Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
other reached around and pushed the button for €300. Luckily, she was able to grab all the
cash before the kids got any of it. This scam is very popular throughout Europe. If you find
yourself in this situation focus on the money and not the kids because they want you to turn
your back to the ATM.
Don't use a debit card to make purchases.
Only use your ATM card to access cash from
the ATM—for everything else use a credit card. This is because it is very easy to copy (aka
clone) a bankcard. All the thief (usually a waiter or a shopkeeper) needs to do is swipe your
card with a special card reader that instantly copies all the information off the magnetic strip.
The info can then be transferred onto a blank card or saved on a computer to be used later.
They can then rack up tons of charges without you even knowing.
You want to avoid using your debit card to make purchases because it's tied directly to your
checking account so the money is gone as soon as the card is used. A thief can easily drain
your account (usually collecting tons of overdraft fees in the process) and it is much harder
to reverse the charges. Most banks offer theft protection but it can take weeks to get your
money back. Additionally, your card will be canceled so you won't be able to use ATMs any-
more—which means you won't have access to cash.
However, if your credit card is cloned, you don't have to worry because the card isn't tied to
your bank account. You'll just have to cancel the card and your credit card company will stop
the unauthorized charges. You might have to fill out some paperwork but that's about it.
USING CREDIT CARDS IN EUROPE
Credit cards are accepted throughout Europe; however, many smaller shops may have a min-
imum purchase amount or may not accept cards so always have cash. Visa and MasterCard
are the most widely accepted cards. Some places might accept American Express or Discover,
but I wouldn't count on it.
Research the fees.
Most credit card companies charge a 1%-3% fee each time the card is
used internationally, but there are a few cards that waive all foreign transaction fees.
NerdWal-
let.com
keeps an updated list of cards and how much they charge. Do be sure to read the fine
print about annual fees and all of that fun stuff.
Have a backup card.
It's a good idea to bring a few credit cards while traveling just in case
one gets lost or stolen. Obviously, don't keep all your cards in the same place.
American cards don't work everywhere.
Over the past few years, Europe has converted
to chip-and-pin debit and credit cards—while American cards use magnetic stripes. In a nut-
shell, the chip-and-pin cards have an embedded microchip and, instead of signing a receipt,
the user enters a PIN code to authorize the transaction (obviously using a PIN code to au-
thorize a transaction is much more secure than a signature). At the moment, most mer-
chants still accept magnetic stripe cards but some may refuse or be confused how to swipe the
card—especially in smaller towns.
