Chip and Pin Credit Card in US

[cruis247g]

Does anyone have a favorite chip and pin credit card provider in the USA, especially one that does not charge foreign transaction fees? I found a few, but was wondering if anyone has been especially pleased with a type of card.

 

Please forgive me if this information is somewhere on the boards. I did try to search, but kept coming up with info about the need for a chip and pin card in Europe rather than any suggestions for a US based card.

 

Thanks very much in advance to all!

[yliebert]

Does anyone have a favorite chip and pin credit card provider in the USA, especially one that does not charge foreign transaction fees? I found a few, but was wondering if anyone has been especially pleased with a type of card.

 

Please forgive me if this information is somewhere on the boards. I did try to search, but kept coming up with info about the need for a chip and pin card in Europe rather than any suggestions for a US based card.

 

Thanks very much in advance to all!

 

There are no chip and pin cards in the US. We are also changing cards and we are going to get two, and AmEx blue sky card and a chase Visa Sapphire Preferred card. Go to creditdonkey.com to check them out. When are you cruising? Wewill be on the Emerald Princess sailing July 26.

Yoletta :)

[cruis247g]

When I called today, Chase said that their Sapphire Preferred was a chip and pin, as well as some of their hotel cards, and Citibank gave me similar info. They both said that the cards had a chip and could be used with a pin when abroad or used with just the magnetic strip in the US. I'm not sure about other major providers, since I haven't called them yet...but will:). Perhaps I was given incorrect information (it wouldn't be the first time!). Thanks for the tip about creditdonkey; I'll check them out.

Edited January 22, 2014 by cruis247g

[Regguy]

Chase is not giving you accurate information. There are three types of chip cards.

 

1) Chip cards that are solely chip and signature and do not have any chip and pin functionality enabled. This is the case with virtually all of the big banks. All of Chase's cards are chip and signature. None has PIN functionality. Chase simply misleads you when you call. Sometimes they tell you outright they have PIN capabilities, and sometimes they tell you you will never need it. Both are untrue. Same is true for Amex, Citi, BofA, and US Bank. All of their cards (unless they have come out with a new one very recently) are solely chip and signature. There are a few reports on the internet of people being able to use their cash advance code on some of these cards as the pin at chip and pin terminals, but not enough to be reliable.

 

2) The second kind of chip card is one that has chip and PIN functionality, but defaults to chip and signature as the primary method of verification. So, if you stick the card in a contact terminal, it will require you to sign. These cards, however, have chip and pin as the secondary verification method. That means if you're at a terminal that does not have chip and signature availability, it should default to chip and pin. This will probably be good enough for most travelers. Even most unmanned terminals, like automated toll booths and ticket kiosks, should default you to PIN and you should be able to use your card. There are a few reported problems -- if the kiosk or reader does not have an online connection it may not be able to retrieve your pin sufficiently to verify the transaction.

 

The number of issuers who are now issuing these kind of cards -- chip and pin functionality with pin as the second verification method after defaulting to signature -- is still very very small but it's growing. Barclays has a brand new (as of 1/1/14) Hawaiian Airlines card and it has chip and pin as the second verification method and also no forex fee. Andrews credit union also has a similar card -- and it's one of the few credit unions you can join relatively easily even (you need also to join the american consumer council). It also has no forex fee. And Wells Fargo has a few of these cards, but the main one is by invitation only and the others are pretty hard to get. Credit unions are starting to offer them -- PenFed has a bunch of credit cards with secondary Chip and Pin -- but these are usually credit unions with restrictive admission standards.

 

3) Then there are true chip and pin cards -- that is, cards that default to chip and pin as the primary verification method. There are, at the moment, only two in the USA: BMO/Diner's Club and USAA credit union. BMO is not accepting new applications and USAA is only open to certain folks. Otherwise, if you want true chip and pin, your only option is buy a travelex prepaid card, which charges obscene fees and sticks it to you on exchange rate.

 

So, long story short, if you want a no forex chip and pin in the USA right now and don't have credit union access, your best bet is probably the Barclays Hawaiian Airlines card, which has chip and sig as secondary.

