FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Problem? USAA Switches from Mastercard to Visa
Old Nov 26, 2016 | 8:30 am
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Originally Posted by LondonElite
I don't know what USAA is, but Visa is the most widely accepted credit card in the world.
Originally Posted by Redhead
Used to be true but no longer is. MasterCard has fully caught up to Visa in terms of global acceptance numbers and actually offers a few more ATM locations.

There are more Visa cards issued then MasterCard but acceptance is equal
In any case, that's Visa cards issued worldwide.

But Visa cards issued in the USA are accepted less than Mastercards at some unattended kiosks in Europe, because Visa cards issued in the USA generally don't have PIN capability on a chip purchase, yet some unattended kiosks in Europe (including self-serve gas stations, parking lots, etc) require a PIN for a chip card purchase (and don't accept a non-chip card either).

So unless USAA is going to make an exception and support PIN for purchases on its Visa card, this may result in a bit of decreased acceptance in Europe.

For more on PIN vs signature on chip cards, please see:
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