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Will MasterCard be accepted all over europe? Amex?

Will MasterCard be accepted all over europe? Amex?

Old May 26, 2023, 1:21 am
  #16  
 
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Originally Posted by sciconf
I am going to Germany, Paris, London, Switzerland, and Italy.

I have this Barclays MasterCard with no foreign transaction fee. Wondered MC may not be widely accepted as Visa?
This MC is touch less. I don't use Apple Pay or another pay.

In terms of carrying local currently, I am planning on taking cash out on ATM, 1% transaction fee with my CU.

Any other tips?
Anything else I should do?
German-speaking countries and Italy still like cash, but in major cities MC/Visa are widely accepted. MC has a larger market share in Europe than Visa, but usually both are accepted whenever credit cards are accepted.

Amex acceptance is much lower. Most of the time I don't even bother carrying it with me.
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Old May 26, 2023, 1:21 am
  #17  
 
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Originally Posted by Lost_Luggage_in_SEA
There are still many places that won't take credit cards. Some are not surprising (eg. mountain restaurants in Switzerland) but some smaller caf places in cities are cash only and I've found places I would expect to accept credit cards that don't (eg some funiculars in Switzerland). Unfortunately, there isn't always a sign that says "cash only" or the equivalent in the local language.
And increasingly here in the UK, there are many places that are now 'card only' and do not accept cash.
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Old May 26, 2023, 5:31 am
  #18  
 
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Originally Posted by guv1976
​​​​​
Are you saying that if a merchant does not accept Amex, that same merchant will accept Apple Pay with an Amex card loaded on it? That does not seem right.
WRONG INFORMATION BY ME.PLESE READ ANSWERS BELOW.
Yes, because to accept Apple Pay the merchant has a contract with Apple Pay (mostly though a payment service) and does not care what the customer uses behind apple pay. The merchant only sees apple pay. The reason why Visa/MAstercard are more widely accepted is that they both issue their cards via banks while AMEX is issuing themselves. So a merchant needs to have an additional contract with AMEX.

Last edited by flyingfkb; May 29, 2023 at 12:41 pm Reason: Been corrected by other flyertalk members
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Old May 26, 2023, 3:02 pm
  #19  
 
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Originally Posted by flyingfkb
Yes, because to accept Apple Pay the merchant has a contract with Apple Pay (mostly though a payment service) and does not care what the customer uses behind apple pay. The merchant only sees apple pay. The reason why Visa/MAstercard are more widely accepted is that they both issue their cards via banks while AMEX is issuing themselves. So a merchant needs to have an additional contract with AMEX.
Im sorry but this is not correct. If youve linked a Amex credit card to your Apple or Google pay, you can only use it in places that accept Amex. When you make a payment via Apple or Google pay, the credit card linked to your Apple/Google wallet will be charged directly. If you check your credit card statement, you will see that each transaction is charged separately and directly to your card. And in order for the merchant to charge your card, they must accept it in the first place.
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Old May 26, 2023, 5:24 pm
  #20  
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Originally Posted by Lost_Luggage_in_SEA
Just my experiences: YMMV.

In recent trips to the UK, I've several times had my visa card rejected by a contactless reader on a bus but had the same reader accept my mc (both issued in the USA). I've no reason to think mc is more reliable than visa: in my case visa is always my first choice so it has more opportunities to fail. It's not related to a problem with the visa card itself but occasionally, some contactless readers reject it for no apparent reason. I suspect that many credit cards issued outside the country you are travelling in can occasionally fail for unknown reasons but another card will work for equally unknown reasons (unknown that is, to the owner of the card and to the bank that issued the card). As a result, I always try to carry different kinds of cards including at least one visa and one mc.

There are still many places that won't take credit cards. Some are not surprising (eg. mountain restaurants in Switzerland) but some smaller caf places in cities are cash only and I've found places I would expect to accept credit cards that don't (eg some funiculars in Switzerland). Unfortunately, there isn't always a sign that says "cash only" or the equivalent in the local language.

