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Swipe & Pin? Is that an option?

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Old Aug 29, 2017, 8:03 pm
  #1  
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Swipe & Pin? Is that an option?

I went to a Carrefour in Poland and wanted to use my Citi-issued Amex with no chip to pay for the transaction. I swiped the card and when prompted to enter a PIN, I asked the rep to override it, she had no clue how to do that, so I used a different payment method. Would the ATM PIN work? What's your experience?
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Old Aug 30, 2017, 1:57 am
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Swipe and PIN is common in Eastern Europe. While there is a service code option for PIN it's generally ignored and terminal configuration is used instead (unlike a chip card where the chip is almost always obeyed).

Your ATM PIN should work.
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Old Aug 30, 2017, 12:48 pm
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The question is not just whether the ATM PIN would work, the question is also whether using the ATM PIN would keep it as a purchase, rather than cash advance.

Without knowing local transaction customs (do most people there use credit cards or debit cards) I don't know if it's safe to assume that it would definitely code as a purchase if it's asking for a PIN from a swipe.
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Old Aug 30, 2017, 1:00 pm
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Originally Posted by sdsearch
The question is not just whether the ATM PIN would work, the question is also whether using the ATM PIN would keep it as a purchase, rather than cash advance.

Without knowing local transaction customs (do most people there use credit cards or debit cards) I don't know if it's safe to assume that it would definitely code as a purchase if it's asking for a PIN from a swipe.
Good point. Normally, they would accept contactless or Chip & Pin. If the Pin is not available, it would go to Signature. In this case, I had no Chip and the Self Check-out had no Signature option.
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Old Aug 30, 2017, 2:16 pm
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Originally Posted by sdsearch
The question is not just whether the ATM PIN would work, the question is also whether using the ATM PIN would keep it as a purchase, rather than cash advance.

Without knowing local transaction customs (do most people there use credit cards or debit cards) I don't know if it's safe to assume that it would definitely code as a purchase if it's asking for a PIN from a swipe.
I'm fairly sure that if no cash is actually given to the cardholder as part of the transaction, it will count as a purchase and not as a cash advance. There are exceptions, of course, but those are probably uncommon.
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Old Aug 30, 2017, 2:24 pm
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Swipe & PIN is very familiar to Americans, it's how we have used debit cards for a long while and, in a sense, it's how we dispense self-service gasoline.

Has anyone actually verified that a credit card purchase was categorized as a cash advance because an ATM PIN was used at a POS terminal?
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Old Aug 30, 2017, 3:08 pm
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Originally Posted by mia
Swipe & PIN is very familiar to Americans, it's how we have used debit cards for a long while and, in a sense, it's how we dispense self-service gasoline.
It is but would a foreign Amex purchase be approved with Swipe & Pin?
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Old Aug 30, 2017, 3:48 pm
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Originally Posted by sdsearch
The question is not just whether the ATM PIN would work, the question is also whether using the ATM PIN would keep it as a purchase, rather than cash advance.

Without knowing local transaction customs (do most people there use credit cards or debit cards) I don't know if it's safe to assume that it would definitely code as a purchase if it's asking for a PIN from a swipe.
The coding is based on the transaction coding, NOT on whether a PIN was used. That's a myth that keeps coming up.
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Old Aug 30, 2017, 4:32 pm
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Originally Posted by greglvnv
It is but would a foreign Amex purchase be approved with Swipe & Pin?
Yes, I've had swipe and pin with an Amex in Hong Kong. It works fine.
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Old Aug 31, 2017, 6:36 am
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Originally Posted by reclusive46
... It works fine.
...but that's with a Canadian card which has a PIN setup for purchases?
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Old Aug 31, 2017, 3:24 pm
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Originally Posted by mia
...but that's with a Canadian card which has a PIN setup for purchases?
With a US platinum amex.
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Old Aug 31, 2017, 3:29 pm
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Originally Posted by reclusive46
With a US platinum amex.
Thank you for the clarification.
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Old Sep 1, 2017, 1:27 am
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Originally Posted by mia
Swipe & PIN is very familiar to Americans, it's how we have used debit cards for a long while and, in a sense, it's how we dispense self-service gasoline.
When I get gas, I'm always asked for a zip code, not a PIN because I run it the way the banks want the card ran (over Visa/MC network). There's too many advantages to swipe/insert and signature at the moment because the banks make more money when the transaction is ran over the Visa/MC network.

Most people run their debit cards as credit now; thus, bypassing the PIN, and many banks are encouraging the "sign" or non-debit network method of paying.

While what you said is right, I think choosing PIN is a poor option for those using a card to buy gas due to debit holds, more liability, etc.
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Old Sep 1, 2017, 7:38 am
  #14  
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Originally Posted by mikesyr18
When I get gas, I'm always asked for a zip code, not a PIN....
That is exactly what I meant by: in a sense, it's how we dispense self-service . We swipe a credit card and enter a five digit string of numerals rather than signing. (I've never used a debit card to purchase gasoline. Come to think of it I may have never used a debit card to buy anything.)
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Old Sep 1, 2017, 8:43 am
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Originally Posted by mikesyr18
When I get gas, I'm always asked for a zip code, not a PIN because I run it the way the banks want the card ran (over Visa/MC network).
I wouldn't say that's always the case. For example, I received a new Chase business debit card recently and the paperwork that came with it actually said to enter the PIN whenever prompted.
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