LoraM

I had a terrible experience this fall when the car reader at a French gas station wouldn't except my pin and signature Visa on a Sunday. No way to pay with cash, I'd have been stranded if not for the kindness of a stranger who paid with his card. Upon return, I searched for a Visa card with true chip and pin technology that would work in Europe. I had already tried SDFCU's card and it didn't work in Sweden. I signed up for M&T'sVisa Signature card.

I was assured in December 2015 that this card is true chip N pin. I'm now using my M&T Visa Chip n Pin in England and Sweden for the first time. When used at a restaurant at Heathrow, the portable card reader required a signature, not the pin code I had set up. I called M&T and was assured the card is set up correctly and the the problem was with the card reader. Strange that the same reader took pin numbers from other diners.

Same problem in Stockholm. Every POS (taxis, restaurants) spits out a signature page and the grocery store clerk needs to check my id. I know these card readers don't ask this of the Swedish credit card holders. Why isn't the US Cards with chip n pin triggering a request for a pin? Can I override the default for a signature?

LupineChemist

Generally if the POS is capable of a sig, it will take it. Try a transport kiosk if you'd really like to check as they generally only accept PIN.

KLouis

Same thing happens to me in the US at fuel stations; they will never accept any of my European CCs! So, you don't have my sympathy...

I turn into my nice self now! Wellcome to FT and apologies for my being nasty, I didn't really mean it. I just wanted to make clear that there seems to be a global scre.up and the problem with it are not the two different systems but, rather, the fact that the companies simply don't know how to help us. For example, I can't never use my Italian CC to bye my A3 (Aegean Airlines) tickets on-line (error comes up). The bank says it's the fault of the airline, the airline says it's the fault of the CC company and that, in turn, says it's the bank to blame. Mind you, that same card works in any other store I've tried it in Greece and often (but not always!) in Greek ATMs. Go figure...

GUWonder

it may be that some of the processing devices -- either on the front-end or back-end (not sure which) -- are set so some card sequences tied back to a geographical location/region default to chip & sig when dealing with all cards from that foreign geographical location/region.

In many a Swedish restaurant and store, a swipe of my non-PIN cards (with or without chips) from the US result in the merchant's device asking me to enter a PIN (which I don't have). I then override the PIN request and out comes a signature slip.

In various Swedish public transport electronic kiosks, I'm not asked for any PIN and my cards process fine (unlike what used to be the case some years ago).

LoraM

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll try this today. I just want to avoid a situation like last fall.

LoraM

I like your nice self much better.😃 I'm sorry you've had trouble in the US. The way the US banking system seems so far behind Europe (checks instead of electronic payments, no IBAN). I hope we improve soon. Or maybe I'll open a bank account with cc in Europe.

LoraM

Thanks for your response. I think you're on to something. It seems to a difference in how the readers are set up. Maybe that is determined by the company providing the card readers, like payment processors.

Michilander

I have had the M&T card for about a year now. It has kicked out a signature page every single time I went to a manned station (trains, restaurants, shops, etc.). However, the chip and pin function worked just fine at the ticket machines in Brussels. I haven't had a chance to try it at other unattended stations, but I suspect that is when it will work.

GUWonder

You may be onto something there, even as we also need to keep in mind that use of some of those self-service machines may involve having a cap on what transaction amount such machines may accept with some kind of foreign cards.

There seems to be some kind of financial loss source algorithm being used as a baseline by some combination of card payment processors, retailer and/or card-issuing banks to figure out how they want to handle the trade off between serving customers conveniently and the potential for loss to a financial intermediary or retailer.

powerlifter

I to have the M&T credit card which I find frustrating that it is not a true chip &pin card. For those that are looking for a true chip and pin look at Revolut. Look at the web site to see how it works. It is an app that you load money onto the card from your debit card. It has no fees or currency fees. You can load dollars, Euro's or pounds on the card. Use it all over the world. It is in the apple store or Android. Let me say that I have no interest or business with this company. I just use it for travel it is a lot easier than carrying cash. No ATM fees either.

Palal

One of my Portuguese cards requires a signature outside Portugal and a pin at home, but still works at unattended kiosks.