sppunk

My wife and I just returned from a trip to Holand and Norway. Neither of our pinned Sapphire Preferred cards worked in any retailer. We tried in at least 7, four in Holland and three in Norway.

Hotels, markets, shops, etc. Not any kiosk attempts. We tried both our cards, when inserted the reader gave the "please insert again" repeatedly. I called Chase from Rotterdam after the card wouldn't work at our hotel and they said nothing looked amiss and my notes on travel were there.

We got this card primarily for the zero foreign transaction fee, and couldn't even use it. Most places wouldn't swipe it since it had a pin, the machine wouldn't allow it. My bank card's fees are going to hurt.

Any ideas why this would happen? It is incredibly frustrating.

RJ1

Sorry you had trouble. When you say "pin", do you mean "chip"?

I have a CSP and just returned from Germany, France and Belgium. My card worked everywhere except at an unmanned toll both (kiosk) in France. In all the other locations (hotels, restaurants), the card was inserted into the reader for the chip (not swiped) and it worked fine.

Have you tried using the card via a chip reader terminal here in the US?

SFOPhD

Last I checked the CSP was a chip and signature card, not chip and pin. Where you trying to enter a pin number?

txflyer77

The CSP is a chip-and-signature card, not chip-and-PIN (unless you're part of a trial program or something, I'm guessing Chase has one running).

The problem isn't that the card has a PIN, it's that the card *does not* have a PIN. Often the merchant doesn't know how to handle a C&S card, though IME if you can convince them to give it a try, it'll often work. Typically the staff just aren't used to the non-PIN cards and are afraid to try.

I'm surprised you had issues with hotels. I've found their typically the least troublesome, presumably because they're more used to Americans, depending on the hotel, so they're more likely to have dealt with non-PIN cards before.

Also, "Europe" is an awfully big place. Some countries seem to be more amenable to C&S cards, others are tricky. I personally had no issues in Germany, Austria and Switzerland two months ago other than metro kiosks in Berlin.

WheelsFirst

This is why I don't understand the obsession with C&S cards I really think they work less well overseas than mag stripe cards.

tmiw

The thing is that merchants don't even know the card doesn't have a PIN until they run it. Or unless OP told them beforehand, of course. My recommendation is not to tell them; outside of unattended locations that won't run the transaction online, the card should still work.

<rant>Also while Chase might have a trial program, it seems unlikely OP would be in it, plus I highly doubt the US will ever adopt PIN for anything other than debit cards. In fact, if EMVco/Visa/MC would allow it, I'd guarantee that some company would come out with cheap terminals for the US market that will never support anything other than signature.</rant>

nall

I had this same problem with my CSP in Scandinavia recently. However, a colleague's Chase Freedom w/ EMV and Ritz Carlton card had no issue, so I presumed it was just my card. I contacted Chase after I returned and they sent me a replacement card, but haven't found an EMV enabled location in NA to test my card yet.

lunettes noires

I had mine rejected at several locations (2 unattended train kiosks + a tour ticket seller) in Germany and Denmark. At all but one of those (apparently only some of the UBanh ticket machines only take debit cards?) my Barclay Arrival MC (also chip + signature) worked just fine, so there's more to it than just the lack of chip + pin capability.

tmiw

If you have a Walmart or Sam's Club near you, it's most likely EMV enabled. There's still a small chance that it isn't yet though.

The Arrival+ also has a backup PIN (and offline capability), whereas the CSP will only work online.

AggieTraveler

I used my Sapphire Preferred at several locations in Norway recently without any issues. No one seemed that surprised when no PIN was required; they just handed me the slip to sign.

Blueskyheaven

in Toronto and I think in london also, I had to insert the card first and than sign. It is not as easy as here. Their card machine is very small and want you to insert and wait for authorization and than sign. And some of the restaurants I went to charged me a separate service charge up to 15 or 20% which is a total rip off and scam. How can you even tip on top of the rip off service charge? I like one easy swipe.It is much easier here in US with one easy swipe.

Ragnarok

I am surprised that you had trouble even in hotels.

Hotels can certainly charge the card by just key in the card info.

cottonpatch

I've never had trouble with my CSP card except at unmanned ticket kiosks in Paris and Munich.

portishead

I had trouble in Paris in Feb 2014 w/ my CSP card, but an authorized user's card worked fine. It was very confusing...I got a new card from Chase following the trip.

Last month in Italy, my CSP worked fine at the train station and random restaurants. You might need a replacement card.

The signature process wasn't confusing for any of the stores...it's an automatic process. I preferred using the AX Plat though...to avoid ?'s about which currency to bill in. The whole conversion scam was prevalent in Italy.

I guess there might be workarounds for when the CHIP isn't read properly, but some merchants weren't comfortable doing them...and further assistance was needed. I prefer a smoother travel experience.

travelmad478

No problems with my CSP chip-and-signature card except at unmanned train station kiosks in Denmark. (I was in Denmark for a week in July.) Last month, I used it for two weeks in Canada, where they have chip readers everywhere--you insert the card so the chip can be read, hit OK on the amount (and enter the tip in a restaurant), then the slip will print for you to sign.

I have heard of people having issues at gas stations in Europe, but I have not had this problem. I have non-chip cards that I can use as well.