Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/07/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Here in Germany, stores and restaurants much prefer direct debit cards (Maestro, now accepted almost everywhere in the EU) drawing directly on your account (with PIN, or without PIN but card ownership confirmed by signature). There is also a chip on most cards that can be credited from your account and makes the card usable in lieu of cash - mostly used for telephone boxes, parking, bus-tickets and the like. VISA and Mastercard are accepted, but VERY reluctantly. However, for most transactions up to around 500 euros, cash rules. Cheers Douglas Jayanand Govindaraj wrote: > Michiel, > There is a reason - Amex and Diners are 'charge cards', there is no credit > limit, so they charge the retailer more as he is guaranteed to get his > money. In Asia as well, retailers prefer Visa or Mastercard because > commissions are less. I carry a Diners only for use in medical emergencies > - > I have not used it yet for that purpose, though. > Cheers > Jayanand > > On Fri, Jul 24, 2009 at 12:40 AM, Michiel Fokkema < > michiel.fokkema at wanadoo.nl> 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. >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Leica Users Group. >>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >>> >>> >>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >>> >>> >>> No virus found in this incoming message. >>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.392 / Virus Database: >>> 270.13.25/2256 - Release Date: 07/23/09 06:02:00 >>> >>> >>> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> >> > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > >