Question about Chip & Signature credit cards

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Yes, I have done my due diligence in terms of checking this topic over the Internet. But unfortunately it's come up with nothing, because every link I've ever found basically just says "it might work and it might not" and of course that's no help. So since I got a lot of good assistance here with my last money thread (about what to do with that old Canadian cash I have laying around), here I am again...

You know those chip cards that they're starting to come out with in the US? They are all Chip & Signature. Meaning, you dip the card, but you still sign for the purchase.

But here's the thing: I vacation in Canada a lot, and all the credit cards up there are Chip & PIN. You dip the card and enter a 4-digit PIN and you never sign anything.

My question is this: Has anyone here actually tried to use a Chip & Signature card in a country which uses all Chip & PIN technology (Canada, for instance)? If so, what happened? Did it work? US credit cards with chips don't have PINs. If I tried using one up north, what's it going to do? Ask me for a PIN anyway? Obviously that wouldn't work. Or would it somehow "know" that my card doesn't have a PIN and then ask for a signature?

Now it's not really a huge inconvenience either way, because almost every place I go in Canada still accepts the swiping of cards that have magnetic stripes. But I do have a chip & signature card and I'd really like to use the chip if possible. Just thought I'd ask to see if anyone else has tried to do this and what their experience was.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Yes, I have done my due diligence in terms of checking this topic over the Internet. But unfortunately it's come up with nothing, because every link I've ever found basically just says "it might work and it might not" and of course that's no help. So since I got a lot of good assistance here with my last money thread (about what to do with that old Canadian cash I have laying around), here I am again...

You know those chip cards that they're starting to come out with in the US? They are all Chip & Signature. Meaning, you dip the card, but you still sign for the purchase.

But here's the thing: I vacation in Canada a lot, and all the credit cards up there are Chip & PIN. You dip the card and enter a 4-digit PIN and you never sign anything.

My question is this: Has anyone here actually tried to use a Chip & Signature card in a country which uses all Chip & PIN technology (Canada, for instance)? If so, what happened? Did it work? US credit cards with chips don't have PINs. If I tried using one up north, what's it going to do? Ask me for a PIN anyway? Obviously that wouldn't work. Or would it somehow "know" that my card doesn't have a PIN and then ask for a signature?

Now it's not really a huge inconvenience either way, because almost every place I go in Canada still accepts the swiping of cards that have magnetic stripes. But I do have a chip & signature card and I'd really like to use the chip if possible. Just thought I'd ask to see if anyone else has tried to do this and what their experience was.

I've used mine in the UK and they just had me sign; no PIN. You should be fine.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ Greatness!

It still pisses me off that our banks down here are going with the half-assed chip & signature method, but...what can you do.

 

[Kor]

Perhaps you could consult with your bank to find out if your card would work.

Kor

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Unfortunately my bank doesn't seem to have any IDEA whether or not it would work.

But RobMax's story does give me some hope.

 

[Kestra]

Yeah, I assume you'd just sign like Robert said. When I'm in the UK and was using my swipe credit card, they'd just have me sign. When my husband used his card here (with a chip, he's from the UK), it worked fine, he just didn't have to enter his pin.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

When I'm in the UK and was using my swipe credit card, they'd just have me sign.

Ah, but is your card a chip/signature card, and if so, did you try to use it AS a chip card? Meaning, did you dip it or swipe it?

Like I said, I usually had no problem *swiping* a credit card in Canada. I was just curious if a chip & signature card could be used as a chip card up there (since Canada, like many other countries, has gone to chip & PIN).

 

[cultcross]

Do you not have chip and PIN in the States still? Haven't routinely signed for card purchases here in over a decade.
Although to answer your question if you have no PIN attached to the card, all machines in the UK allow you to sign instead. For that reason we still sign the back of our cards. The only thing you might have trouble with would be the self scan machines at supermarkets which are chip and PIN based, and possibly car park machines which allow card payments. Scenarios in other words where there is no interaction with a live salesperson.

How do you get money out of an ATM in the US without a PIN by the way?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Do you not have chip and PIN in the States still?

No. We are starting to get chip cards here, but they are all chip and signature. I have no idea why the US isn't going Chip/PIN like everybody else.

How do you get money out of an ATM in the US without a PIN by the way?

Down here, only ATM cards have PINs. Credit cards don't.

 

[Avro Arrow]

I vacation in Canada a lot, and all the credit cards up there are Chip & PIN. You dip the card and enter a 4-digit PIN and you never sign anything.

I can't really answer your question (sorry), but I just wanted to say... those PIN credit cards are GREAT! Since I can never remember the stupid PINs, it's a great way to avoid racking up credit card debt! Oh, wait, I rack it up online instead. Oops.

