe they give you incentive NOT to use credit cards. When I still had one, my European Mastercard had a €50 annual fee, zero rewards or benefits and no zero liability policy for fraud. I used my debit card (with PIN) everywhere and cash for smaller purchases. The only reason I even had a credit card was because Maestro debit cards are not widely accepted for purchases outside of select few European countries. Nowadays Maestro is getting phased out and many banks are switching to Visa debit cards, which can be used for online purchases or abroad.
Now that I am in the US, I obviously take advantage of all the rewards on credit cards. Still, I don't see why people get so upset when their credit card isn't accepted somewhere. Sure, it is a tiny inconvenience, but not the end of the world. I do find the signature requirement for chip and signature cards bizarre, because the signature adds absolutely no value (i.e. no security).