Question about Using My Credit Cards

[bostonphil]

I will be taking the Baltic Sea Cruise in September.

 

I have credit cards with chips but I do not have a pin number. We do not need a pin number in the United States.

 

Will I need a pin number to use my credit cards in any of the ports that I am visiting? I am visiting Copenhagen, Germany, Talin, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, and Stockholm.

 

If so, how do I get a pin?

[John Bull]

You should have no problem using a card without a PIN at manned outlets, though a "saturday girl" in a shop might have to check with a supervisor.

The only significant difficulty is likely to be at automated machines (but not at ATMs) such as rail ticket dispensers, gas pumps etc.

That for Europe in general, but I can't be specific about your ports. 

Kinda like the problem I often encounter using my card at gas pumps in the US cos I don't have a zipcode. No worries if there's the option of dealing with a living breathing person. 

 

Until America catches up with the technology I doubt that a PIN would be a safeguard in the US - I guess I've had to enter my PIN there mebbe only five times out of a hundred.

 

JB 

[gnome12]

18 minutes ago, John Bull said:

Kinda like the problem I often encounter using my card at gas pumps in the US cos I don't have a zipcode. No worries if there's the option of dealing with a living breathing person. 

 

Until America catches up with the technology I doubt that a PIN would be a safeguard in the US - I guess I've had to enter my PIN there mebbe only five times out of a hundred.

 

JB 

I don't know whether this works for you; it does work for Canadian postal codes which are letter/number/letter number/letter/number. You ignore the letters, enter the numeric digits, and add zeroes until you have entered 5 digits in total.

 

As to using a PIN, I had 2 instances in the US of my chip and PIN credit card being denied. I cottoned on to the fact that the clerk was pressing enter through the time when I was supposed to enter my PIN (because they skip it for American cards). Now, whenever it is a machine that the clerk is operating, I make sure to stop them so that I can enter the PIN at the correct point.

[Blue and Green]

Before our last trip to Europe, I called my credit card company and we set up a PIN over the phone. I use a credit card with no foreign transaction fees. What I found was most places had me sign anyway...that was the default set for the card. However, if it were a ticket vending machine or other it would allow me to use a PIN. This was for England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, France, Scotland. This year we will use the same card for England, Denmark, Norway, and Belgium. We use our card for pretty much everything and then all the expense is in one place, and easy to monitor through the app on my phone.

 

I do always have another back up card with me just in case there is a problem of some sort with the main, preferred card. This only happened once... in a taxi in London. In that case, I think the reader in the taxi was temperamental and just didn't like my card. For that small transaction, I had currency available to pay (GBP).

 

Some may disagree, but before leaving I always order some currency for each country we visit so I have it available if needed. I know it is easy to use an ATM to get local currency, and we have done that on occasion, but why spend time when on vacation worrying about finding an ATM? It is much more convenient and stress free to have it with you. 

[AnnieBelle]

Any problems using an American Express card? Or would it be better to stick with a MasterCard?

[CruiserBruce]

35 minutes ago, AnnieBelle said:

Any problems using an American Express card? Or would it be better to stick with a MasterCard?

Best to use MasterCard. AMEX is less widely accepted. 

[dogs4fun]

7 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Best to use MasterCard. AMEX is less widely accepted. 

Yes, Visa, MasterCard are widely accepted - AMEX, not so much. I think it was John Bull that explained the reason AMEX is not as widely accepted but I can't remember the reason.

[DLSHS_Mom]

Can the pin be a 4 digit number or does it need to have 5 digits for Europe?  Many thanks in advance

[dogs4fun]

My pin is 4 digits - it is a true chip and pin card.