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Comment by busterarm | Hacker News Reader

I want chip and pin cards SO BADLY here.

Mainly because it would make my trips to Europe a lot easier, where many systems I've encountered won't work on some non-EMV cards.

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http://creditcardforum.com/blog/chip-and-pin-credit-cards-us...

I have an AmEx but not Platinum. It's not worth the extra fees to me.

If they get some sense and implement this on their lower-end charge cards, I'd be a pig in shit. I try to have this be the only card I use.

The chip is available on all of the Amex charge cards, green through platinum. Just ask customer service for it.

Thought that was all chip-and-signature instead of chip-and-pin.

Chip-and-sig is almost useless.

Also, I'm a stingy bastard with the fabled Unicorn Card (Zync) that's no longer offered. I think any changes would mean a forced upgrade. I'm worried about a forced upgrade when the card expires too.

Here's a very thorough spreadsheet from the FlyerTalk forums: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/17837493-post1.html

There are a handful of credit unions that issue dual C&S/C&P cards. It's a little harder to get one than an ordinary card, but probably worth it if you're traveling abroad. (I got one from Andrews.)

Whether chip and sig is accepted in places around europe will probably depend on the software they have, the merchant's agreement with their acquirer, whether it's an unattended terminal and a bunch of other stuff.

Surprised to hear it's next to useless, but not really surprising that it's less useful.

I was up in Canada a few months ago, where EMV cards are ubiquitous. C&S is accepted everywhere, but merchants routinely get confused by the second receipt printing out. I've heard it's the same in Europe.

Chip and sig was accepted everywhere I went in Europe this year. I have a European bank issuer though.

I'm sorry, yes, all the chips on Amex cards are chip and sig, and are just as useless as you describe.

More and more US banks are starting to issue cards with chip + PIN. My new American Airlines card has it as does my Amex Blue.

I didn't realize European automated machines would basically never accept my cards. On a subsequent trip I tried to get chip card, but neither my personal banker nor the branch manager at Wells Fargo had ever even heard of them and insisted I was confused about the problem.

Shopping for a new bank, for many reasons.

Wells Fargo definitely has chip cards. They shipped me a chip version of my WF credit card out of the blue a while ago.

Yeah. Wells Fargo is just about the worst bank ever. Even says a WF District Manager I know.

Marriott Rewards Credit Card by Chase offers a Chip and Pin card. They also have a 70K sign-up bonus points going on right now. If you are new to Marriott Rewards, send me an e-mail and I can send you a referral that qualifies both of us for bonus points.

Chase Sapphire Preferred offers EMV cards[0] and no foriegn exchange charges. Makes a good travel card.

[0] Technically: chip-and-signature rather then chip-and-pin. Also, you have to ask for the EMV but they're super friendly about it.

I've found my chip and signature Amex Platinum Card to be just as useless in Europe as my old magstrip-only card.

That's surprising; chip and signature exists in part for accessibility reasons and everywhere is meant to accept them.

I had a really tough time with credit cards in Denmark.

I had one chip & sig card that didn't work except in like one restaurant I went to. A couple of places I could use any regular credit card though. Ended up having to go to ATMs and carry cash, which is so uncommon that people think you're a drug dealer. :D

Bank of America has a similar one too, and it doesn't have a yearly fee.

While I don't have that Chase card, I do know very well that most BofA branded cards have far less lucrative rewards than many of their competitors. FIA has a few great cards and they're owned by BofA. But even when I became a so-called "platinum privileges" bofa customer their best card was not very attractive.

Flat 2% cashback cards are great. Rotating 5% category cards a great. Big signup bonuses are great.

I have a Chase British Air card I opened with a 100,000 mile bonus, plus a companion pass once a certain spending level was reached. Long story shorter, we opened two (one for me, one for my wife). Pooled the miles together. We have 220k miles and a companion pass. We're using this for 2 first class tickets from SFO to Europe in the spring. That is, literally, $25,000 in airfare.

Oh, and it's chip + sig :)

tl;dr Often annual fees are very worth it. And also often, an issuer will waive them in all or part.

Citi issues cards with chips now. They have sent me newst one with chip without me even asking.

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