Edited January 22, 2014 by Regguy

[Alaskanb]

Great summary. My card is from Andrews Federal Credit Union. It defaults to signature and I was never in a position for it to go to pin. As part of that membership I also have an ATM card that I use uniquely for travel and is totally separate from our main accounts.

[Regguy]

So, long story short, if you want a no forex chip and pin in the USA right now and don't have credit union access, your best bet is probably the Barclays Hawaiian Airlines card, which has chip and sig as secondary.

 

Sorry this was a typo -- it should end "has chip and sig" as primary. In other words the Hawaiian card is chip and sig first, but then should default to chip and pin at most locations.

[RJ2002]

The State Department Federal Credit Union also has an EMV / Pin and Chip credit card.

 

https://www.sdfcu.org/emv-creditcards

 

If you are not a member of one of their other eligible member organizations, you can join the American Consumer Council to satisfy the membership requirement. It only costs $5.00.

[cruis247g]

Thanks so very much to all who responded. Regguy your summary was fabulous!! Now I know where I'm headed.

 

Again, the most complete and accurate information has come from people who are willing to help on the CC Boards. Thank you. (And I'm guessing that a number of others who are looking for the best card for their travel are reading this and thanking you, as well.)

Edited January 22, 2014 by cruis247g

[Bobocasey]

I can also recommend Andrew Credit Union for their travel card. No foreign transaction fees and you get the current rate of exchange when using at an atm in Europe. Has a chip and pin. You do have to pay the rate at the home bank in Europe for using the atm found the fees to be between $1-3 per transaction. Some atms in Europe have a limit to the amount you can withdrawn. Found limit to be around 200 euros per day. Joined credit union for only $5.

[cruis247g]

I can also recommend Andrew Credit Union for their travel card. No foreign transaction fees and you get the current rate of exchange when using at an atm in Europe. Has a chip and pin. You do have to pay the rate at the home bank in Europe for using the atm found the fees to be between $1-3 per transaction. Some atms in Europe have a limit to the amount you can withdrawn. Found limit to be around 200 euros per day. Joined credit union for only $5.

 

Thank you very much. That sounds very reasonable as well. Also, thanks for the info about the 200 euro/day withdrawal limit. That is very helpful for planning.

[james'mommy]

Bank of America has a travel card that is chip and pin. I think it has no foreign transaction fees but I'm not positive. This is the card that we plan on getting for our Baltics trip this summer.

[nana541]

Bank of America has a travel card that is chip and pin. I think it has no foreign transaction fees but I'm not positive. This is the card that we plan on getting for our Baltics trip this summer.

 

Bank of America card is a Chip and signature card and WAS totally useless in Europe! If you ask the B of A people they tell you Chip & Pin but they do not understand the differance and are misinformed....

 

Got mine from Andrews AFCU and no we are not military. Google it and you will see info and how to join.

[nana541]

Copied direct from the B of A website: sure wish they had a true Chip & Pin!

 

What's the difference between chip & signature and chip & PIN? Does my card have a PIN?

Chip & PIN is a very similar technology, except that you use a PIN to complete a purchase instead of a signature. Both chip & PIN and chip & signature offer enhanced security against counterfeiting compared to traditional magnetic stripe-only cards. Bank of America does not offer chip & PIN technology.

Edited January 22, 2014 by nana541

[RJ2002]

Bank of America card is a Chip and signature card and WAS totally useless in Europe! If you ask the B of A people they tell you Chip & Pin but they do not understand the differance and are misinformed....

 

Got mine from Andrews AFCU and no we are not military. Google it and you will see info and how to join.

 

Totally useless in Europe? Your experience was different than mine. I was able to use my card everywhere, although I did not attempt to use it in a kiosk for a purchase such as a train ticket.

[nana541]

Totally useless in Europe? Your experience was different than mine. I was able to use my card everywhere, although I did not attempt to use it in a kiosk for a purchase such as a train ticket.

 

It was useless for the purpose we needed. Yes as a regular credit card it worked as long as they could run it as a "signature" card. But we needed it for gas purchases and train stations and other Kiosks... A true "Chip & Pin" is needed in those situations and we ended up in a couple tight situations.

 

So as long as the clerk has ability to run the "alternate" way with a signature it works just fine, kiosks and gas stations forget it.

 

We know better now and have got the card from Andrews which is the real deal and worked every time!

