Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/07/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Mark, the ease of using cards vary greatly by country and evidently by individual, as I have never had problems in Germany. Also depends on where you go. As for tourism, yes it is very important in many countries (certainly in the part of Spain where I live it is the #1 industry) but Americans make up a small proportion of the visitors and Euros. The vast majority are from other European countries, and of course the usual Asian (Japanese and increasingly Chinese) groups. 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 24, 2009, at 8:30 PM, Mark Rabiner wrote: > I'd always had the idea that American and other tourism money was a > serious > aspect to much business in Europe and else wares. A 10 billion dollar > tourist industry why bother with it, chump change... > I find it amazing and just a tad hard to belvie that they'd make > Americans > or whoever jump through hoops to accept their business. > In my experience when you want to give people money; they try not > make it > difficult for you to do that. > It just seems to me that in the past say 5 years people have wised > up and > made it so people and use their credit and debit cards and do > business. Like > get a hotel room, have dinner. > > Rabiner > > > >> >> 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 >>> >>> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > Mark William Rabiner > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information