Comments on: Rotten in Denmark: Credit cards with mandatory PIN

By: Jimmy

Jimmy — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 07:56:19 +0000

Since I come from Sweden, I’ve been dealing a lot with this problem. However, the PIN code is not the only problem. In Denmark they have their own credit card called “Dankort”. In stores all over Denmark (except for central Copenhagen) it is impossible to pay with other credit cards than Dankort. In fact, I saw a list over the worlds most difficult countries to pay with credit cards. Denmark was third! Bangladesh was the worst…

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Tue, 06 Oct 2009 02:02:27 +0000

[...] swipe-and-sign credit card in a country where chip-and-PIN is the norm. (Consider previous posts on chip-and-PIN challenges. I even wrote a piece for National Geographic Traveler on the issue.) Now the New York [...]

By: Karen Gray

Karen Gray — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:57:35 +0000

I just got back from a 3-week trip to Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and a day in Germany. Only in Denmark was I unable to charge because of this pin number requirement. I called my credit cards and they said there was no way for me to meet that requirement so I also had to use cash or not make the purchase. Frankly I’m warning others that they might want to skip Denmark as charging is easy in Norway and Sweden where they simply bypassed the pin requirement. Also two charges of 3 in Germany were handled without the pin. I should think Denmark would rethink the REQUIREMENT for a pin if they want tourists. This certainly will discourage me from returning and it left me with some very negative feelings about the country.

By: chrismo1

chrismo1 — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:22:51 +0000

To get a card with a chip wouldn’t help you a tad in Denmark. The problem is NOT the missing chip. All credit card devices have the possibility to swipe your card. The problem is that these stores do not accept credit cards, they only accept the locally issued Dankort. But before going to Denmark, be sure that your credit card has a valid 4-digit PIN, and that you know it, because although most credit card terminals have possibility of both chip/PIN, Swipe/PIN and swipe/sign some stores (a few) will require you to use swipe/PIN. Also be aware that businesses in Denmark are allowed to collect a fee on all credit card transactions made with foreign cards. This fee is around 3% and goes directly on the bill. Not all stores have this, but supermarkets do.

By: Michael

Michael — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 05:36:11 +0000

“If you are an international traveler you should use a credit card company that will issue you a card with a chip+pin. It’s only going to get harder and harder for you to do it the old way.”

I would LOVE to – but there are no banks in the US that issue cards with chips! After constantly being unable to use a credit card at any store in Denmark, I came home and contacted all the banks I could – including international banks asking them how I could get a card with the chip, the answer is, without an address outside the US, you can’t!

So, US banks are really making it hard for Americans travelers.

By: Rick

Rick — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 13:33:11 +0000

EU law makes the retailer liable for credit card fraud, where a PIN is not used. If you don’t have an EMV card (ie one with the Eurocard/Mastercard/Visa specification chip) you can present a photo-ID to the sales clerk to prove you are the named cardholder. The EMV card is far more secure than the old fashioned magnetic stripe credit card because if your card is lost or stolen, anyone who finds it has only three attempts to guess the PIN. After that the card locks, and has to be unblocked by contacting the card issuer and taking the card to an ATM.

If people are allowed to sign rather than entering a PIN, the system breaks down – unless they are forced to provide ID. These cards offer the only secure method of electronic payment at self-service machines – gas stations, DVD rental machines, ticket vending machines, and similar. North America is the world capital of card fraud because the banking system has not updated the card payment security.

France was the first country to introduce PIN cards, and as a result has enjoyed one of the lowest point of sale card fraud in the world.

By: Steve

Steve — Fri, 09 May 2008 14:19:29 +0000

I had problems in Feb 2007 in Denmark. Only stores along the walking street would accept my Canadian credit cards. The rest of stores simply refused. It is was a great inconvenience and I personally would not go back again due to this experience.

By: chrismo1

chrismo1 — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 09:52:00 +0000

Remember that in Denmark, most supermarkets do not accept credit cards although they have a “credit card processing device”. They only accept Danish issued debit cards, the so-called Dankort. Also, in Denmark, PIN transactions were adopted in the late 80′ies and is not related to the chip, which was adopted three years ago, where all “dankort” cards were replaced with chip cards.

By: John D

John D — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 14:29:10 +0000

The US is definitely behind the times on this (American Express Blue actually had the Chip/PIN and removed it) but I have had no problem using US issued cards in France – the Chip and PIN POS machines in restaurants are actually still more secure since the waiter generally carries it to your table and swipes it in front of you. I really do hope that the US will follow Europe soon on this, but for a variety of reasons (US online payments infrastructure) it is unlikely to happen …

By: Peter T

Peter T — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:53:26 +0000

Chip and Pin is in most places in South Africa too – it will eventually be everywhere. US is behind the times! In UK the retailer is responsible for fraud on swipe/sign but the card issuer is responsible when chip/pin, so retailers are reluctant to swipe/sign. However all terminals retain the facility to swipe/sign for disabled people etc (it can be a training issue) If you are obnoxious enough you are almost always able to swipe in UK.
For UK cards your ATM pin is same as chip/pin (and all UK credit/debit cards are chip/pin enabled).
Another good Chip/pin thing is that it stops a waiter double swipping your card in a restaurant.

By: Travis Choma

Travis Choma — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 10:05:46 +0000

I just wanted to add my 2cents to the chip and pin discussion.

The Netherlands having ChipKnip is a seperate issue than credit cards with chip+pin.

In the Netherlands the ChipKnip system is a system where you have a chip in your Debit card. You can go to ChipKnip loading stations and load up to 500 euros from your Dutch checking account on to the chip on your Debit card. This has nothing to do with the chips in Visa and Mastercards.

Also wanted to say that the Chip+Pin for Visa transactions is not limited to Europe, I was in South Korea and this was standard everywhere. Worked no problem with my Dutch Mastercard.

I think the USA is lagging behind in security. Especially with all this identity theft. If you are an international traveler you should use a credit card company that will issue you a card with a chip+pin. It’s only going to get harder and harder for you to do it the old way.

Also wanted to say that comparing the Dutch internet banking security to the USA internet banking security there is also a big difference. With my Chase account in the US I login with a username/password. Whereas with my ABN Amro account I have an e-dentifier which is a little device which I stick my atm card in. It prompts me for my pin via a keypad, and then I need to copy a code from the internet banking site into the device and it returns another secret code which i fill in in my webbrowser to logon. Also any transacation about 3K it also makes me do the security challenge to execute the transaction. I feel a lot safer when using the Dutch system.

By: Ethan

Ethan — Fri, 18 May 2007 05:17:40 +0000

Using credit cards abroad is getting more and more difficult. I remember when I wanted to pay my pre-paid cell phone in Canada with my US-issued VISA, Fido wouldn’t take it because I didn’t have a Canadian postal code.
When I was in Luxembourg, I tried using my visa issued in Korea. They wanted PIN, so I just typed in my PIN to withdraw cash, and it worked.
I don’t like this whole, you have to do this and that thing. It’s my credit card in my name. Why should I have to prove them anything? It’s kinda like you’re guilty until proven innocent.