Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/07/23

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Subject: [Leica] OT: Eurotrip Question
From: Frank.Dernie at btinternet.com (Frank Dernie)
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:08:40 +0100
References: <COL119-W553A5559061E71252F3BF082180@phx.gbl> <23a0a61f0907230849q43eb5850j7acf43ea6669b816@mail.gmail.com> <2C5DB42A199164CD3FBE6C42@scarborough.isc.org> <ED84893953B5E30671499B21@scarborough.isc.org> <458539AB-21AD-43B2-BB54-C007E7AD8C60@btinternet.com> <2805764E3A554C84DE462B6A@scarborough.isc.org> <4A68B5B6.5020206@wanadoo.nl> <A6ABB379-D398-4B6E-8B04-0EA492A4916A@frozenlight.eu>

I work in Cologne. Nowadays the garages and hotels take credit cards,  
they did not used to. None of the restaurants i frequent will take  
credit cards and my UK Maestro cash card does not work either. I have  
a Euro Visa card that nobody takes too. Both the Visa and cash cards  
work fine in ATMs so I use cash. Hotels take credit cards and also in  
the places where there are plenty of tourists and business people on  
expenses, maybe, but not the sort of places we go.
AMEX is unwelcome in general since their percentage is -much- higher  
than Visa and MC, only the most profitable businesses will take it :-)
Frank

On 23 Jul, 2009, at 21:07, Nathan Wajsman wrote:

> Actually, I do not agree, Michiel. I use AMEX everywhere I can  
> because I like the KLM points I get (I still have my Dutch AMEX  
> card). In NL, I used it in many petrol stations, in most of the  
> restaurants I went to, in many bookshops etc. Here in Spain, same  
> thing, it is even accepted at some supermarkets.
>
> I am also surprised by Frank's statements about the difficulties of  
> using credit cards in Germany--I have never had the problem there. I  
> use Visa and Amex without any problems every time I am there. At  
> least in the cities where I have been in the past couple of years-- 
> Berlin, Munich, Cologne, D?sseldorf, Frankfurt--I have not had any  
> problems whatsoever.
>
> Nathan
>
> Nathan Wajsman
> Alicante, Spain
> http://www.frozenlight.eu
> http://www.greatpix.eu
> http://www.nathanfoto.com
>
> Books: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/search?search=wajsman&x=0&y=0
> PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws
> Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog
>
>
>
> On Jul 23, 2009, at 9:10 PM, Michiel Fokkema wrote:
>
>> don't bother to bring AMEX. AMEX is very bad accepted here in  
>> Europe. It's too expensive for the merchants. VISA and Mastercard  
>> are very well accepted. At least the Netherlands are totally  
>> converting to the PIN system. As well for the ATM's as for the  
>> stores.
>>
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Michiel Fokkema
>>
>> Brian Reid wrote:
>>>> I had not realised that the US did not use the PIN system yet
>>> North American bank cards use PINs only for debit/ATM transactions.
>>> Credit transactions just use a signature. And our cards do not  
>>> have chips in them.
>>> My experience is that the most universal form of access to money  
>>> when I travel is an ATM/debit card with a 4-digit PIN. Being the  
>>> sort of person who always has a backup Plan B, I carry two such  
>>> cards, issued by different banks that use different debit networks.
>>> Though because of the epidemic of banks buying other banks, most  
>>> cards issued by nationwide financial institutions are members of 3  
>>> or more debit networks.
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>
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Replies: Reply from gregj_lorenzo at hotmail.com (Greg Lorenzo) ([Leica] OT: Eurotrip Question)
In reply to: Message from gregj_lorenzo at hotmail.com (Greg Lorenzo) ([Leica] OT: Eurotrip Question)
Message from simon.apekop at gmail.com (simon jessurun) ([Leica] OT: Eurotrip Question)
Message from reid at mejac.palo-alto.ca.us (Brian Reid) ([Leica] OT: Eurotrip Question)
Message from reid at mejac.palo-alto.ca.us (Brian Reid) ([Leica] OT: Eurotrip Question)
Message from Frank.Dernie at btinternet.com (Frank Dernie) ([Leica] OT: Eurotrip Question)
Message from reid at mejac.palo-alto.ca.us (Brian Reid) ([Leica] OT: Eurotrip Question)
Message from michiel.fokkema at wanadoo.nl (Michiel Fokkema) ([Leica] OT: Eurotrip Question)
Message from photo at frozenlight.eu (Nathan Wajsman) ([Leica] OT: Eurotrip Question)