Traveling to the UK and Ireland next March - should we get a proper chip & pin card?
#17
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: CLE
Programs: NEXUS, MileagePlus Silver, Frontier Diamond, IHG Spire, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 264
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,508
I'm planning an Ireland trip with a rental car for later this year so I'll definitely keep that in mind. How common is contactless at the pump? I should have a card with PIN support just in case but it'd be nice to just tap instead if possible.
#19
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: CLE
Programs: NEXUS, MileagePlus Silver, Frontier Diamond, IHG Spire, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 264
There were very few pay-at-the-pump options. I always had to go inside to pay, as did just about everybody else.
#20
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: Continental OnePass
Posts: 856
My experience last year was that CSR and other Visa cards did not work on the Underground loaded on Apple Pay. My Barcley MasterCards worked. I had read in advance of the trip that only MasterCard was working so I made sure to have a MasterCard loaded on my Apple Watch.. My Apple Pay had no limit at any terminals but I read then that there had been a limit and all terminals might not be converted.
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,508
#22
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: CLE
Programs: NEXUS, MileagePlus Silver, Frontier Diamond, IHG Spire, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 264
Yes. Once processed, 2 receipts will usually print. One for you and one to sign. Many gas stations will act confused at first, then have you sign. Although I did have one tell me that they don't take signature cards. I told her they do because it said approved. She was likely not well trained. But some may not ever see anybody with a signature card, especially outside County Dublin or other touristy areas (I lived in County Kildare).
#23
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEL
Posts: 1,056
Pay at the pump is rare in the UK and Ireland (Australia too). There's something about speaking English and not being in North America that compels people to go into gas petrol stations. If the station is closed, you're not getting any fuel even if you're local. Great fun on Christmas Day. Meanwhile in BE/NL we have stations that don't even have a shop or employees, just a cardlock and a couple pumps.
I've seen a couple supermarket stations in the UK with pay at the pump that left the pumps on after hours, but none of them would take anything I had. UK cards only, huge Maestro logo be damned
I've seen a couple supermarket stations in the UK with pay at the pump that left the pumps on after hours, but none of them would take anything I had. UK cards only, huge Maestro logo be damned