BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?

Subject: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: Irene M
Date: 09 Nov 12 - 03:50 PM

Here in the UK, we went over to chip and PIN on all our credit and debit cards a number of years ago.
When I go to the US, I only use my PIN in an ATM; and sign for all my credit card purchases.
How does a visitor from the US pay for purchases in the UK? Surely a credit card will be refused?
Anyone got experience they can share (by PM if they prefer)?

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: Megan L
Date: 09 Nov 12 - 04:05 PM

The machine at the cafe has the facility for non chip cards I dont have to use it often so of the top of my head i cant remember what i have to do.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: Newport Boy
Date: 09 Nov 12 - 05:00 PM

When the connection at my local garage is down (not infrequent) they revert to a manual card machine with 3-part paper slips which I sign as in days of yore.

Phil

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: Irene M
Date: 10 Nov 12 - 11:38 AM

Refresh

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: Ron Davies
Date: 11 Nov 12 - 10:41 AM

Excellent question.    My understanding is that fewer and fewer UK retail outlets have capacity to accept non chip-and-pin cards.   Is this incorrect?

Thanks.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: Megan L
Date: 11 Nov 12 - 10:54 AM

Have checked this with a few businesses in the town.

The machines have a slot you insert C&P cards into but they also have an open slot which can be used to slide through cards from nonC&P countries.

They do advise however telling your bank before you travel as the rare problems they have encountered with visitors have arisen when their (the visitors) bank has blocked the transaction suspicious that it is being used outwith their normal area and might have been stolen.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: Irene M
Date: 11 Nov 12 - 01:00 PM

Thanks.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 11 Nov 12 - 01:25 PM

Probably most card terminals in shops have a magstripe swipe slot. But unless they get regular American customers the person serving might not remember how to use it, and management might have decided it's not worth the risk accepting such cards.

You won't be able to do anything at an ATM if you don't have a chip on your card.

Cards without chips are much more widely accepted than American Express, though - is that even accepted in many places in the US either these days?

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: artbrooks
Date: 11 Nov 12 - 01:40 PM

Jack, I don't think I've ever seen a "we don't accept AMEX" notice in the US, other than places that don't take cards at all. If anything, an American Express card is considered slightly higher class than Visa and Mastercard.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: John P
Date: 11 Nov 12 - 02:01 PM

The company I work for in the U.S. doesn't take American Express or Discover. These cards charge the retailer twice the fee as Visa or Mastercard, and we don't want to raise our prices to everyone in order to accomodate that.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 11 Nov 12 - 03:55 PM

Really, if you're vising the UK, don't depend on an Amex card. Only the extreme upmarket businesses accept it, for the reasons John P gave.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: Ron Davies
Date: 11 Nov 12 - 03:59 PM

But will the UK in general take Visa without chip/pin?    That's the crucial question--esp. for US tourists.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: GUEST,Chongo Chimp
Date: 11 Nov 12 - 05:15 PM

I cope by downin' a substantial amount of whiskey daily and smokin' good cigars. Enough whiskey in yer tank, and ya barely even notice the lousy cuisine and the even lousier weather. Matter of fact, I had a pretty good time the last time I was in the UK! Soho ain't as bad as they say. ;-D

- Chongo

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: Ron Davies
Date: 12 Nov 12 - 11:49 AM

We do notify the credit card company every time before leaving the US for the UK to avoid the credit card being blocked while in the UK.    We also do not ever use an ATM .   Question however has to do with ordinary businesses--restaurants, gift shops etc--who do take Visa.   Will they usually take a Visa without a chip/PIN or is that dying out?

I think that's the main question posed by the OP, and it's a good one.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: Irene M
Date: 12 Nov 12 - 03:11 PM

Thank you Ron, for some sanity.
Who let Chongo out?

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: Ron Davies
Date: 14 Nov 12 - 12:10 AM

Refresh

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 14 Nov 12 - 03:24 AM

CASH IS KING

Travelex permits you to purchase and load on -line....the chip and pin cards.

ATMs that are part of the "STAR " network require that the pin be four digits.

Sincerely, Gargoyle the art of the deal is cash never plastic.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: Megan L
Date: 14 Nov 12 - 04:16 AM

OK I will say this one last time

For visitors from countries without chip cards we can still swipe or maually enter the numbers.

If you are any mor anxious holiday within 30 miles of home.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 14 Nov 12 - 08:15 AM

Generally if my debit card won't work in the machine the person on the till does it manually, maybe asking for a signature if they are feeling official. Maybe I've got an honest face.

Of course that kind of thing makes you panic when you mislay your card...

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 14 Nov 12 - 05:41 PM

Swiping most likely will work.

I've been using a card terminal for 8 years and in all that time nobody's ever asked for their number to be typed in manually. I have no idea how to do it and wouldn't know where to look for instructions. So, it depends on the retailer you're dealing with.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: Marmdad
Date: 14 Nov 12 - 07:37 PM

Thank you Megan L. for the useful information, you have answered my question. Travelex does not have new chip and pin cards available at present, but hopefully before I travel in mid-December.
Thank you Irene M. for posting this and being so helpful with my travel plans.

