Credit/Debit Cards.

[Malfiorre]

I am curious to know if any Americans visiting/living in Finland have had any issues with their credit cards not being accepted and what type of identification you use when making purchases or dining out? Also, with debit bank cards? Anyone had any problems? When charging or making withdrawls is there any fees, since there has to be an exchange rate?

[khu]

I use a VISA credit card, so I'll relate my experience with it:

My VISA (issued by Bank of America) has been generally accepted in most places, and every supermarket pretty much. Perhaps once or twice the card wouldn't take even when the shop was supposed to be equipped for VISA, but it might have been simply a connection or machine problem that day. Very few places have asked for identification if they take the card. I don't know if this is because my card has my picture on the front or whether it is simply not usual to request identification. When identification is asked for, they have accepted my WA state driver's license. A couple times they asked me for my (American) social security number, which is nonsense.

For me, if I tried to withdraw money with the credit card, I would be charged somewhere around a 4% cash advance fee. I don't do it because I can buy almost anyhting I need with the credit card. Of course, you have to ask your own banking institution what cash withdrawals are classified as. Exchange rates are better through the credit card company since they get better rates for being a big money handling institution, so buying with a credit card gets you better rates than exchanging or withdrawing money.

Hope that helps.

[tjawatts]

Not an American but I think I can give a brief idea.

Most standard credit cards will be accepted everywhere (VISA, Mastercard, Amex etc). I am not so sure about debit cards. I think generally the fee is included in the exchange rate.

If you withdraw money from a cash machine I am sure you will be charged a fee as well as the exchange rate, probably a % with a minimum fee.

For ID there are several accepted types and it is required when spending over 50 Eur. They accept driving license (with picture), passports, national identity cards (with picture) there are others but I would stick with driving license or passport to make things easier. If they are looking over your ID with a confused look on their faces they are probably looking for you Finnish henkilotunnus at which point you need to tell them you dont have one as you are ulkomalainen (people who do have one can give the last 4 digits as that is what they want).

Hope it helps.

Tony

[Malfiorre]

khu & Tony : Yes, that does, thank you for your quick reply.

[Caroline]

I have both an American Visa debit and credit card. I've rarely had any problems, except that the debit card does not seem to be accepted at automated gas stations, and I've tried several times on different days.

Generally there isn't a fee for using a debit card for purchases, but there IS probably a fee for cash withdrawals from ATM's. As for credit cards, I can't say as I haven't used mine in a long time....check with your bank.

[Hank W.]

Petrol stations in Europe seem to be very much "only local cards" in the automats, so read the small print or have a few notes ready. I know for sure the ones I frequent don't take much anything but finnish bank debit cards or cash - they won't pay the cc royalties it seems.

Oh one thing, there is a thing then with your limits as I found out my 200 euro withdrawal limit was also 200 euro foreign payment limit, so I had to check the wall a few days so I could afford to pay the hotel... oops.

And you better have your numbers ready, as some US banks get loose stuff in their pants if your K-mart and Exxon bills all of a sudden start showing KKK-supermarket and Esso - they tend to close the card and wait for you to call them and yell obscenities that you really are abroad.

[Malfiorre]

That's pretty hilarious . I will make sure to call before I go. That way they don't ruin my trip by denying certain charges by thinking it has been stolen. I mean all they really have to do is see how low the credit limit is and know... no one could possibly exist on that having fun!

[jetronic]

American debit cards with a MC, VISA, etc logo are accepted as credit cards. They will be accepted almost everywhere except gas stations. Using your debit card at ATM's for cash is a very efficient way. Aside from the standard $1.50 ATM charge on both ends you should incur no additional charges. Regarding the exchange rate, most banks charge a wholesale exchange rate which means it's the cheapeast possible rate. There is no mark up in rate with the transaction. Most transactions above 50 EUR they will ask for ID.

I did an experiment a few weeks ago and performed an American bank to Finnish bank wire transfer. Same day I also performed a cash withdrawal from an ATM with my debit card. Results:

Wire transaction:
$40 transfer charge
1.37 exchange rate
Wachovia bank took TWO days to make the transfer. They promissed me end of the day the money would be transfered.

ATM transaction:
$1.50 ATM fee
1.32 exchange rate
Cash in hand immediately

[otyikondo]

Petrol stations in Europe seem to be very much "only local cards" in the automats, so read the small print or have a few notes ready. I know for sure the ones I frequent don't take much anything but finnish bank debit cards or cash - they won't pay the cc royalties it seems.

