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I am currently living & working in the USA and as such, I have credit cards with "chip & signature" security.
When I use one of these cards, I either insert it into the chip-reader in the merchant's card terminal, or if they haven't yet begun accepting chip cards I swipe my card through the old magnetic strip reader.
I then may, or may not, be asked to provide a signature using the "pen" on the terminal's touch-screen.

But I will soon be traveling internationally to countries where "chip & pin" is the standard form of credit card security - and many merchants in those countries have credit card terminals which have neither magnetic strip readers nor "pens" to sign on the screen.

Do I need a pin code associated with my credit cards in order to be able to use them in these countries?
Will my transactions just be authorized with no pin or signature?

blahdiblah
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brhans
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    You can ask your bank to replace your card with a chip and pin capable card, but most US banks do not issue them at all. – Michael Hampton Dec 07 '16 at 17:01
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    Generally, you will be asked to sign a paper receipt with an ink pen; most readers do actually have a magnetic stripe reader for backup, which is how Americans have been using their stripe-only cards in Europe for the last decade or two. – phoog Dec 07 '16 at 23:22
  • I live and work in the US, and using my chip cards typically results in entering a PIN... am I doing something wrong? – Tin Wizard Dec 07 '16 at 23:39
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    @Walt Its probably detecting that your card is a check card / debit card, so you're using the debit functionality. If you press the "green" button without entering a pin (or sometimes cancel) it should then process like a credit card. – Andy Dec 08 '16 at 00:06
  • @Andy ohh, so debit cards are different, got it. Thanks! – Tin Wizard Dec 08 '16 at 00:07
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    @Walt Yes, same card but can be used as either one. I suspect with the push for chip & sign, retailers took the opportunity to try and guide you to the debit option, since it saves them having to pay the credit card interchange fees, which are higher than fees retailers pay for using the debit network. – Andy Dec 08 '16 at 00:15
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    Most merchant terminals in Europe still have swipe functionality. Some don't, but the "standard" terminal you are presented with in most places still does. – CMaster Dec 08 '16 at 08:32
  • As I read the answers and comment here and there, I realize that it would be easier if you mentioned the countries you intend to visit.You would get precise and hopefully authoritative (because localized) answers – WoJ Dec 08 '16 at 14:35
  • You should state what countries are you intending to visit, as YMMV depending on the country. – Mindwin Remember Monica Dec 08 '16 at 15:56
  • @Mindwin - I'd prefer to keep my question more general in the SE spirit of it being useful to others in the future. I've already had some very useful replies which apply to my situation (and some which don't). – brhans Dec 08 '16 at 21:06
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    Chip and PIN credit cards do exist and are issued in the USA. One of my banks issued a Chip and PIN credit card during the great card swap, the others issued Chip and sign cards. Funny thing, when I got to Fry's with a Chip and PIN credit card, it works just fine. When I go with a Chip and Sign card, I have to hit cancel on the Debit card prompt and then the cashier runs it as Credit Card, which I then sign the receipt. – Walter Dec 09 '16 at 05:00

11 Answers11

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Yes they will work just fine.

I have the chip and signature cards and I have used them abroad successfully. The merchants will just give you the receipt to sign instead of having you enter your pin.

One thing I would suggest is carry a pen since for most places it will seem unusual and may take a little bit of time to get the pen that is needed to sign a receipt for your card.

The transactions will be authorized but you will have sign a receipt for every single one. Unlike the US where most major retailers don't require a signature for $25 or lower purchases (I think it's $25 but it may vary).

