"Graham Harrison" wrote in message
...

"redcat" wrote in message
m...
Martin Deutsch wrote:
On Apr 16, 12:36 pm, redcat wrote:
Peter Campbell Smith wrote:
You can certainly top an Oyster up at most, maybe all, Underground
stations using a credit card, but I'm not certain that it will accept
a
US card, which won't have an embedded chip like ours have. But the
machines were in use before we had chips and during the transitional
period when some had and some hadn't, so they may well still accept a
card with just a magstripe.

I don't think you should have a problem using any credit card at any
London Underground station - I'm not entirely sure about whether the
machines will accept chip-less cards, but the ticket office certainly
should. You can find ticket office opening times at
http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/im/SI-T.html and
http://tinyurl.com/tubeticket lists the cards accepted for ticket
purchases.


Oh, those darn chips. I had trouble with my lack of one last year at
some small out-of-town places. Hmmm. Thanks for the info!

While most UK-issued cards have a chip in them, merchants are still
allowed to accept cards with magnetic stripes only - as this page
explains: http://www.chipandpin.co.uk/business...ents/2005.html

Thank you for those. The interactive map is very good. And I am somewhat
comforted by the chip information. But it says they've stopped upgrading
the page 3 years ago. Hopefully, it still holds that card machines
recognize the overseas magstrip/card and will allow me to sign.

I wish we could resort to thumb prints.

cat

When chip and pin was being introduced one of my local retailers said to
me here in the UK "I won't be able to accept anything except chip and pin
from 14th February". "Really I said, what are you going to do if some
comes in with a chip and sign card" (they do exist for some disabled
people). He looked a little perplexed. "and", I continued "are you
telling me that if someone from outside the UK comes in with a chipless
card tries to use it you are going to refuse their business?". Next time
I saw him he said that he had phoned his acquirer and asked the questions
I had posed and now had a different view. Trouble is too many people are
too parochial - he at least was prepared to investigate and change his
position.

I've just been in New Zealand where I got totally confused. I have a
chip and pin card. They would swipe it and the machine would usually say
something to the effect of "insert the chip". They did that and then
sometimes it would ask for my pin and others print something for me to
sign.


I've just come back from SA and about 6 times out of 10 was asked to enter
my pin in the machine. But the assistant still printed off the copy receipt
and asked me to sign as well - every time!

tim