Richard S.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: Ron Davies
Date: 14 Nov 12 - 07:45 PM

..."we can swipe..."    Glad to hear that.   But I have already had a problem with using a credit card without chip/PIN in a restaurant--years ago.. During the Sidmouth festival--therefore in a place and at a time when overseas travelers would be expected.   Somewhat disconcerting.

I am to understand this is not spreading? Or it would be reasonable to ask the retailer to manually enter the information?

Thanks.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 14 Nov 12 - 08:22 PM

Like I said, swiping is reasonable, manual entry isn't. The only time I'd expect manual entry to be normal would be when buying over the phone. But no, acceptance of swiping is not spreading. We used to do it that way and it's being phased out.

Businesses have less protection against fraud when they accept methods other than chip & PIN, so some won't want to. Depends on what kind of business they're in - some get more fraudsters than others.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: Ron Davies
Date: 14 Nov 12 - 11:07 PM

So swiping is " being phased out."   And manual entry is also not likely.   Fewer and fewer businesses are accepting Visa without chip/PIN .   Therefore, it seems it is extremely reasonable for those of us without chip/PIN cards to be concerned about the situation.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: GUEST,Backwoodsman sans Cookie
Date: 15 Nov 12 - 01:53 AM

The Travelex Cash Passport card is chip & pin. I had one, which I loaded with CAD, for my trip to BC and ONT in June this year, it worked fine and, because I'd bought the CAD when I loaded the card, the X-rate didn't affect me on individual transactions. Closed the account when I got home, and got what was left refunded in GBP at the same X-rate as when I bought the funds.

Seems to me that US guys need to kick down the doors of their card-issuers and tell them in no uncertain terms that they need to catch up, get into the 21st century, and change to chip & pin, which is a superior system to the archaic swiping or slip-signing that they appear to be stuck with.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Nov 12 - 03:52 AM

I rarely use credit cards overseas because the fees have risen, and I'm not all that sure about the security of my card. Instead, I've been using my ATM card for cash - but only at ATMs at banks. Seems to work pretty well for me.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 15 Nov 12 - 11:35 AM

I'm dreading the day when I hand over a banknote to pay for something, and the cashier looks puzzled and says - I don't think we acewpt those any more, Haven't you got a card?

There was a crazy plan a couple of years to abolish cheques, and it only got stopped at a late stage when it finally got through to the people in charge what chaos it would cause to all kinds of people, including especially charities and voluntary organisations, as well as small businesses. So they just abolished the cheque guarantee facility, which is bad enough. But the idea is still lurking, and the banks would love to sneak it in.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: GUEST,Backwoodsman sans Cookie
Date: 15 Nov 12 - 11:46 AM

Well said, McG!

I should have said earlier that I took a Travelex Cash Passport Card to Canada in preference to using my personal credit card (with all the risks that would involve) or taking Traveller's Cheques (too messy to use, and too costly). You use it exactly like any other card, in stores, at ATMs etc. It was very successful, in fact the only place that wouldn't accept it was a petrol station in Revelstoke, and I had enough cash to cover the transaction, so it wasn't too big a problem.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: Ron Davies
Date: 15 Nov 12 - 03:31 PM

We in the US have had no more credit card crime than the UK, I believe--and without a chip/PIN situation.   It's not clear that chip/PIN cuts down on fraud--unless the UK had a huge amount of fraud which has now sunk drastically.. It's just one more number to remember.   There are enough of those already--I'd rather remember song lyrics.

However, reading between the lines I deduce that my suspicion is correct:   fewer and fewer UK retailers are taking cards without chip/PIN---they will neither manually enter information nor swipe.

Jan tried to use a Visa just recently in the UK with no chip/PIN.   She was asked how the retailer would get its money.   Answer: it's a Visa.   No mystery. What a question.

However this thread has now told us what we need to know. We will make arrangements.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: Irene M
Date: 15 Nov 12 - 03:50 PM

Thanks all.
Having started all this malarky; I had an interesting experience in Sainsbury's tonight. I live in Derby, not known for its hoards of American tourists. Anyroadup. The couple in front of me were American and paid with an American card, which they swiped and signed for. They clearly did this all the time.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: Ron Davies
Date: 15 Nov 12 - 04:14 PM

That's good to know, Irene.   I'll always try to do that. But we'll have a fallback position.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Chip & PIN. How do US visitors cope?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 15 Nov 12 - 06:57 PM

Large supermarket chains like Sainsbury's have uniform training across the UK which mostly works (barring local pockets of endemic idiocy like some I've met with in London this week). Some of them have large bundles of standard procedures summarized on separate cards that the point of sale staff can consult, and you can bet "how to swipe a foreign VISA card" and "how to tell an Amex holder to bugger off" will be in there.