Karlson
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    "carry a pen " - Do you mean a stylus for a touch screen or an ink-pen for writing? – Freiheit Dec 07 '16 at 19:23
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    Ah! I misread the "sign the receipt" part. The other answers put me in a mindset of digital terminals. – Freiheit Dec 07 '16 at 20:16
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    @Freiheit I've never seen a touch screen for signatures in a store outside of the US; it'll definitely be having getting real paper to sign! – gsnedders Dec 07 '16 at 21:29
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    @gsnedders Touch screen signatures are pretty common in Singapore. – Erwin Bolwidt Dec 08 '16 at 02:17
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    Be aware though that self checkouts in the UK usually cannot handle chip & sign. – Marianne013 Dec 08 '16 at 10:21
  • It depends on the country. In France this will probably not be the case - you can have terminals which just print a receipt slip without any space for the signature (by design, it is not that they will print something different depending on the card). You then have paperless terminals, usually in the form of a bluetooth pinpad connected to the phone of the merchant (in taxis usually). So it may work or not - it is way wiser to get a chip&pin card before travelling. – WoJ Dec 08 '16 at 14:28
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    @Marianne013 they usually will work with with chip&sign, but they'll alert the staff to handle the signature process, and they have to manually approve your signature. Also be prepared to be asked for an ID card / passport as well – SztupY Dec 08 '16 at 14:53
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    @WoJ Haven't found it to be the case in France. If the terminal prints for the US cards it printed with a signature space. – Karlson Dec 08 '16 at 14:54
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    @Karlson: I witnessed a few times the case (latest one was last week-end) as I leave near Versailles. This time it was an ice-cream shop and some American tourists who wanted to pay by credit card. The terminal had a swipe row (a place at the top to swipe the card) but the transaction was then rejected because it wanted a PIN (and not a signature). They ended up paying cash and I could proceed to buy an ice-cream for myself and my kids :) There are possibly many variants of scenarios but one cannot rule this one (ice cream!) – WoJ Dec 08 '16 at 14:58
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    Are you sure that in every single country where chip+PIN is the norm, a chip+signature will work? That is a lot of countries... see @chx's answer below. – Mindwin Remember Monica Dec 08 '16 at 15:58
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    That $25 is called a floor limit for signing, and varies by merchant. Generally it will be between $25 and $50, or a merchant will not have one at all. The signature reduces liability a tiny bit which reduces the processing fees, while also reducing customer convenience. It is a trade-off. –  Dec 08 '16 at 18:36
  • @SztupY: Well, I was in Waitrose last night, where they made two people with chip & sign cards carry their shopping from the self checkouts to another (standard) till, where they could pay it with chip & sign. As they directed them to the front of the queue, I was decidedly not amused. If you want to test if your card works, please try at half past 10 in the morning, not during the evening rush hour. – Marianne013 Dec 09 '16 at 11:59
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If you can get a PIN issued, it might save you some time at the checkout and prevent younger checkout operators staring at you with bewilderment while they wait for a supervisor. It will let you use self-checkout lanes in supermarkets more easily too.

If you have a compatible contactless card, you won't need a PIN for small purchases.

RedGrittyBrick
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  • Your mention of a contactless card has given me an idea - although I don't think I have any of those - I could use my smartphone's similar payment system if I load some of my card details into it. – brhans Dec 07 '16 at 17:14
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    I have a pin on my card but the system still asked for a signature. – Karlson Dec 07 '16 at 17:34
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    @Karlson In my experience, that will happen reasonably often if the card is coded for chip+signature, as US cards generally are, even if you have a pin assigned. I usually ask the bank to setup a pin for me so I have the best chance of it working as many places as possible, even if I often wind up having to sign anyway. – Zach Lipton Dec 07 '16 at 18:52
  • Contactless cards don't necessarily work internationally - I've been using mine just fine in the UK, took it to Barcelona and it didn't (although still fine for chip+pin). I've no idea why. – pjc50 Dec 08 '16 at 11:49
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    As for the contactless card - you will need a PIN after three transactions. At lest this is the case in most of the European countries I visited (I am located in France) but it may be a bank requirement (all banks have the same rule, so it may also be be national, or EU wide - but still bank-based). – WoJ Dec 08 '16 at 14:30
  • Having a PIN will likely have no effect in the majority of cases - US cards still default to chip+signature when it's possible; the choice of which is primary (Chip+Sig, Chip+Pin, Stripe+Sig) is up to the bank, within the limits of what the vendor supports. The only value of having a PIN is that it works in Chip+Pin-only machines. – Joe Dec 08 '16 at 15:26
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    There's a BIG caveat with saying "get a PIN issued" - many credit cards in the US do offer PINs, but those are for cash advances at ATMs only. Generally speaking, this pin will not work for chip-and-pin style machines. If you do go this route, make sure that the PIN you're getting issued will work for chip-and-pin machines. (e.g. My credit card does ATM PINs, but does not offer a chip-and-pin PIN). – R.M. Dec 08 '16 at 15:59
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You will find machines all over Europe which only accept Chip + Pin. If memory serves, Denmark and France was particularly bad as many public transit stations are not manned and so you need a pin capable card to get tickets.