Oh one thing, there is a thing then with your limits as I found out my 200 euro withdrawal limit was also 200 euro foreign payment limit, so I had to check the wall a few days so I could afford to pay the hotel... oops.

And you better have your numbers ready, as some US banks get loose stuff in their pants if your K-mart and Exxon bills all of a sudden start showing KKK-supermarket and Esso - they tend to close the card and wait for you to call them and yell obscenities that you really are abroad.

Interesting observation in there, Hank. I still run a Barclaycard from my days in England, and it freaked completely when I started spending money in Costa Rica a while back. In fact I think it blew a fuse when I paid for stuff in NYC already. Apparently I should have been a good boy and told them I was going out before I left the house, kind of like a 13-year-old telling Mum and Dad he's going to the local rec for a game of football with his mates.

Meanwhile, my Luottokunta Visa card was a'whangin' and a'twangin' throughout Central America without so much as a bleat from Head Office. I'm not sure which troubled me more - the fact that I was being Nannied by Barclaycard, or the fact that Luottokunta apparently couldn't care less.

[Penny]

I did an experiment a few weeks ago and performed an American bank to Finnish bank wire transfer. Same day I also performed a cash withdrawal from an ATM with my debit card. Results:

Wire transaction:
$40 transfer charge
1.37 exchange rate
Wachovia bank took TWO days to make the transfer. They promissed me end of the day the money would be transfered.

ATM transaction:
$1.50 ATM fee
1.32 exchange rate
Cash in hand immediately

Will this work the same with Australian credit/7debit cards?

[Hank W.]

Oh, a few observations for Americans as the card usages are somewhat different.

- your signature is not "Check ID", the card is not valid and won't be accepted, without a signature.

- your spouses card has your spouses name on it. your spouse has to make purchases with their card, you may not - they don't care you have permission or not - its not your card- a repossessed card and a night in jail sounds more likely.

[Pisara]

A few things I can relate to u if you're using a card in any shops. In Finland, if u use a chipless card anything over 50 euros purchase they are required to check your id. That's to protect the cardholder and the shop that's agreeing to the transaction. When the cashiers ask the id from finnish ppl, they write the end of their social security number on the receipt to verify they have indeed checked the id, just incase something comes up later. All the receipts are stored by us. Now, on not finnish id's usually it's a passport issue number or something of sorts, if the cashier has asked u for more detail she's either new and not really sure what to do with foreign id's or there's no id numbers or such she can see on the id provided. Hope that explains a bit.

Also with the Barclays stopping your purchases abroad Yes, they do that. Only because there have been so many cases of someone copying your card then sending the details abroad to a friend, cousin whatever and then them trying to wipe your account clean. I know cuz I worked with them for a while. Anyway, if u just tell them you'll be either living or travelling abroad, they wont take any notice of the transaction. Otherwise, they suspect that u'll have had fraud on your account and ask u to confirm that you're the one using the card. Usually this takes a phonecall to Barclays, that's it. I know so many ppl who've lost their money due to fraud, so I'm actually quite glad they have such measures in place

[riku2]

To comment on the other way (finnish cards abroad).

In the UK they do not have combined credit/debit cards. But all transactions in shops are with chip+pin (no signing for things) and the machine will either a) not accept the card at all, b) choose credit without asking you c) actually work like in finland and give you a choice altough the menus on the terminal are not always that clear. It took several times to work out what to press at Lidl to make it choose debit (they do not take credit cards but only debit)

In Texas the assistants seemed to assume that cards with a chip on are US debit cards and try to process it that way (this was several years ago). I had to stop them putting it in the chip+pin terminal and do it as a credit card transaction and sign for it otherwise it would be declined.

My UK cards add about 1.75% to each transaction that is not in GBP (this is not cash advances but using them in shops). My finnish cards don't have that in the T&C, they just use an exchange rate and don't add an extra % on top of that (although I have not checked the exchange rate they use).

So far I have not seen in finland DCC (direct currency conversion) when using credit cards. The shop/car rental company/hotel will ask you (eg if you present a USD credit card) if you want to pay in USD instead of euros. This is quite a common trick in the UK and quite a rip off. The retailer adds several % for the convenience of you paying in your own currency instead of being charged in GBP and letting your card issuer convert it to your own currency.

[Upphew]

In Finland, if u use a chipless card anything over 50 euros purchase they are required to check your id. That's to protect the cardholder and the shop that's agreeing to the transaction.

Afaik the shop can accept chipless card without id or one with a chip without the pin, but in case of fraud the shop has to take the financial hit...

[Pisara]

Can yeah, but most wont. I've worked in plenty a shop and none of them seem to be willing to take the risk