Using US "chip & signature" Credit Cards abroad in "chip & PIN" countries

If you can get a PIN issued, it might save you some time at the checkout and prevent younger checkout operators staring at you with bewilderment while they wait for a supervisor. It will let you use self-checkout lanes in supermarkets more easily too.

If you have a compatible contactless card, you won't need a PIN for small purchases.

You will find machines all over Europe which only accept Chip + Pin. If memory serves, Denmark and France was particularly bad as many public transit stations are not manned and so you need a pin capable card to get tickets.

I would not go to Europe without being able to use Chip & PIN and at least 1 debit card. We in The Netherlands quite often don't even accept Master Card (and Credit Cards in general), and when we do, it's pretty much PIN + Chip (or in some cases with older terminals PIN+Mag). Some big international chains like gas stations may accept non-standard options like signature (but always on paper!) and sometimes even cheque-based payments.

In almost all cases you can pay using a debit card that is a Maestro-type using a PIN code, and it doesn't matter if you are buying something for 50 cents, or something for more than a thousand euros. In many cases, businesses here see more pin+chip payments than cash payments. Many terminals have EMV3 NFC payment support where anything up to 25 euros can be paid with the contactless method without using a PIN.

Long story short: if you have any Maestro card (not Master Card!) with a PIN you're good to go. Otherwise, cash is your next best option. All ATM's support getting cash via credit cards with a PIN.

I'll try to give some perspective from what I know of some European countries, esp. Austria where I live, and Germany where it seems to work essentially the same: (Similarities do exist in Britain, Italy, Spain, etc., where I did use cards, but only during holidays so experience is limited.)

• Credit Card (as in: Visa, Master Card, etc.) is not the standard card payment method at all here -- debit card (see below) is extremely common and totally accepted for even small amounts.
• All Credit Card transactions I did in Europe have been chip + signature on paper trail.
• Many shops do accept Credit Cards (petrol stations basically always), but many others do not. Paying small amounts with Credit Card (as opposed to debit card) would seem weird, you probably would be asked to pay cash. (Though I guess they would be quite accommodating towards an American tourist ;-)
• "Standard" Card payment option here is Maestro (used to be called "EC-Karte" in Germany) which is a chip/magnet + PIN debit card. Every shop that accepts cards will accept these nowadays, but be aware that quite some smaller shops wont accept any cards at all.
• The Maestro card is also normally the card locals would use to get money from an ATM.
• Chip+PIN for Credit Cards (Master Card mine) I solely know to get money from an ATM.

This also depends on "merchant". For example, the machines selling train tickets - at least in Netherlands and Taiwan - do NOT accept US-issued "chip and pin" credit cards as purchase transactions - if you provide the PIN, it will run as "cash advance" transaction (in Taiwan they even warn you about this, but in Netherlands they do not). They however do accept US-issued "chip and pin" debet cards with VISA logo.

Here in the US, if you are a AAA member, you can get reloadable VISA cards that are meant for worldwide use. It's what I did when my daughter traveled to Costa Rico last year. They have them for all different regions of the world, and you can add money from your normal bank account as long as you have an Internet connection.

You can find more here: AAA Mid-Atlantic (Use zip 20005 if asked)

Being in the UK, I can say they will work fine. My bank issued me a chip and signature card a few years ago by mistake, and it worked as you would expect.

You may cause some confusion in some places, but generally it will be ok. Most places will have either a pen, or possibly even a digital signature pad for the cashier to confirm ahead of payment being taken.

I found that for some things (such as "chip and pin" petrol pumps) it never asked for a pin or any form of validation, it simply debited the amount. Be aware of that, as it might be the case for your cards in those situations.

Although I am not sure what is meant by "to countries where "chip & pin" is the standard form of credit card security" I can at least provide some experience from Europe:

Credit Cards are accepted widely for larger payments. For smaller ones that depends on the country: no problem in Sweden, mostly impossible in Germany. In such cases cash from an ATM is needed (only available with a PIN).

Credit card payment requires often a PIN, sometimes a signature (right, mostly old terminals using the magnetic stripe). Contactless payment is not common. Also pay by phone (like ApplePay) is rare.

As an alternative you can use a Maestro card with PIN/chip which in some countries has a better acceptance than credit cards.

EDIT: as @Karlson mentioned, chip & signature is normally not available in Europe.

In Australia, chip and sometimes PIN, is the standard.

Most stores and petrol stations will look at you incredulously if you attempt to sign anything. For almost all purchases under $100 you'll be expected to just 'tap' your card against the reader. No PIN required. I don't think there are many retailers left who support swipe and signature. Banks have been trying to eliminate using signature with cards to reduce fraud.

I recommend that you get a PIN for your card. Or, for more security and lower transactions fees, a specific travellers card with a pre-loaded value.

Pay by phone is not widely used.

You'll need a credit card here in Australia as 'card only' stores are becoming more common. Especially for fast food.

You will get in trouble in Spain and France as both offer small or no support at all for Signature cards. Most speedway tolls / Ticket Machines / Vending Machines / Public Transport machines, for example, don't accept cards without pin in Spain and France. And most (big & small) merchants & stores i know have retired their old renting signature machines for newer, cheaper contactless / pin readers only.