Credit Cards

[DaveSignal]

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djrez4 wrote:

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trumpet-205 wrote:

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MCHammerFan wrote:

Oh I forgot about Discover! From what I understand if I see that JCB or Unionpay are accepted, Discover is also accepted then?

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Not exactly true.

JCB-Discover alliance is limited for retail stores in Japan; Unionpay-Discover alliance is limited for retails stores in China. What this means is that if I see a logo of JCB in France the store cannot accept my Discover card. But if I see a logo of JCB in Japan that store can accept my Discover card. Similarly to Unionpay.

Keep in mind that both alliances do NOT apply to online transaction.

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But, Discover also runs on the Diner's Club network, which is pretty ubiquitous in Europe and South America.  Between them, JCB, and Unionpay, you're well covered.

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I live in UK and would recommend that you NOT bring a Discover card here, unless you plan on mostly doing cash-advances at LINK ATMs for the majority of your card use.

[djrez4]

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DaveSignal wrote:

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djrez4 wrote:

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trumpet-205 wrote:

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MCHammerFan wrote:

Oh I forgot about Discover! From what I understand if I see that JCB or Unionpay are accepted, Discover is also accepted then?

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Not exactly true.

JCB-Discover alliance is limited for retail stores in Japan; Unionpay-Discover alliance is limited for retails stores in China. What this means is that if I see a logo of JCB in France the store cannot accept my Discover card. But if I see a logo of JCB in Japan that store can accept my Discover card. Similarly to Unionpay.

Keep in mind that both alliances do NOT apply to online transaction.

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But, Discover also runs on the Diner's Club network, which is pretty ubiquitous in Europe and South America.  Between them, JCB, and Unionpay, you're well covered.

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I live in UK and would recommend that you NOT bring a Discover card here, unless you plan on mostly doing cash-advances at LINK ATMs for the majority of your card use.

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You say that like the UK is part of Europe...

[DaveSignal]

Of course, it is Western Europe.

Here is the bottom of the website for a typical hotel around here:

[djrez4]

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DaveSignal wrote:

Of course, it is Western Europe.

Here is the bottom of the website for a typical hotel around here:

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The wink was supposed to mean that I was joking.  Brits have no sense of humor.

[DaveSignal]

i laughed at your europe comment.   and then wanted to post my screenshot.   I am not British either, i just live here at the present time.

EDIT:  I have been reading that Disover is making an effort to bring acceptance to more of the UK in the current year.  Its probably more popular in the most-frequented tourist areas.  As for predominant acceptance anywhere, however, there are surely better networks to choose from.

[CreditScholar]

If you want something with universal acceptance and no forex fees, get a Chase card. The list posted earlier from flyertalk is a bit outdated, but it's a good starting point. The other options are the JPM Ritz Carlton visa signature, United MP Club Visa signature, and Citibank also has their new Hilton Reserve card. Do not waste your time with Discover if you plan to make lots of transactions overseas. The Amex platinum has no forex fees and has better acceptance than Discover, but it still lags behind visa/mc. I spend 10.5 months of the year outside the US and trust me, universal acceptance via visa/mc is crucial.