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    and in the Netherlands a lot of payment terminals don't accept credit cards at all. – jwenting Dec 08 '16 at 08:03
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    I'd would say "particularly good" instead, as security is much better with Chip + Pin... but yes, you might get in trouble in France :) – Shautieh Dec 08 '16 at 12:07
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    As only a human can verify handwritten signature, automatic vending machines are off limits for such transactions, that's common sense. – Agent_L Dec 08 '16 at 12:36
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    @Agent_L - you're assuming the human makes the slightest effort to verify said signature. At the average American card-accepting establishment, that almost never happens. – FreeMan Dec 08 '16 at 13:18
  • "Particularly bad" -- at the time I didn't have a chip enabled credit card yet. –  Dec 08 '16 at 13:46
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    @FreeMan Neither they did in Europe when signature was used. The role of a human clerk is not to verify the signature, but to take the blame for eventual fraud. – Agent_L Dec 08 '16 at 14:19
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    @Agent_L very valid point... – FreeMan Dec 08 '16 at 14:21
  • @chx how long ago was that? I don't remember ever having had a card without a pin (although I never had a card issued in the US) – njzk2 Dec 09 '16 at 03:27
  • @njzk2 about 10-15 years ago or so they started introducing PIN+chip for credit cards. It was all over for signatures and slips a few years later. – jwenting Dec 09 '16 at 07:00
  • Most petrol stations in France are also only working with PIN+chip cards now because they're not manned: at supermarkets (where the cheapest rates are), outside of business hours and on week-ends, etc. – tricasse Dec 14 '16 at 15:05
  • I was just in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. I got the PINs for my cards before I left the US and I talked to the customer service of both Citi and CapitalOne before leaving and they said the PIN was normally used for cash advances but would also work for credit charges in Europe (which would be run as credit, not cash advance). But, every time I used the card, at automatic ticket machines for transport in Sweden, parking meters in Norway, online tickets in Denmark, or in stores, they never once required a PIN and the stores always had a receipt for me to sign. It must be encoded in the chip. – chadbag Dec 22 '16 at 19:16
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I'll try to give some perspective from what I know of some European countries, esp. Austria where I live, and Germany where it seems to work essentially the same: (Similarities do exist in Britain, Italy, Spain, etc., where I did use cards, but only during holidays so experience is limited.)