[cruis247g]

Nana541- That was one of my concerns. It sounds like you found a great option. Thanks for sharing the info.

Edited January 23, 2014 by cruis247g

[RJ2002]

It was useless for the purpose we needed. Yes as a regular credit card it worked as long as they could run it as a "signature" card. But we needed it for gas purchases and train stations and other Kiosks... A true "Chip & Pin" is needed in those situations and we ended up in a couple tight situations.

 

So as long as the clerk has ability to run the "alternate" way with a signature it works just fine, kiosks and gas stations forget it.

 

We know better now and have got the card from Andrews which is the real deal and worked every time!

 

Thanks for the clarification.

 

Hopefully with the recent Target data theft issue, the US companies will consider accelerating their conversion over to "Chip and PIN".

[nana541]

Thanks for the clarification.

 

Hopefully with the recent Target data theft issue, the US companies will consider accelerating their conversion over to "Chip and PIN".

 

Amen to that!

 

In the tourist areas using any type of US Visa or MasterCard was rarely a problem. But this last year in some areas off the beaten path we ran into shops and restaurants that had clerks either "not trained or not allowed" to know how to run a "signature" type card. They would keep insisting on a "pin".

 

We started carrying about $200 in local currency with us at all times in case we ran into issues with our CC.

 

Isn't it great to have these kinds of issues?! It means that you are lucky enough to travel the world and that is a wonderful thing....

 

Happy Adventures all!

Edited January 23, 2014 by nana541

[cruis247g]

 

Isn't it great to have these kinds of issues?! It means that you are lucky enough to travel the world and that is a wonderful thing....

 

Happy Adventures all!

 

It certainly is. I feel very fortunate.

[Hlitner]

We have a great Chip and Pin card and it is a US issued card. It is called the Global Trek Visa card and is issued by the Andrews Federal Credit Union. The card has zero annual fees and zero foreign exchange fees. The only catch is you need a very good credit rating and it is a bit of a hassle to obtain. But if you Google the place they do have the info on their web site. I should ad that this credit union also issues a fee free Debit/ATM card if you are interested.

 

Hank

[nana541]

We have a great Chip and Pin card and it is a US issued card. It is called the Global Trek Visa card and is issued by the Andrews Federal Credit Union. The card has zero annual fees and zero foreign exchange fees. The only catch is you need a very good credit rating and it is a bit of a hassle to obtain. But if you Google the place they do have the info on their web site. I should ad that this credit union also issues a fee free Debit/ATM card if you are interested.

 

Hank

 

Exactly what I have!!! It was a pain to get but well worth it :)

[Regguy]

Exactly what I have!!! It was a pain to get but well worth it :)

 

As noted above, I have it too. I got it a few months ago, but at this point, I wish I hadn't. Now that Barclays has come out with the same thing with their Hawaiian Airlines card -- chip and pin secondary, no forex -- I don't need the Andrews card. The Hawaiian Airlines card has some nice perks, has a 35,000 mile sign up bonus, and you don't need to go through the cumbersome process of opening a credit union account and funding it to get it. It was a hard pull on my credit score I now wish I hadn't taken just to get one of the first chip and pin cards to hit the market.

 

If you already have the Andrews card, no harm no foul. If anyone reading this thread needs a chip and pin card and wants to know which one to get (and doesn't have access to the true chip and pin cards like USAA) save the hassle with Andrews and just get the Barclays. (One additional minor advantage of the Barclays card is you can set your own PIN, which makes it easier to remember too.)

[nana541]

I didn't want the "Chip and Pin" to be secondary.... Only got this card to use in Europe and elsewhere not the US.

[coolmom]

It certainly is. I feel very fortunate.

 

My DH and I call them 'First World Problems'. And yes, we are fortunate to have these kind of problems.

 

I signed up for the Chase Marriott Chip and Signature card to use for our Baltic Cruise. If we're not happy, we'll close it but we did use the 70,000 point signing bonus to pay for our hotel in Amsterdam!

[milolii]

Amen to that!

 

 

Isn't it great to have these kinds of issues?! It means that you are lucky enough to travel the world and that is a wonderful thing....

 

Happy Adventures all!

 

YES! Well said!