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

By: RogerG

RogerG — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 17:14:55 +0000

RE: the last poster, according to the main article, this PIN is different from the PIN for cash advances, so I am not sure that using that PIN would solve the problem.

And there are lots of good reasons not to use a debit card as a credit card–in particular, if your card number gets stolen, somebody may clean out your checking account and you’ll be in a world of hurt until you get things straightened out. Don’t do it. Don’t even let your bank issue you a debit card that can be used as a credit card.

Oddly enough, while I wasn’t able to use my VISA card in Denmark without a pin, my father was able to use his German-issued VISA card (which does have a chip) without a PIN.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 18:46:31 +0000

Yeah the pin is a pain, but ANY credit card company will give you a pin for your credit card. Just ask for it a couple of weeks in advance because mine took 12 days to come in the mail.

Alternatively, use your debit as a credit card. The stores take it same as credit cards.

Denmark’s pin requirement comes in part because nearly all Danish cards are debit cards ( Dankort is a debit card.). So the credit card system is set up like a debit card system.

And the US isn’t lagging in security per se, the security is just in the credit card contracts rather than the piece of plastic. If you report the card stolen, you are not financially responsible for the purchases.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 10:26:53 +0000

Really wished I would’ve read this before my daughter traveled to Denmark. Just received a call from her that she was unable to use her preloaded visa debit giftcard I got at my bank. Now my kid can’t buy anything because they ask for a pin. Honestly they gave her a hard time which is crap since the card state it can be used anywhere visa debit is accepted. Im appalled!

By: Martyn

Martyn — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 13:14:02 +0000

Over the years, I have had all sorts of problems using European credit cards adn debit cards in the USA. Having and using a PIN is not a problem, being ill prepared (and assuming everything shoudl work “just like at home”) can be a problem

By: Ediz

Ediz — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 11:06:42 +0000

The Chip & PIN system is also seen in Turkey. However, U.S. cards can be used with no problem because all machines which require the PIN also can swipe if there is no chip in the credit card. So, travel to Turkey is not problematic.

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.