When news hit that the Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite MasterCard® was being tweaked to include Chip & PIN capability, I dutifully ordered mine the minute the option became available on the website. At the time, I knew my next most likely opportunity to try the chip capabilities would be on a then forthcoming trip to Canada. Now, when you receive the card, the materials that come with it refer to the card as Chip & Signature with PIN capability. They also say that you must sign for your first transaction in an international location, but then you should be able to use your PIN.
After enjoying a first lunch in Canada, I used my Arrival+ to pay. The card machine had both chip reading and swipe capability, so I went for the chip slot. Having watched the patrons paying prior to me from a distance, I could see that all used chip cards, and no one signed receipts. I worked through the menu, and out came a receipt for me to sign. Worked like a charm. I thought the next transaction might offer the PIN option, but that did not happen, again, I received a signature slip. This repeated itself for each transaction during the weekend, and not once was I offered the PIN option when making a purchase. I experienced no issues with any merchant except one. On Saturday afternoon I was dispatched to the local store to purchase wine for dinner. It was clear that the clerk had not seen a signature slip for a card purchase in a long time. That led to a request for my driver’s license. After providing that, there were some strange stares at the merchant receipt, looking for what, I do not know, then I was told to have a nice day.
In the end, the trip went fine, and the card worked flawlessly, even if it never did default to the PIN when making a purchase. I do not know enough about EMV technology to understand why this might be the case. Our neighbors to the north likely see enough Americans in most cities to not be surprised when they see a signature slip. Nonetheless, chips are coming to a credit card near you very soon if they haven’t already. Here’s some interesting reading aimed at merchants faced with the conversion to EMV.
-MJ, July 9, 2014
Trip Report using Arrival card, March 2015
First, I set up a pin before leaving home
Then I used the card at LHR to buy Heathrow Express tix. That was chip/sig.
A little while later I used it to check into the hotel. No sig/ no pin.
For 5 days in London, then 8 days in Iceland, I used that card exclusively. Terminals that could print a receipt did so and I was asked to sign. Others took the card without asking for a pin or sig. (mostly low dollar amounts, such as coffee).
I was asked for a pin only once, on the last morning, at the Hoppa ticket machine in the hotel lobby, and it worked perfectly.
One small glitch. I forgot to tell them I’d be traveling internationally and so some transactions were declined. I called the intl cust svc and said to mark my record as traveling, and an hour later they sent an email saying they did so, but for the wrong card (USAir card, no chip, not with me). I called back and they fixed it.
All in all, I’m happy. It worked at an unattended terminal, which I find essential (I have had to buy train tickets after boarding via the conductor and pay the extra fee several times now).
Glad it worked out.
BMO Harris relaunched Diners Club cards in the US which are Chip and PIN only and not Chip and Signature with PIN backup. Diners Club cards issued in the US and Canada are accepted as MasterCards.
Chip and Signature with PIN capability means the transaction is attempted online and if authorized a signature slip may be generated depending on the transaction amount. The PIN feature is used if an online authorization cannot be obtained such as a stand alone ticket machine, parking meter, road tol etc. In the situations you described authorizations were likely done online with no need for a PIN.
we’ve been using chip n pin cars for years here in Canada… without issue.
The issue is likely on your provider’s end – nothing to do with the banking system here.
Until the whole US banking system changes… you will continue to have this same issue throughout the world even though you have chip n pin..
BTW… the transaction takes 3 to 5 times longer that the swipe… be careful what you wish for!
Used in India and Germany and not once asked for a PIN.
I have never once had a problem with my two chip & signature cards in Europe, Asia, or South America.
I used it for two weeks in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Defaulted to signature the whole time, but when I used it at a gas station, it requested the PIN and worked like a charm.
This also happened to me last month in Germany, Austria & Switzerland. Chip & sig. all the time.
This also happened a lot in spain with the arrival. Only once or twice was I asked to enter a pin, most of the time is was chip and sig.
Of course it never defaulted to pin – it defaults to signature. It only goes to pin if your in a situation where the card reader can’t take a signature, most often if it’s unattended. You should have tested it in a vending machine.