Germany and credit cards

[leky 173]

Exactly..This logo was on the door & I did manage to use the card in some other shops & also at Silverstone, mond you at the prices they charge for mnerchandise I should have used a credit card so I could pay in installments :P

[Guest]

 

Yes - it is now the global rule in the UK...only a few place take signatures...i.e. WH Smiths as they haven't changed their machines yet. So unless you will only be buying the meal deals, FHM and the Daily Sport then you best take some Cash.

 

If you've not been issued with a chip and pin for your CC then you will need to contact your bank.

excusez mon français svp... Arse.

 

Chip & PIN only applies to mostly UK registered cards with a chip on them.

 

If your card does not have a chip on it, then they have to take your signature.

 

The whole world is NOT going to re-issue millions of CC's with an extra chip on the front just for the sake of

of the unsafe UK Chip & PIN system

 

I have been to the UK twice this year, and my non-UK issue CC worked on all occasions on a signature only basis.

[dangermouse 81]

 

If it is a UK based credit card with the new chip then Yes, if it is an non-Uk card then not. Although not sure if all retailers will be well informed on the latter.

 

By the power of Google...

http://www.chipandpin.co.uk

IF - and I emphasise the 'If' - the retailer knows what they are doing, then an overseas card should be accepted in the UK, even if it doesn't have a chip and/or PIN

 

"Should I always accept a PIN?

Although the vast majority of transactions will be

with PIN, staff should accept a signature from

cardholders with old-style cards, some disabled

customers who will have requested a special chip

and signature card and cardholders from overseas

who have an old style card. Shop staff should just

insert the card into the terminal and follow the

prompts – no matter what card is presented." here

 

"Cardholders from Overseas

The UK is the first country to fully roll out chip and PIN. Many cardholders from overseas will still be using old style chip or magnetic stripe cards with a signature. They will continue to sign after 14 February."here

[brokenm 37]

 

Not a huge difference between the UK and Germany figures then: House debt to Income - Germany 100% Uk 140%. Netherland 180% (what the fcuk are they doing in the Netherlands!!!) Can anyone give us a clue!!!

I find these numbers a bit misleading. If you assume that Germany's net income is only half of their total income, this really means that Germany is closer to 200% rather than 100% in their ratio. While in the US the highest tax rate is close to 38%, for 140% and the US is closer to 225%which changes the difference from Germany to the US from a 40% difference to only a 12.5%. Since I assume we are really talking about disposable income that is available to pay off your debts.

[Jay 13]

Interesting article:

 

Americans face problems using Visa cards in the U.K.

[jester 53]

Media-markt in particular has lost a of business from me because of their policy on credit cards as has a few other places... There's going to be alot of fun in the Summer when the World Cup tourists discover that they can't pay with their credit cards

Anywhere I have travelled I've been able to use my credit card and that included some middle-of-nowhere places! They just don't like credit here... does there even a word exist in German for credit :lol:

[Guest]

 

Interesting article:

 

Americans face problems using Visa cards in the U.K.

Some very poor reporting in there..."They also require that consumers enter their PIN, in addition to their signature, in all transactions."

[Guest]

 

does there even a word exist in German for credit

I think it is "blödeengländerzahlenlebenslänglichhöhezinsen" ...

 

;)

[Hannah 8]

Kredit (not to difficult actually) :P

[stanford 70]

 

They should be, assuming they're carrying the Maestro, Cirrus or Plus logo

I think you will find that's for taking cash out of a cash machine (Maestro, Currus etc) but in terms of shops they have a specific machine that works for EC cards only. I've tried and asked many times - even stuck it in a machine without consent and got told off (because they could only see the VISA DEBIT card info and assumed it was a credit card...)

 

I will ring up today and get the final answer but I've tried many times.

[Dale Shires 0]

Meastro or Cirrus make no difference, I've not been in 1 German store that will accept my UK Debit Card, even the odd store that would accept my CC will not take DC.

 

Dale

[Ami in Berlin 39]

Most German shops accept EC debit card only.

 

In reverse, most shops outside Germany accept Maestro or Cirrus.

 

Result:

My American bankcard is useless here (not true, as it can also function as a MasterCard, but if that were not the case it would be useless) apart from in ATMS.

 

My German bankcard is accepted everywhere in the US that accepts debit cards.

[Bumpy 25]

Very simple.

 

Germany is not a consumer economy. It is a socialist economy - the goverment represents over 50% of GDP. Whereas the Consumer is huge in US/UK/Canada etc.

 

Major elements of the economy are not oriented towards consumption, hence the large export surplus (thanks VAT) and the lack of faciliting purchases for consumers: bad service, lack of available transations (no CC) and no shoping on Sundays or after 8:00pm.

[brokenm 37]

and they always tell you the price backwards. eight and thirty. Then when you see the real price, you will bolt 38 euros for that???

[Bumpy 25]

Sneeky bastards.

[Johnny English 3,071]

 

They should be, assuming they're carrying the Maestro, Cirrus or Plus logo

Its a crock of shite. The Maestro cards are not the same as a UK Maestro. Its bollox. If you look the Kraut cards do not have the long number on the signature strip on the back. This gives you the CIC number you often need when ordering online. You cannot use your bank card as an online debit card.

 

 

JE, what's the take up on Lastschriftverfahren when selling in Germany?

Well Lastrschrift is probably the most popular online payment method we take, 2nd would be I think Nachnahme, and then the Gegen Vorkasse thingie (they pay online from their bank). I reckon only maybe 1 in 8 orders are credit cards which is incredible!

 

Even get a few monkies complaining that we don't just send them goods on trial with an invoice so they can pay if they like it etc.

 

Also get loads of "bounced" Lastschrifts. The banks are so crap they show the credit on your business account anyway - and then whip it back away 2-3 days later when it bounces.

 

Its a shockingly bad place to run an Internet business for payments.

[MonksTown 104]

 

Germany is not a consumer economy. It is a socialist economy - the goverment represents over 50% of GDP.

Workers in control of the means of production, distribution and exchange?

I don't think so comrade!

 

What's the story with Media Market anyway Jester?

 

Longer term the larger retailers will HAVE to take CCs and they are fools not having got equipped for the WM. What happene d to M+S in the UK should be a warning.

[Jay 13]

There was a discussion regarding using debit cards in Germany.

 

Trouble using my UK debit card in Germany

(But the link to the Germans complaining about not being able to use their debit cards in the UK seems to be no longer valid)

 

I do find those Uberweisung slips quite useful. Just get a bill in the post, stick it into one of those machine readers, and Bob's your uncle - even though most of them tended to be speeding fines. :rolleyes:

[Bumpy 25]

 

Workers in control of the means of production, distribution and exchange?

I don't think so comrade!

I wouldn't have it either.

 

How do you explain : C + I + G = GDP

 

Where G is 50% ??

 

What's the word for that? ;)

[jester 53]

 

What's the story with Media Market anyway Jester?

Before I had an EC card the only method of paying I had was the credit card. Media Markt didn't take credit card, not sure if it's still the case, and I wouldn't have enough cash on me. So usually ended up purchasing elsewhere. I'm sure there have been plenty of other people in a similar situation to this, and that would more than pay the ~5% credit card fee that most shops in every other country have no problem paying!