INTRODUCTION - France 2014 - page 22

Here's how to make your card work:
1. Swipe your credit card in the chip-and-PIN terminal.
2. When prompted for the PIN, ask the clerk (if one is nearby) to print out a receipt
for you to sign instead.
3. If it's not possible to print out a receipt, try punching in your credit-card PIN.
4. If the PIN isn't accepted, try swiping your debit card and entering its PIN. Some
chip-and-PIN machines accept debit cards but not credit cards.
If none of the above works, see if there's a machine that takes cash. Or you
could ask a local person if you can pay them cash to run the transaction on their
card. Or you could simply skip the purchase.
If you're still concerned, you can apply for a chip card in the US (though I think it's
overkill). One option is the no-annual-fee GlobeTrek Visa, offered by Andrews Federal
Credit Union in Maryland (open to all US residents; see www.andrewsfcu.org ).
Damage Control for Lost Cards
If you lose your credit, debit, or ATM card, you can stop people from using your card
by reporting the loss immediately to the respective global customer-assistance centers.
Call these 24-hour US numbers collect: Visa (tel. [phone]), MasterCard (tel. 636/
722-7111), and American Express (tel. [phone]). In France, to make a collect call to
theUS,dial0800990011;presszeroorstayonthelineforanEnglish-speakingoperator.
You can also reach the credit-card companies by calling their toll-free numbers in
France:Visa(tel.[phone])andMasterCard(tel.[phone]).AmericanExpress
hasaParisoffice,butthecallisn'tfree(tel.[phone],greetingisinFrenchonly,dial
1 to get an English-speaker).
Providing the following information will allow for a quicker cancellation of your
missing card: full card number, whether you are the primary or secondary cardholder, the
cardholder'snameexactlyasprintedonthecard,billingaddress,homephonenumber,cir-
cumstances of the loss or theft, and identification verification (your birthdate, your moth-
er's maiden name, or your Social Security number—memorize this, don't carry a copy).
If you are the secondary cardholder, you'll also need to provide the primary cardholder's
identification-verification details. You can generally receive a temporary card within two
or three business days in Europe (see www.ricksteves.com/help for more).