@CreditDunce wrote:
@370Z wrote:No need for the Travel Rewards since the Arrival renders it useless. Otherwise good to go.
How so? TR has a base CB of 1.5%, with a bonus of 10%, 25%, 50% or 75% depending on your relationship bonus with BoA. With the highest relationship bonus, the TR is a 2.65% CB card with no AF. That beats the Arrival+ 2.22% CB - $89 AF, hands down.
Plus I think both the TR and Arrival+ are chip-n-pin secondary cards:
TR: CVM1: Chip-n-sig, CVM2: Chip-and-Pin(online), CVM3: No CVM
Arrival+: CVM1: Chip-n-sig, CVM2: No CVM, CVM3: Chip-n-Pin. (I assume online, but I am not sure)
OP: I would check with BoA to see if they can give you a pin for the TR card. I have read it is chip-n-pin, but I don't have the card yet.
I would also think about a pin-n-chip(off line) card. Most of the cards in the US require the credit card machine to be online. It is unlikely you will find any, but there are a few places in Europe where the kiosk is not online. There are a few places you can get offline chip-n-pin cards (SDFCU, Andrews, USAA, Wells Fargo). However, it might be be easiest to get a prepaid EMV card with pin. It might even be best to buy it once you are in Europe. I have heard there are some French gas stations that only accept local CC's.
sorry I hate to disappoint you but also BofA is chip & signature. All of my cards are chip & signature if they have chip and for automated vending machines or grocery self check out ALL cards get processed with pin but that is irrespective of chip. I can use my Cap1 VS by just swiping at grocery self check out and it requires the pin (ATM) pin. The only real chip & pin are my European cards. Don't worry too much....you will be fine with your cards if you don't mind signing ..
@370Z wrote:
@CreditDunce wrote:
@370Z wrote:No need for the Travel Rewards since the Arrival renders it useless. Otherwise good to go.
How so? TR has a base CB of 1.5%, with a bonus of 10%, 25%, 50% or 75% depending on your relationship bonus with BoA. With the highest relationship bonus, the TR is a 2.65% CB card with no AF. That beats the Arrival+ 2.22% CB - $89 AF, hands down.
Plus I think both the TR and Arrival+ are chip-n-pin secondary cards:
TR: CVM1: Chip-n-sig, CVM2: Chip-and-Pin(online), CVM3: No CVM
Arrival+: CVM1: Chip-n-sig, CVM2: No CVM, CVM3: Chip-n-Pin. (I assume online, but I am not sure)
OP: I would check with BoA to see if they can give you a pin for the TR card. I have read it is chip-n-pin, but I don't have the card yet.
I would also think about a pin-n-chip(off line) card. Most of the cards in the US require the credit card machine to be online. It is unlikely you will find any, but there are a few places in Europe where the kiosk is not online. There are a few places you can get offline chip-n-pin cards (SDFCU, Andrews, USAA, Wells Fargo). However, it might be be easiest to get a prepaid EMV card with pin. It might even be best to buy it once you are in Europe. I have heard there are some French gas stations that only accept local CC's.
The OP stated 2.2% for travel redemptions for the Arrival+ in the post. (S)he likely would have included the relationship bonus with BoA if there is one. 2.2% > 1.5%.
Correct. I only use BofA for credit, neither checking nor investments, so no bonus rewards from BofA for me. 
@lg8302ch wrote:
@CreditDunce wrote:
@370Z wrote:No need for the Travel Rewards since the Arrival renders it useless. Otherwise good to go.
How so? TR has a base CB of 1.5%, with a bonus of 10%, 25%, 50% or 75% depending on your relationship bonus with BoA. With the highest relationship bonus, the TR is a 2.65% CB card with no AF. That beats the Arrival+ 2.22% CB - $89 AF, hands down.
Plus I think both the TR and Arrival+ are chip-n-pin secondary cards:
TR: CVM1: Chip-n-sig, CVM2: Chip-and-Pin(online), CVM3: No CVM
Arrival+: CVM1: Chip-n-sig, CVM2: No CVM, CVM3: Chip-n-Pin. (I assume online, but I am not sure)
OP: I would check with BoA to see if they can give you a pin for the TR card. I have read it is chip-n-pin, but I don't have the card yet.
I would also think about a pin-n-chip(off line) card. Most of the cards in the US require the credit card machine to be online. It is unlikely you will find any, but there are a few places in Europe where the kiosk is not online. There are a few places you can get offline chip-n-pin cards (SDFCU, Andrews, USAA, Wells Fargo). However, it might be be easiest to get a prepaid EMV card with pin. It might even be best to buy it once you are in Europe. I have heard there are some French gas stations that only accept local CC's.
sorry I hate to disappoint you but also BofA is chip & signature. All of my cards are chip & signature if they have chip and for automated vending machines or grocery self check out ALL cards get processed with pin but that is irrespective of chip. I can use my Cap1 VS by just swiping at grocery self check out and it requires the pin (ATM) pin. The only real chip & pin are my European cards. Don't worry too much....you will be fine with your cards if you don't mind signing ..
Here is the source of which cards support what:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ani-u3tGk5hedGRvcE1ELVg5UmlGZk01SHZvTUMxdUE#gid
I believe the spreadsheet was created with the help of a program called cardpeek. It allows the reading which CVM methods are programmed into the EMV chip. From my reading of spreadsheet, the TR should have the chip-n-pin(online only) as secondary. Of course, it is possible that BoA doesn't have the chip-n-pin programmed on the back end. I would certainly believe your experiences more than something I read on the internet.
Should I bring more than one debit card? I could bring my Cap One debit card (mag strip)- not sure if it has any forex fees or not... 
@lg8302ch wrote:
@jon22guitar wrote:@SunriseEarth wrote:
Just be clear on your T&Cs. IIRC, my AMEX cards limit my rewards to US purchases. I'm not sure how Chase, Barclay, or BoA are, since I don't have a CC with any of those lenders (I'll work on that next year!).
You make an excellent point.
all my no FTF cards work the same way in Europe as in the US as long as the merchant category is the same. Discover pays 5% on Swiss gas stations during promo periods. Tested Amazon Europe (.de and .co.uk) with Sallie Mae and yes the 5% worked but with FTF. My next test will be BCP for a small grocery purchase and I am sure AX is FTF and no rewards
Did you try (guess you have to wait two statements to see!) THe T&Cs pretty clearly state that groceries are for US purchases only. (+ the FTF!) I use PenFed Plat Rewards, which has no FTF and "3%" uncapped on groceries, but the redemption rate makes this more like 2.55%