  • Credit Card (as in: Visa, Master Card, etc.) is not the standard card payment method at all here -- debit card (see below) is extremely common and totally accepted for even small amounts.
  • All Credit Card transactions I did in Europe have been chip + signature on paper trail.
  • Many shops do accept Credit Cards (petrol stations basically always), but many others do not. Paying small amounts with Credit Card (as opposed to debit card) would seem weird, you probably would be asked to pay cash. (Though I guess they would be quite accommodating towards an American tourist ;-)
  • "Standard" Card payment option here is Maestro (used to be called "EC-Karte" in Germany) which is a chip/magnet + PIN debit card. Every shop that accepts cards will accept these nowadays, but be aware that quite some smaller shops wont accept any cards at all.
  • The Maestro card is also normally the card locals would use to get money from an ATM.
  • Chip+PIN for Credit Cards (Master Card mine) I solely know to get money from an ATM.
Martin Ba
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    This doesn't resemble the UK very much at all. In the UK, paying with credit or debit cards is extremely common, especially for transactions above, say, £10 and it would be very unusual for a shop where people often spend above £10 to not accept card payments. Visa debit seems much more common than Maestro in the UK but that makes little real difference. – David Richerby Dec 08 '16 at 01:00
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    You're almost right. Except that magnetic stripe cards are now completely gone from many EU countries, having been discontinued because they're too sensitive to fraud. Netherlands for example no longer accepts them at all (neither credit card nor bank card), PIN+chip now being the ONLY acceptable method (though some places might make an exception for non-EU people who don't have such a card). Haven't had to sign anything when using my CC in the Netherlands in years, and never use it to get money from an ATM because of the transaction fees. – jwenting Dec 08 '16 at 08:08
  • Germany is quite specific with their reluctance to use credit cards. I rad somewhere that it was cultural and there was a reson for that but I forgot what. In France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, UK, Poland, Switzerland, Belgium credit cards are common. You may gave limitations on the fare in small shops or bakeries (20€ usually) but in supermarkets there is none anymore. – WoJ Dec 08 '16 at 14:34
  • @DavidRicherby - I didn't mean to imply card payment is rare. Credit card payment is something locals around here (Austria) usually do not - and I do know some shops where they will ask you politely if you'd prefer Maestro if you try to pay with CC (higher cost for them with CC). As I said, dunno if Brits pay more often with CC. – Martin Ba Dec 08 '16 at 20:55
  • @jwenting - Thanks for that info. In Austria and Germany, I never ever used a PIN with my credit card, and I do use it when paying hotels -- always sign on paper trail so far. And yes, never would use CC for ATM, too costly. I think last time I had to because Maestro failed was ~ 2008 in Chile :-) – Martin Ba Dec 08 '16 at 20:58
  • @MartinBa Here in the UK, I'm not aware of any difference in usage of Credit cards vs Debit cards, if that's what you're meaning. As for the OP's issue, I would say that the vast majority of credit (and by that, I'm also meaning debit) card terminals are chip+pin and I'd expect the majority of retailers to have problems with a chip+sign transaction. – Gwyn Evans Dec 08 '16 at 21:09
  • @WoJ the transaction fees are the main reason. A shop has to pay several Euro plus a percentage for CC transactions (a bit lower depending on number of transactions no doubt). With ATM cards (which all shops have accepted for decades) that's a few cents per transactions. As a result many shops don't accept credit cards, or only for large transactions. – jwenting Dec 09 '16 at 06:59
  • @jwenting: ah, interesting point about the ATM cards in Germany - this is something almost non-existant in France (usually these draw-only cards are issued to minors, and even that is changing with a slow move towards classical cards) and if the card is not a VISA, MasterCard, (sometimes) Amex and (sometimes) another well-known brand it would not be accepted. Specifically, the ATM card cannot be used for transactions at merchant's. – WoJ Dec 09 '16 at 08:06
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    @WoJ - long time since I've been to France, but I feel there may be a confusion here. What do you mean by "draw-only cards"? In Austria, basically all bank accounts get a card with Maestro function (chip+pin) that you can use to draw money at ATMs, at the machines of your bank and also to pay in shops where the accept Maestro (most of them). What you pay will be deducted from your bank account on the same day == debit card. Credit cards like Visa and Mastercard will only go to your bank account once a month. I have a hard time imagining that Maestro won't be accepted in France? – Martin Ba Dec 09 '16 at 10:00
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    My Dutch Meastro is accepted in France, in shops, and in ATMs. – Willeke Dec 09 '16 at 18:08
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I would not go to Europe without being able to use Chip & PIN and at least 1 debit card. We in The Netherlands quite often don't even accept Master Card (and Credit Cards in general), and when we do, it's pretty much PIN + Chip (or in some cases with older terminals PIN+Mag). Some big international chains like gas stations may accept non-standard options like signature (but always on paper!) and sometimes even cheque-based payments.

In almost all cases you can pay using a debit card that is a Maestro-type using a PIN code, and it doesn't matter if you are buying something for 50 cents, or something for more than a thousand euros. In many cases, businesses here see more pin+chip payments than cash payments. Many terminals have EMV3 NFC payment support where anything up to 25 euros can be paid with the contactless method without using a PIN.

Long story short: if you have any Maestro card (not Master Card!) with a PIN you're good to go. Otherwise, cash is your next best option. All ATM's support getting cash via credit cards with a PIN.

John Keates
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    Every vendor that accepts cards should accept signatures because, even on a chip and pin card, the magstripe and signature are the backup in case the chip is broken. Also, you state that Maestro is the only option and don't mention Visa at all. I have only a Visa debit card and a Visa credit card and I've never had any problems using either of those in France, Germany, Italy or Spain. My only recent experience of the Netherlands has been at Schiphol airport, where you might expect shops to accept more payment options than normal but, again, zero problems. – David Richerby Dec 08 '16 at 08:30
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    I've been to places in Europe where cards are only accepted if they have a PIN. French train stations are possibly the best example (since the machines require a pin, the manned ticket shops are often not open, and you don't want to be stuck in a train station with no way to buy a ticket).

    I've also had signature cards declined at retailers however; the machine rejected the card and the manager specifically informed me that it was because their machines cannot handle signatures.

    So this post is good advice: if you want to be 100% sure you can buy things, carry cash or a PIN card.

