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

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Subject: [Leica] OT: Eurotrip Question
From: henningw at archiphoto.com (Henning Wulff)
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:53:08 -0700
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>

At 12:03 PM -0700 7/23/09, 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.
>

I've had a Visa card which is also my bank access card for over 20 
years, so it has always had a PIN. I used it to access ATM's in 
Europe at least as far back as 1986. I also have a bank access card 
that accesses the same account. If I use the latter, I know I am 
accessing the account; with the combined card I can't tell whether it 
accesses the bank account or provides a money advance from Visa. The 
latter naturally has a nasty interest rate attached. Sometimes the 
bank card isn't accepted but the Visa card is.

Things are not always simple, but I can now count on getting money 
out of an ATM pretty much anywhere, whether in central China, Ukraine 
or Ecuador (or anywhere in Europe).

-- 

    *            Henning J. Wulff
   /|\      Wulff Photography & Design
  /###\   mailto:henningw at archiphoto.com
  |[ ]|     http://www.archiphoto.com


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)