Hi friends, My 15 yr old son is in Australia on a school band trip and I gave him a Visa credit card for incidental purchases. He just called me and told me a merchant declined the card. So I called the card provider and they told me that they did not decline the purchase and it doesn't even show up in their system. The person explained to me that some countries' credit card transactions are chip & PIN as opposed to chip & signature that we are used to in the states here. They told me to tell him to see if he can bypass the PIN requirement. If he cannot he needs to tell the merchant that his card is a chip & signature and to redo the transaction. Can anyone shed light on this? Of the few times I've been over sees this was never an issue. Thanks for your help. Al
We have tap and pay for under AUS$100 and PIN for over AUS$100 credit card purchases, you don't sign anymore. Did you give him a pre-paid card by any chance, they never seem to work. As a temp. why not put cash into this bank account and let him withdraw it at ATM machines or purchase ATM;s, not perfect, but better than being o/s with no $$ Banks are C%%TS, signed, me.
Hi Al I use my international card all the time when I am in Australia. Tell your son to let them know that the pin ONLY applies to Australian Credit Cards. International credit cards are still chip and sign and it's written in black and white. I suspect whoever he is dealing with A. Doesn't know the rules and B. Is just used to dealing with Australian credit cards. Hope this helps.
It was for food, a small amount but he did not tell me how much. It is a true Visa credit card, not pre-paid. He's only there 10 days so it's not in the cards to get him an ATM card. He does have some US cash. Worst case if needed, I guess, I wire money to him. Much of trip is already paid for , the card it was for souvenirs and emergencies.
It's also frustrating from our point of view. Many US payment options (e.g. gas stations, Subways) require the ZIP (postcode) to entered, which is 5 digits. Australian zip codes are 4 digits, so our cards don't work in your payment machines.
Hmm, sorry about that, lol. What about entering a zero first? Anyway, son just got back to us and he was able to use the card at another merchant. Thanks friends!
Al if your son is in Sydney and he gets stuck,just pm me and l can try and help him.. As a father l know l would be at my wits end if my son was travelling alone overseas.. Hope he enjoys his experience over here.
Thanks Maurice, I would do the same for you and any of the Fchat friends. He is in Melbourne now and they are going to Sydney Monday. They will be playing concert at Fort St High School with their orchestra band. Cheers. Al
Hi Al I take overseas credit card in my business and should not cause any issue here, should still work I have American clients and they use USA credit card and signature, not a problem. Michael