I recommend using contactless wherever possible. Using contactless makes travel on some public transport systems such as London much easier and quicker and the automated checkouts in grocery stores are also faster with contactless. There are now WCs/restrooms that require contactless credit/debit cards to use them (eg. Dartmouth in the UK).
If my MC is not capable of contactless payment, then its no go?
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Old May 26, 2023, 5:31 pm
  #21  
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Originally Posted by sciconf
If my MC is not capable of contactless payment, then its no go?
Have you contacted Barclays to ask if they can replace your current Mastercard with one which offers the contactless feature? It should still be the same account number, just a new card.
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Old May 26, 2023, 6:35 pm
  #22  
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Originally Posted by guv1976
Have you contacted Barclays to ask if they can replace your current Mastercard with one which offers the contactless feature? It should still be the same account number, just a new card.
I am leaving shortly no time
Contactless is a must?
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Old May 26, 2023, 7:01 pm
  #23  
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Originally Posted by sciconf
I am leaving shortly no time
Contactless is a must?
I don't know. Some of the posters here have suggested that contactless is required in at least some venues (like some public transit, public toilets). I expect that you can still use your physical card at many "regular" locations.

As a reminder, some credit-card issuers might still require you to notify them of upcoming foreign travel so that they do not automatically reject your foreign charges.

Also, if your card has a chip, make sure that you have a PIN, as some foreign merchants require chip and PIN to complete a transaction.
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Old May 26, 2023, 8:19 pm
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Originally Posted by sciconf
I am going to Germany, Paris, London, Switzerland, and Italy.

I have this Barclays MasterCard with no foreign transaction fee. Wondered MC may not be widely accepted as Visa?
This MC is touch less. I don't use Apple Pay or another pay.

In terms of carrying local currently, I am planning on taking cash out on ATM, 1% transaction fee with my CU.

Any other tips?
Anything else I should do?
We've visited major cities in all five countries on your itinerary. We've never had an issue using either MC or Visa. On our most recent trip (UK, Malta, Italy, Slovenia) we used our MC extensively without problems. We did take out some cash as needed for things like tips and small purchases like an ice cream cone, but mainly used plastic.

We do recommend contacting your bank to let them know when and where you'll be using your card. Most financial institutions will put a note on your account, and some will let you do this yourself online prior to departure.

I can't recall anywhere in Europe over the past few trips that we encountered a business which took Visa but not MC.
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Old May 26, 2023, 8:24 pm
  #25  
 
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Originally Posted by guv1976
I don't know. Some of the posters here have suggested that contactless is required in at least some venues (like some public transit, public toilets). I expect that you can still use your physical card at many "regular" locations.

As a reminder, some credit-card issuers might still require you to notify them of upcoming foreign travel so that they do not automatically reject your foreign charges.

Also, if your card has a chip, make sure that you have a PIN, as some foreign merchants require chip and PIN to complete a transaction.
Very good points. Also make sure that your PIN is only four digits, as systems in many countries will not accept anything more lengthy. I used to have a seven-digit PIN on one of my debit cards and had to change it to a four-digit one in order to use it abroad.
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Old May 26, 2023, 8:39 pm
  #26  
 
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Originally Posted by sciconf
This MC is touch less.
Originally Posted by sciconf
If my MC is not capable of contactless payment, then its no go?
I'm sorry but I'm confused. OP says the MC is "touch less". Touchless the same thing as contactless. So if the MC is "touch less", it's also capable of contactless payment.

Perhaps what OP means by the second question is "suppose I try to use my MC for contactless payment and it doesn't work even though it should work, does that mean I won't be able to pay at all because the establishment accepts contactless only?" The answer in my experience is that, usually, you can swipe or insert the card (eg. in a hotel, restaurant or most grocery stores) but it's a slower process because an employee has to help you (eg. to find the piece of paper you need to sign). However, there are places (eg. London buses and the toilets in Dartmouth UK I mentioned in an earlier post) where if contactless payment doesn't work, you have no reasonable alternatives (London buses don't take cash). I'm sure most tourists never run into this problem as it depends on where you go, how you travel etc. but I've experienced it and others do too. It's not common for a contactless card to not work for me: maybe 1% of the times I try to use it in Europe, but it happens.

(A note to people from places with a more modern banking system than that of the United States. Afaik, all US credit cards, including all of mine, are chip and signature. You can get a pin for a US credit card and all of mine have a pin but by default, they use chip and signature even if you have a pin. So if I go into a grocery store in Europe and insert the card rather than use contactless, the machine produces a bunch of papers, one of which requires my signature made in front of a store employee. This is a problem if no store employee is available to help or the machine has a paper jam.)
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Old May 27, 2023, 6:15 am
  #27  
 
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According to a law that passed about a decade ago, and perhaps even longer that that, all vendors in Italy, including bars and newspaper stands are obliged to accept all cards for payment of even ridiculous amounts such as one cup of coffee. People who suggest that payment by cards are often not accepted simply keep an old legend alive. When I spent a couple of years in Perugia, for all kinds of purchase, I would always use a card, a debit or a credit card, a Greek or an Italian issued one, MC or Visa, none was ever refused!