     – SamM Dec 08 '16 at 09:48
  • @DavidRicherby most smaller retailers use simple payment services provided by their ISP and/or Bank. They don't support credit cards and most non-Maestro by default. Enabling and using them costs money, and nobody here uses it. That's why in most places you won't be able to use it. In many places locals don't even know about alternative payment options. – John Keates Dec 08 '16 at 11:20
  • @JohnKeates: in your comment to David which countries are you talking about? Certainly not about France or Poland at least. – WoJ Dec 08 '16 at 14:45
  • In the Netherlands Visa is as much accepted as Meastro/Mastercard. I have not had to sign anything in Europe for a long time, it is always the chip and pin, but I do have a working chip, I do not know what happens when your chip is broken. – Willeke Dec 08 '16 at 21:11
  • Your advice isn't particularly helpful for those living in the US because Maestro doesn't exist here and virtually no banks issue chip-and-pin cards. We've been switching over to chip-and-signature in the last year or two, though I have no idea why that was seen as the better option. – phoog Dec 11 '16 at 15:04
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This also depends on "merchant". For example, the machines selling train tickets - at least in Netherlands and Taiwan - do NOT accept US-issued "chip and pin" credit cards as purchase transactions - if you provide the PIN, it will run as "cash advance" transaction (in Taiwan they even warn you about this, but in Netherlands they do not). They however do accept US-issued "chip and pin" debet cards with VISA logo.

George Y.
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Here in the US, if you are a AAA member, you can get reloadable VISA cards that are meant for worldwide use. It's what I did when my daughter traveled to Costa Rico last year. They have them for all different regions of the world, and you can add money from your normal bank account as long as you have an Internet connection.

You can find more here: AAA Mid-Atlantic (Use zip 20005 if asked)

BrianB
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Being in the UK, I can say they will work fine. My bank issued me a chip and signature card a few years ago by mistake, and it worked as you would expect.

You may cause some confusion in some places, but generally it will be ok. Most places will have either a pen, or possibly even a digital signature pad for the cashier to confirm ahead of payment being taken.

I found that for some things (such as "chip and pin" petrol pumps) it never asked for a pin or any form of validation, it simply debited the amount. Be aware of that, as it might be the case for your cards in those situations.

gabe3886
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Although I am not sure what is meant by "to countries where "chip & pin" is the standard form of credit card security" I can at least provide some experience from Europe:

Credit Cards are accepted widely for larger payments. For smaller ones that depends on the country: no problem in Sweden, mostly impossible in Germany. In such cases cash from an ATM is needed (only available with a PIN).

Credit card payment requires often a PIN, sometimes a signature (right, mostly old terminals using the magnetic stripe). Contactless payment is not common. Also pay by phone (like ApplePay) is rare.

As an alternative you can use a Maestro card with PIN/chip which in some countries has a better acceptance than credit cards.

EDIT: as @Karlson mentioned, chip & signature is normally not available in Europe.

Arne Burmeister
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    In Europe I haven't seen chip & signature or just signature cards in use aside from those used by US issued cards. That's what OP was referring to. – Karlson Dec 07 '16 at 19:35
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In Australia, chip and sometimes PIN, is the standard.

Most stores and petrol stations will look at you incredulously if you attempt to sign anything. For almost all purchases under $100 you'll be expected to just 'tap' your card against the reader. No PIN required. I don't think there are many retailers left who support swipe and signature. Banks have been trying to eliminate using signature with cards to reduce fraud.

I recommend that you get a PIN for your card. Or, for more security and lower transactions fees, a specific travellers card with a pre-loaded value.

Pay by phone is not widely used.

You'll need a credit card here in Australia as 'card only' stores are becoming more common. Especially for fast food.

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  • Replacing "present the card and sign" with just "present the card", even for relatively large transactions, doesn't seem consistent with trying to reduce fraud. – David Richerby Dec 08 '16 at 01:03
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    @DavidRicherby they are trying to prevent vendor fraud, where mag stripe data is skimmed and used later for unauthorised transactions. This is harder with chip cards (as the crypto processor is on the card). People who have their cards stolen or lose them tend to report them quickly as they know about the possibility of fraud. Cards are skimmed silently so the owner's don't know until they check their balance or get their statement. – Sam Dec 08 '16 at 01:57
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You will get in trouble in Spain and France as both offer small or no support at all for Signature cards. Most speedway tolls / Ticket Machines / Vending Machines / Public Transport machines, for example, don't accept cards without pin in Spain and France. And most (big & small) merchants & stores i know have retired their old renting signature machines for newer, cheaper contactless / pin readers only.

CptEric
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