@lexrjSD wrote:
@mjccredit wrote:
I am going to be in Europe for about 6 weeks next year and want to garden until the fall and then app for a couple of good cards with no Foriegn transactions fees and I would prefer at least one be a chip and pin not just chip and signature - any suggestions ?
Where are you going in Europe? I'm asking because you probably don't need one, I've been to europe a lot and only a very few times I had the need for a true chip and pin card.
Here is my experience w cards in europe and how to get the best exchange rate:
I was in Europe (London, Paris, Prague, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Budapest) in 2013, this is my experience:
First trip I used only the CSP(no EMV) and had no problems at all.
Second trip (northern Europe) used Barclay Arrival(no EMV) and was able to use the entire trip, however I did have to tell cashiers and merchants all the time that the card had no PIN in order to work, sometimes it took a little time for them figure out but it was never a problem.
On the 2nd trip I also took my CSP (this time with the EMV), I tried a few times only to test the EMV feature but since it's chip&signature and not chip&pin it's pretty much the same thing, worthless.
Here is my recommendation:
Get a no FTF card Visa or MC (stay away from AMEX and Discovery, they are poorly accepted) so you can get some rewards, but also open a Schwab High Yield Investor Checking account. It's 100% free and works just like any regular checking account. You can deposit the money on it and use the debit card, you can also withdraw money from any ATM from pretty much any bank. Schwab's reimburses all ATM fees when using the card and since it's actually a debit card with a PIN, it works flawless everywhere. On top of that you will get the best exchange rate if you need cash or swipe it, which is always good to have some just in case.
Travelex card has a horrible exchange rate, DO NOT get it.
Conclusion: EMV is only good if it's chip&pin, don't worry about getting a card unless it's true chip&pin card, which only a few credit unions offers in the whole US.
The flyertalk thread has a lot of people's (varying!) experiences, but lexrjSD aren't atypical
If you go to an area with a lot of tourists/foreign business etc, then swipe cards will usually be accepted without a problem. A cashier may not be familiar though, and this is where chip&sig is said to have an advantage (the clerk gets instructions in his/her own language).
Apart from the above, I find chip&sig less useful than a swipe, because people are expecting you to put in a pin and get confused when a signature slip appears. Just not used to this and it slows lines down.
Sometimes, when paying tolls or buying tickets etc, only chip&pin will work. This is very country and place dependent.
So unless you are only a major city tour, I might suggest trying to get a "chip & pin" from the CUs (even though they default to chip & sig) for the few times they are needed, and strongly endorse lexrjSD's Schwarb suggestion. Just be aware that that requires an HP to open the account
