If the OP has a US credit card, would the machines accept it? (Prompted by
the fact that most Paris Metro machines don't accept even UK cards.)

Just returned from a week in London. My US MasterCard worked everywhere,
including Tfl. Occasionally a Tesco clerk would insist I provide a pin
number, but when I explained it was a credit transaction, not debit, they
went ahead and successfully completed the transaction.

Rich

Occasionally a Tesco clerk would insist I provide a pin number, but when
I explained it was a credit transaction, not debit, they went ahead and
successfully completed the transaction.

It doesn't make any difference if its credit or debit, its if the card has
been CHIP and PIN enabled that you must use the PIN.

"TKD" wrote in message
...
Occasionally a Tesco clerk would insist I provide a pin number, but when
I explained it was a credit transaction, not debit, they went ahead and
successfully completed the transaction.

It doesn't make any difference if its credit or debit, its if the card has
been CHIP and PIN enabled that you must use the PIN.

Good to know, thank you. I will contact my issuer before my next visit in
May and get educated before I am embarrassed at check-out.

mookie89 wrote:
Good to know, thank you. I will contact my issuer before my next visit in
May and get educated before I am embarrassed at check-out.

I woudn't bother if I were you. There are no plans at the moment to
roll out C&P in the USA, and it's unlikely that the person you end up
speaking with at your issuer will have heard of it.

The "correct" thing to tell the sales assistant is that yours is a US
credit card and therefore doesn't have a chip. What's amusing in your
story is that your "incorrect" explanation seems to have achieved the
same thing. Perhaps next time you could try saying "It's OK because I
like cheese" with sufficient authority and see if that worked ;-)
--
Rob

"Rob Hamadi" wrote in message
oups.com...
mookie89 wrote:
Good to know, thank you. I will contact my issuer before my next visit
in
May and get educated before I am embarrassed at check-out.

I woudn't bother if I were you. There are no plans at the moment to
roll out C&P in the USA, and it's unlikely that the person you end up
speaking with at your issuer will have heard of it.

The "correct" thing to tell the sales assistant is that yours is a US
credit card and therefore doesn't have a chip. What's amusing in your
story is that your "incorrect" explanation seems to have achieved the
same thing. Perhaps next time you could try saying "It's OK because I
like cheese" with sufficient authority and see if that worked ;-)
--
Rob

Reference your last sentence, it would appear you've been behind me at
checkout! Thanks for the info.

Rich

TKD wrote:

Occasionally a Tesco clerk would insist I provide a pin number, but when
I explained it was a credit transaction, not debit, they went ahead and
successfully completed the transaction.

It doesn't make any difference if its credit or debit, its if the card has
been CHIP and PIN enabled that you must use the PIN.

It's not quiet a "MUST". Since 14th Feb most/all UK card issuers are
refusing to allow shops to use the bypass pin option on their
terminals. Foreign banks may still alow pin bypass transactions to go
ahead but any shop performing a pin bypass is liable for fraud.

Have a look at
http://www.streamline.com/Already_a_...Qs/default.htm
for more details