By the way, this is not the case when travelling to the USA. My cards were always accepted by hotels, resturants, car rentals and supermarkets/department stores, the same cards were often refused at gas stations!

Last edited by KLouis; May 27, 2023 at 6:20 am
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Old May 27, 2023, 5:08 pm
  #28  
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Originally Posted by Lost_Luggage_in_SEA
I'm sorry but I'm confused. OP says the MC is "touch less". Touchless the same thing as contactless. So if the MC is "touch less", it's also capable of contactless payment.

Perhaps what OP means by the second question is "suppose I try to use my MC for contactless payment and it doesn't work even though it should work, does that mean I won't be able to pay at all because the establishment accepts contactless only?" The answer in my experience is that, usually, you can swipe or insert the card (eg. in a hotel, restaurant or most grocery stores) but it's a slower process because an employee has to help you (eg. to find the piece of paper you need to sign). However, there are places (eg. London buses and the toilets in Dartmouth UK I mentioned in an earlier post) where if contactless payment doesn't work, you have no reasonable alternatives (London buses don't take cash). I'm sure most tourists never run into this problem as it depends on where you go, how you travel etc. but I've experienced it and others do too. It's not common for a contactless card to not work for me: maybe 1% of the times I try to use it in Europe, but it happens.

(A note to people from places with a more modern banking system than that of the United States. Afaik, all US credit cards, including all of mine, are chip and signature. You can get a pin for a US credit card and all of mine have a pin but by default, they use chip and signature even if you have a pin. So if I go into a grocery store in Europe and insert the card rather than use contactless, the machine produces a bunch of papers, one of which requires my signature made in front of a store employee. This is a problem if no store employee is available to help or the machine has a paper jam.)
Sorry for the confusion - I meant "not contactless" - I can not insert my card to get charged?

The Barclays card are chip enabled but not contactless. This can not be used on London Bus?
I can not insert it and be charged?
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Old May 27, 2023, 5:27 pm
  #29  
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Originally Posted by Lost_Luggage_in_SEA
I'm sorry but I'm confused. OP says the MC is "touch less". Touchless the same thing as contactless. So if the MC is "touch less", it's also capable of contactless payment.

Perhaps what OP means by the second question is "suppose I try to use my MC for contactless payment and it doesn't work even though it should work, does that mean I won't be able to pay at all because the establishment accepts contactless only?" The answer in my experience is that, usually, you can swipe or insert the card (eg. in a hotel, restaurant or most grocery stores) but it's a slower process because an employee has to help you (eg. to find the piece of paper you need to sign). However, there are places (eg. London buses and the toilets in Dartmouth UK I mentioned in an earlier post) where if contactless payment doesn't work, you have no reasonable alternatives (London buses don't take cash). I'm sure most tourists never run into this problem as it depends on where you go, how you travel etc. but I've experienced it and others do too. It's not common for a contactless card to not work for me: maybe 1% of the times I try to use it in Europe, but it happens.

(A note to people from places with a more modern banking system than that of the United States. Afaik, all US credit cards, including all of mine, are chip and signature. You can get a pin for a US credit card and all of mine have a pin but by default, they use chip and signature even if you have a pin. So if I go into a grocery store in Europe and insert the card rather than use contactless, the machine produces a bunch of papers, one of which requires my signature made in front of a store employee. This is a problem if no store employee is available to help or the machine has a paper jam.)
So can I enter the non-contactless card into my Garmin Pay and use it as contactless? Workaround?
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Old May 27, 2023, 6:18 pm
  #30  
 
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Originally Posted by sciconf
Sorry for the confusion - I meant "not contactless" - I can not insert my card to get charged?

The Barclays card are chip enabled but not contactless. This can not be used on London Bus?
I can not insert it and be charged?
Correct. In some places, including all UK buses I've been on in the last few years, it's not possible to pay with a credit/debit card if contactless doesn't work and you don't have your credit card info loaded on your phone (or smart watch) in some way. There's no possibility on the bus to insert the card. The difference between London buses and other buses in the UK is that most (possibly all?) other buses will take cash but London buses will not.

There's a description of which payments work for London transport, including buses, here: https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/how-to-pay-...-pay-as-you-go Garmin pay does work, according to that website. I have no knowledge of how well garmin pay will work in general in Europe.
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