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Old Jun 5, 2018, 2:14 am
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Using credit card in Europe after the elimination of signatures

Now the signature is eliminated for all American credit cards. Is it easier for people to use American credit cards in Europe? I am especially interested to know the Chase cards like INK or Sapphire. Any info helps. Thanks.
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Old Jun 5, 2018, 2:28 am
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I'm not sure I understand your question. It was never difficult to use US credit cards in Europe. These days, the difference is that you enter a PIN, rather than sign a slip. I do this between two and ten times a day.
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Old Jun 5, 2018, 9:08 am
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Originally Posted by ICEROCK
Now the signature is eliminated for all American credit cards. Is it easier for people to use American credit cards in Europe? I am especially interested to know the Chase cards like INK or Sapphire. Any info helps. Thanks.
I just spent 10 days in Italy using cc's from Chase and Capital One and every time I paid by cc, I had to sign, since they are American chip and signature cards and not European chip and pin (on only two occasions, the sales clerk compared my signature to the one on the card). It's no different now than it's been for many years in my experience and as long as most U.S. cc companies continue to use chip and signature rather than chip and pin, I don't expect it to change.
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Old Jun 5, 2018, 12:37 pm
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Originally Posted by ShopAround
I just spent 10 days in Italy using cc's from Chase and Capital One and every time I paid by cc, I had to sign, since they are American chip and signature cards and not European chip and pin (on only two occasions, the sales clerk compared my signature to the one on the card). It's no different now than it's been for many years in my experience and as long as most U.S. cc companies continue to use chip and signature rather than chip and pin, I don't expect it to change.
So signature is only eliminated within US, when you travel to Europe, you still have to sign the bill?
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Old Jun 5, 2018, 12:41 pm
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Originally Posted by LondonElite
I'm not sure I understand your question. It was never difficult to use US credit cards in Europe. These days, the difference is that you enter a PIN, rather than sign a slip. I do this between two and ten times a day.
The point is US credit cards no longer require Signatures within US, but the post below you are saying the signature is still needed in Europe.
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Old Jun 5, 2018, 1:17 pm
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Originally Posted by ICEROCK
The point is US credit cards no longer require Signatures within US.
What specific stores and/or credit cards are you talking about? I'm in the US, my regular credit card is a Visa from Costco (which is citibank, right? Don't feel like getting it out ;-), and I have to sign pretty much every time I use it, despite the chip. In some stores, whether or not I sign depends on the $ amount total. I haven't used this card in Europe so I can't answer to that. I just perplexed by your blanket statement that US credit cards no longer require signatures.....
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Old Jun 5, 2018, 1:37 pm
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Originally Posted by Hoyaheel
What specific stores and/or credit cards are you talking about? I'm in the US, my regular credit card is a Visa from Costco (which is citibank, right? Don't feel like getting it out ;-), and I have to sign pretty much every time I use it, despite the chip. In some stores, whether or not I sign depends on the $ amount total. I haven't used this card in Europe so I can't answer to that. I just perplexed by your blanket statement that US credit cards no longer require signatures.....
I don't know where you shop but must be a very old terminal or something. I haven't put down a single signature after Apr. 20 including Costco Visa. The amount ranges from 1 dollar to 2500 dollars.

https://www.creditcards.com/credit-c...e-required.php
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Old Jun 5, 2018, 1:37 pm
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Originally Posted by ICEROCK
So signature is only eliminated within US, when you travel to Europe, you still have to sign the bill?
Yes, I had to sign every bill. The card reader automatically printed out two charge slips, one for the merchant that I signed and the other was my receipt.
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Old Jun 5, 2018, 1:44 pm
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Originally Posted by ShopAround
Yes, I had to sign every bill. The card reader automatically printed out two charge slips, one for the merchant that I signed and the other was my receipt.
Thanks for the info! I was wondering how the elimination of the signature in US will impact the usage in Europe. Do they really compare the singnature with your card, because none of credit cards are signed? lol
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Old Jun 5, 2018, 4:09 pm
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Originally Posted by ICEROCK
Thanks for the info! I was wondering how the elimination of the signature in US will impact the usage in Europe. Do they really compare the singnature with your card, because none of credit cards are signed? lol
In Europe, the cards are chip & pin. Until US cards issue PINs (or there's some other security change), we're still going to have to sign in Europe.

By the way, I'm still signing often in the US too. While the cards may have eliminated the requirement, I suspect individual merchants may still have their own rules, or terminals that are programmed to print a signature slip. I don't have to sign in my grocery store now, but I do at my dry cleaner and restaurants (which may just be a mechanism for reminding people of the tip).
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Old Jun 5, 2018, 4:41 pm
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Yep, still signing at my grocery store, Target, Costco if it's more than $200 I think, restaurants.....

The news link in your post says it's still optional for Visa, and that it's optional for merchants, so that probably explains it. The companies haven't said merchants aren't allowed to get signatures- they're saying they don't think it affects security (so, presumably, is providing some sort of financial backing against fraud if merchants DON'T get signatures) and is therefore optional....
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Old Jun 5, 2018, 5:29 pm
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Originally Posted by Hoyaheel
Yep, still signing at my grocery store, Target, Costco if it's more than $200 I think, restaurants.....

The news link in your post says it's still optional for Visa, and that it's optional for merchants, so that probably explains it. The companies haven't said merchants aren't allowed to get signatures- they're saying they don't think it affects security (so, presumably, is providing some sort of financial backing against fraud if merchants DON'T get signatures) and is therefore optional....
I just bought a laptop from Costco yesterday above 1,000 with Costco visa, no signature required at all. But I have to sign at Low's this afternoon. I think the process is still rolling out. I never bought the signature against fraud, I always draw a circle on the pad. LOL I guess it is easy to detect fraud if the transaction has a real signature of my name!
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Old Jun 5, 2018, 5:30 pm
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Originally Posted by JBord
In Europe, the cards are chip & pin. Until US cards issue PINs (or there's some other security change), we're still going to have to sign in Europe.

By the way, I'm still signing often in the US too. While the cards may have eliminated the requirement, I suspect individual merchants may still have their own rules, or terminals that are programmed to print a signature slip. I don't have to sign in my grocery store now, but I do at my dry cleaner and restaurants (which may just be a mechanism for reminding people of the tip).
Haha never thought of that, good catch!
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Old Jun 6, 2018, 3:30 am
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Just add your credit card to google pay /apple pay and tap it on the reader - no signature required.
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Old Jun 6, 2018, 7:52 am
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Originally Posted by Palal
Just add your credit card to google pay /apple pay and tap it on the reader - no signature required.
How widely is apple pay accepted in Europe? Is it really that easy with the handheld readers most restaurants and cafes use?

I haven't used apple pay yet, but would learn it and consider using it for my next trip to Europe in July if this is true. Sorry if these are rookie questions, I've been reluctant to try the mobile pay apps thus far.
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