Chip and Pin Cards

[shipster60]

I don't know if this is the correct board for this or not. I haven't been to London since 1998 and I have never been to Ireland or Scotland. I've been reading on some of the threads that Chip and Pin cards are necessary for this Itinerary. We don't currently have a Chip and Pin card. Wondering if we need to have one before we leave for Europe.

[markeb]

In general, you need a chip and pin for automated purchases, such as tickets from a ticket machine. Swipe and sign works fine as long as there is a person in the loop.

 

As a for instance, we could not buy Heathrow Express tickets from the machine on our last trip, but had no issues at the ticket window. From numerous posts on this forum, that seems consistent; chip and pin is ideal but not required.

 

If your credit card provider offers chip and pin and you can get it, it will probably simplify your life a little.

 

Where in OK? Please be a Cowboy or ignore everything I just said...:)

[shipster60]

In general, you need a chip and pin for automated purchases, such as tickets from a ticket machine. Swipe and sign works fine as long as there is a person in the loop.

 

As a for instance, we could not buy Heathrow Express tickets from the machine on our last trip, but had no issues at the ticket window. From numerous posts on this forum, that seems consistent; chip and pin is ideal but not required.

 

If your credit card provider offers chip and pin and you can get it, it will probably simplify your life a little.

 

Where in OK? Please be a Cowboy or ignore everything I just said...:)

 

Thanks for the advice. Checked with our credit card and can't get one yet. Might consider getting different card. If by Cowboy you mean Oklahoma State, you bet. I bleed Orange and Black.

[markeb]

Thanks for the advice. Checked with our credit card and can't get one yet. Might consider getting different card. If by Cowboy you mean Oklahoma State, you bet. I bleed Orange and Black.

 

OSU 84 (BS) & 88 (DVM)! America's Brightest Orange! Go Pokes!

 

We had no issues in 2012 anywhere in Europe (four nights in London and a Northern Europe itinerary) without chip and pin. Our only hiccup was getting Heathrow Express tickets out of the machine, but no one was in line at the ticket window, and swipe and sign worked fine.

 

Unless someone from the UK or EU comes online with a different story, you should be fine. I don't remember if I tried to buy Tube tickets, for instance, while we were there, but we were fine.

 

Ride with Pride!

[shipster60]

Husband is DVM, my son too.

[John Bull]

. I don't remember if I tried to buy Tube tickets, for instance, while we were there, but we were fine.

 

Yes, broadly non-chip cards can be proffered to real people but machines can't cope with them.

 

And strangely enough, the tube is the one area which might prove problematic next year.

The Mayor of London is proposing to entirely do away with ticket booths on the tube network, apparently nowadays most people have a travel card and booths are used for only something like 3% (or is it 0.3%?) of tube journeys.

No mention was made of an exception for Heathrow, which surely poses the biggest problem since there'll be some visitors with non-chip cards & no GBP.

That said, his proposals are facing opposition - mainly from the unions - so may be watered-down.

http://londonist.com/2013/11/ticketoffices.php

 

Hopefully a Londoner will post any latest developments.

 

Mind the gap ;)

 

JB :)

Edited March 27, 2014 by John Bull

[Langoustine]

The Mayor of London is proposing to entirely do away with ticket booths on the tube network

 

The same thing has already pretty much been done here in NYC. It's a really stupid idea. Not only is it confusing to the tourists who don't enter the system already in possession of a MetroCard, there is no one anyone can go to if there's a serious problem; you know, illness, a mugging, etc. Boris apparently intends to put the booth attendants on the platforms; here, we don't have anyone.

[markeb]

Husband is DVM, my son too.

 

That's too funny! OSU? What years?

[shipster60]

That's too funny! OSU? What years?

 

Yes, OSU. Husband, 1980, Son, 2009, Daughter in-law, 2008.

It's a Family Affair! Love our Cowboys.

[lovetochill]

I don't know if this is the correct board for this or not. I haven't been to London since 1998 and I have never been to Ireland or Scotland. I've been reading on some of the threads that Chip and Pin cards are necessary for this Itinerary. We don't currently have a Chip and Pin card. Wondering if we need to have one before we leave for Europe.

 

Generally in UK we all use chip and pin for the security point of view. Most places where there is a human involved, will take a card and get you to sign. Those that say they don't in shops etc. ask to speak to a supervisor as they can.

 

At the moment the tube stations do have ticket offices and will take your card even if it's not chip and pin. Buy a day ticket for the tube though if you're doing lots of travelling as it saves you having to pay for separate tickets each time. If you're there more than a day an Oyster card is worth getting as you just put credit on the card and you can use it each time you travel and it gives you discount off each journey.

 

Enjoy your trip!

[Globaliser]

Buy a day ticket for the tube though if you're doing lots of travelling as it saves you having to pay for separate tickets each time. If you're there more than a day an Oyster card is worth getting as you just put credit on the card and you can use it each time you travel and it gives you discount off each journey.

The Oyster also has a daily price-capping mechanism, which means that using it will always be cheaper than buying the corresponding one-day Travelcard. I posted a bit more about this here.

[shipster60]

The Oyster also has a daily price-capping mechanism, which means that using it will always be cheaper than buying the corresponding one-day Travelcard. I posted a bit more about this here.

 

Thanks so much for all the advice. We will only be in London for a day proceeding out cruise, but does anyone know about the rest of British Isles, Ireland and Scotland, do we need Chip and pin cards there?

[daisymay1960]

We use chip and pin all over the UK , but the machines do have the option to swipe cards .

 

Depending on your plans for London you may not need to use the underground most sights are easily walkable.

[newport dave]

thanks so much for all the advice. We will only be in london for a day proceeding out cruise, but does anyone know about the rest of british isles, ireland and scotland, do we need chip and pin cards there?

 

no.....

[DRS/NC]

I was in Glasgow & Cork/Cobh on a cruise in Sept. 2013. I used my regular (no chip) Visa in Glasgow & my Discover (Barclay card) in Cork. All were in shop w/clerks -- no problem. The Visa has fee for "foreign exchanges"; Discover doesn't.

 

I called both cards before the trip to alert them to "unusual charges" (outside my normal area) & was pleasantly surprised that Discover is now a part of Barclay & accepted throughout the UK.

 

Enjoy!

Edited April 7, 2014 by DRS/NC
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