do you need to use a credit card pin number in US?
 

Hi All
Off to California for 3 weeks next Friday and my other half has just realised he has never received a pin number for his credit card and the bank cannot guarantee that we will receive one before we leave!

Do you have the same procedure whereby you use your Pin Number on each transaction for purchases, or do you just sign a slip?

Sorry to appear ignorant

Lucy

Re: do you need to use a credit card pin number in US?
 

Sign.

You only need a pin with a debit card.

Re: do you need to use a credit card pin number in US?
 

Thank you sooooooooo much :D

Re: do you need to use a credit card pin number in US?
 

LOL You'll find we're light years behind the UK with things like that. :D

Re: do you need to use a credit card pin number in US?
 

You need the pin for withdrawing money from an ATM machine using a credit card

Re: do you need to use a credit card pin number in US?
 

Think it's useful to have it. Been in some shops and they've got something like chip n pin - i.e. I had to tap in a pin in the swipe machine (few and far between though). If you've got online banking, they often have a pin section in there :)

Re: do you need to use a credit card pin number in US?
 

Right.... no chip-and-pin, chip-and-pin here on credit cards. If you want to take a cash advance against your credit card at a cashpoint/ATM, you will need to contact the company to obtain a PIN.

Re: do you need to use a credit card pin number in US?
 

Your signature isnt usually checked here let alone needing a PIN.

Re: do you need to use a credit card pin number in US?
 

You might let the issuer know that you will be using it in the US for 3 or 4 weeks. Otherwise, you might find a fraud warning stops its use...

Don't use a pin in the US otherwise it'll count as a cash advance -- with the associated rip-off fees. Here, you generally just sign for a credit transaction.

You might run into trouble using it at gas (petrol) stations and some other places where they request your zip (post) code as the PIN. No idea what the solution is here!

Re: do you need to use a credit card pin number in US?
 

Depends on what software is in use. The Address Verification System only works with US cards, but foreign cards usually are flagged as "not participating" in AVS.

Try 00000 for the code if it asks.

Re: do you need to use a credit card pin number in US?
 

Thx for info.

Strikes me as a totally stupid "PIN" system, anyway. I mean, if the cards nicked locally, chances are it'll be a local zip code anyway.

Re: do you need to use a credit card pin number in US?
 

Yep totally ludicrous.

Re: do you need to use a credit card pin number in US?
 

Sometimes I'm not even presented with a receipt to sign if it's a small amount. And I'm yet to see anyone actually CHECK the signature. Normally they swipe the card and hand it back, assuming you're not swiping it yourself on a machine.

Re: do you need to use a credit card pin number in US?
 

You can go inside and pay in advance too. Saves faffing about with the machine.

Re: do you need to use a credit card pin number in US?
 

Pin number is only used on a Debit transaction. Credit transactions need a signature, which should be backed up by additional photo ID (driving licence).

We no longer sign our credit cards but write 'request additional ID' on the signature slip. If they don't ask for additional ID give them a rollocking.

In my experience UK bank accounts are not recognised in the US so your normal Debit transaction in the UK will be treated as a Credit Transaction over here.

There is also the ability in the US to do a transaction from your bank account with your debit card but ask them to process it as a credit transaction which just means it take a little longer to go through your account.

Hope all that makes sense, need to go and lie down in a dark room now. Is it 5 o'clock yet, need a beer :beer: