Type of identification required if using USA credit card in UK or Irish Republic?
 

Speaking of using a passport as ID I am making my first trip to Europe in a month and a half. London for a day and Dublin for 4 days. Not going to buy any large expensive things, just a ticket for the England vs Slovenia game at Wembley, and restaurant and pub meals.

If I am asked for ID, will they accept a photocopy of my passport or do I have to show the actual passport? Due to pickpocket and mugging concerns I want to keep my passport at the hotel safe and just carry a copy with me.

I don't really know if it's a loaw or anything like that in the UK. I have been asked for ID I think once in the last 10 years and that was for a small purchase at Boots using an antiquated American credit card. The store clerk of course gave me it's for my protection garbage but as I always do here, even though I don't know the same requirement that they can't refuse a transaction fo failure to show ID applies in the UK and she called the manager over who checked the signature and allowed the transaction to go through. (Yes being in the UK I may have been on shaky grounds, I do admit).

So my advice, based on my experience, is to loeave your passport safely secured in the hotel room safe although I can't guarantee anything.l But I've been to London countless times in the last several years and that's my m.o.

1. I always carry my passport. Doesn't mean I wanna show it off to everyone.

2. Signature transactions actually have more legal protection for their right to exist in the UK than in the US under disabilities rights law.

I've used my drivers license and I usually leave my passport at the hotel esp. if there's a safe.

That's quite a complicated issue.

The official line from the UK card industry is that Chip and Signature cards won't work at self-service checkouts and vending machines, so you're still not guaranteed "universal acceptance".

They have a nice guide to the cards on their website:

http://www.payyourway.org.uk/wp-cont...p-Leaflet1.pdf

I haven't been carded for CC use but have been carded at pubs and clubs in London. My US drivers license was sufficient in that case. I'd keep your passport in a safe at the hotel

The number of "keep passport safe at hotel" responses shocks me. Maybe it's just the type of person I am, or where I go, or where I stay - but I only ever, at most, feel slightly nervous with my passport and valuables on me. I'd NEVER leave them at a place I'm staying, though.

Type of identification required if using USA credit card in UK or Irish Republic?
 

1. No one will probably ask you for ID. If they do, they want to see the original though. You will probably get away with original DL, but not guaranteed.

2. The risk of getting robbed is very low. Don't worry.

Interesting pamphlet. It says UK merchants are mandated to accept pin supressed (chip and signature) cards from any disabled person. Does that mean they can refuse to accept a c&s card from me or are all Americans considered disabled? Of course they point out visa and mastercard require all valid cards be accepted but then contradict themselves by saying c&s cards are not accepted at self service terminals at supermarkets and petrol stations. I suppose they can get away with that I suppose because one can always go to a personneled window, right?

OMG I hope the mods who are getting very picky these days about what's on topic and not on topic don't rule this off topic and bump it back to the emv thread.

Mods this belongs here and the other things could have stayed in the emv thread since asking for identification is one primary votge for chip and pin not chip and signature. So I'll say it loud and clear. Having a chip and pin card is one argument against having to walk aorund with ID even gthough I'm not sure it's legal in the UK for a merchant to refuse to process a cc transaction without identification. There...it's on topic here but it was on topic in the emv thread.

Jeff, where does it say you have to be disabled in there? It doesn't. And medical privacy laws prevent them from asking. One thing that I have learned working for a University in the US is that accessibility technology must be made available to EVERYONE and, for many things, must not require a request. UK law is obviously different, but on this issue I'm sure is fairly similar. Medical privacy requires that a person should not have to self-identify when possible. Thus, the chip and signature acceptance mandate applies to all chip and signature cardholders.

I'm sure somewhere in the brochure I read into it something about being disabled to get such a card or something to that effect. I was going to make a humourous remark like perhaps they consider all Americans disabled as we all have chip and signature cards but I thought better of it as being handicapped is no laughing matter nor should it be. Maybe I'll re-read the brochure again to find what lingered in my mind but it's not worth a hassle or anything like that.

To get one, yes. To use it, no. Shops can't ask that kind of medical info as a requirement of a purchase.

I live in the UK and it's very unlikely that you'll be asked for ID. Using chip & pin cards mean that the cashier won't even touch your card at checkout. This was the experience of some American friends who visited recently. If you do need ID for something (eg. to enter pub) then DL should be fine.

... I was surprised that I had to provide photo ID when I was in Nth America a number of years ago and handed over my CC. That seems a lot more secure than what happens here.

Oh, and if you buy items > £100 or so, keep the receipt and item in your carry on bags at the airport so that you can reclaim the tax back (VAT/tax in UK is 20%). You can search online for 'VAT reclaim uk' for more information.

I seriously doubt if the photocopy will be even accepted.