I do actually have one card that's non-chip, and for that one, they still swipe and sign, but yeah... not what you asked.

And apropos of nothing... I don't think I've ever heard the word "dip" used to describe the action of inserting the card in the machine before.

I have no idea why we don't go Chip/PIN like everybody else.

Well, to be fair, you don't necessarily have a history of doing the same thing as everybody else... just ask the metric system!

 

[Kestra]

Ah, but is your card a chip/signature card, and if so, did you try to use it AS a chip card? Meaning, did you dip it or swipe it?

Like I said, I usually had no problem *swiping* a credit card in Canada. I was just curious if a chip & signature card could be used as a chip card up there (since Canada, like many other countries, has gone to chip & PIN).

No, it's swipe like I mentioned but I was using that as a way to let you know that they seem to know how to handle different types of cards. And like I said, my husband used his card here and it was fine, it just didn't ask for a pin.

 

[Starkers]

Do you not have chip and PIN in the States still? Haven't routinely signed for card purchases here in over a decade.
Although to answer your question if you have no PIN attached to the card, all machines in the UK allow you to sign instead. For that reason we still sign the back of our cards. The only thing you might have trouble with would be the self scan machines at supermarkets which are chip and PIN based, and possibly car park machines which allow card payments. Scenarios in other words where there is no interaction with a live salesperson.

It is amazing to think that the US doesn't have Chip and Pin, of course I remember the days before C&P

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[Starkers]

On a related subject is it right that all ATMs in the US charge you for withdrawals?

 

[Robert Maxwell]

On a related subject is it right that all ATMs in the US charge you for withdrawals?

Most do, yes. About the only ones that will even offer free ATM withdrawals are ones for your bank. If your bank has no presence in the US, you're just out of luck--you gotta pay. (Your bank may reimburse you, though. Doesn't hurt to ask.)

Ah, but is your card a chip/signature card, and if so, did you try to use it AS a chip card? Meaning, did you dip it or swipe it?

Like I said, I usually had no problem *swiping* a credit card in Canada. I was just curious if a chip & signature card could be used as a chip card up there (since Canada, like many other countries, has gone to chip & PIN).

I must point out that my card (an Amex chip card) was never dipped in the UK, but swiped. However, if a merchant is equipped with a card reader that has a chip slot, they should be able to read it that way, and if not, if you still have a magnetic stripe then you're OK, too. For the time being, it seems chip cards here still have the magnetic stripes, too. Probably a legacy feature until all merchants have transitioned to chip readers.

 

[Catarina]

why are people saying 'dipped' like it's a sundae cone at Dairy Queen? Are we too afraid to say "inserted" anymore? :X LOL

 

[Robert Maxwell]

why are people saying 'dipped' like it's a sundae cone at Dairy Queen? Are we too afraid to say "inserted" anymore? :X LOL

Insertion is just... sexual. We Americans are a bit shy about that kind of thing.

 

[cultcross]

You'll enjoy the self checkout lane shouting "PLEASE INSERT YOUR CARD" at the top of its voice then.

Your older cashier will go with "pop your card in then dear"

 

[Owain Taggart]

Chip & Pin is so much easier. You insert your card, it verifies who you are, then you enter your PIN. Chip & Signature almost sounds redundant. Doesn't the card store the necessary information? The signature seems to be a remnants from the days of writing cheques.

 

[Spot's Meow]

And apropos of nothing... I don't think I've ever heard the word "dip" used to describe the action of inserting the card in the machine before.

I was just thinking the same thing, I didn't know I had been "dipping" my card, sounds cute.

On a related subject is it right that all ATMs in the US charge you for withdrawals?

As mentioned above, ATMs owned by your own bank allow you to withdraw cash for free, but if you use another bank's ATM you typically have to pay. I don't even consider using other bank's ATMs unless I am travelling somewhere where my bank just doesn't exist, but I had Bank of America for a long time so that wasn't really an issue (their ATMs are all over the place). I guess I kind of forgot that I even could use ATMs at other banks.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I have a card that is chip and signature, it is from the US. I use it periodically in Australia which moved to 100% chip and pin over a year ago. Theoretically they are not supposed to accept it but they just faff about and then get me to sign for it. I wouldn't want to put myself in a position of depending entirely on this card however as you could end up with someone just flat out refusing to accept it.

The card is supposed to be issueing pins to all its users (not sure if we get a new card as well) but this has taken literally a year longer than they said it would with still no pin in sight.

That may not help you for Canada, though I'm sure they experience people having sign only cards a lot more regularly than Aus does.