[gambiting]

What do they require then? I've never in my entire life used my credit/debit card without typing in the PIN number(except for contactless payments, of course). I'm in the UK.

I think they can be used with a signature too? Maybe? I've never heard of anyone actually signing a bill instead of using the pin, and besides, I don't even sign my cards.

[Slump]

Chip and signature is the norm in brick and mortar stores in the USA. Even then, many purchases will not require a signature unless the transaction is over a certain amount, typically $50. Many card issuers were too nervous to go full chip and pin in US markets for whatever reason.

[the_af]

Yes, they require a signature. I'm not saying this is a safe practice, just that I've never seen a store where they asked me for a pin code for major credit cards such as Visa, Amex and (I'm pretty sure, but I don't have one) MasterCard. And I'm talking not only my own country, but also the US and several countries in Europe. When I was in the UK some years ago, they didn't ask me for my pin code when I used my Visa credit card, either. Maybe it's the type of card?

I'm talking about credit cards, mind you. Debit cards are different, and while in my country Visa Electron doesn't require anything but a signature, it's entirely possible if I tried to use it abroad they'd ask for a pin code. Not sure.

[Tistron]

I believe it is possible to use a cc here without the pin if you show ID and sign a receipt. I think I've seen it for people who've forgotten their code and tourists who don't know their code.

[gambiting]

I have both British and Polish debit and credit cards, Visa and Mastercard(Visa Classic credit cards), I've used them in Spain, Germany, Netherlands, France, Spain and Portugal, and literally never had to sign for them, be it in shops or restaurants.

I'm not saying there aren't cards that need signing,but I've literally never seen any.

[the_af]

My experience is the opposite: I've never used a PIN.

I've done some reading and now I believe it depends on the country which issued the card (as opposed to the country where you're using the card). So if you have a card issued in the US and Latin America, you probably won't asked for a PIN -- because you don't have one -- and instead you'll be asked for id and your signature. If you have a card issued in Europe, you'll be asked for a PIN.

Interesting. A PIN seems safer than a signature to me, or possibly the combination of chip + PIN, but it simply doesn't get used where I live.

[OJFord]

I was made to sign my card for the first time ever recently in order to complete an exchange that required a refund and repurchase...

Parent comments are talking about online purchases, for which your PIN is not needed.

[the_af]

I was talking about brick & mortar shops.

Now I've done some reading, and it seems my country (in Latin America) is following US standards. It seems US-issued credit cards only require signatures, even when used abroad, and only recently (as far as I can google it) are they slowly starting to switch to either PIN or chip-based cards. Newly issued cards where I live have chips (this is a relatively recent development), which I'm not sure exactly how are supposed to be safer than magnetic strip cards, and also don't require PINs.