Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/07/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]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