On Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:20:25 -0700, Mizter T wrote:

As others have said, it's possible that the ticket machines won't like
credit/debit cards that don't have a chip (i.e. are magnetic stripe
only), but I don't know for certain what the situation is here.

As I recall, I've had greater success with the large machines (that also
take cash) than with the small ones (that don't). Or maybe it's the
other way around - it's been several months. And it may vary from
machine to machine. So keep trying.

However
you'll definitely be able to use a magstripe-only credit card at an
Underground station ticket office to top up your Oyster PAYG balance,
i.e. over the counter.

Indeed.

(That's quite unlike Paris, where none of the RATP vending machines
appear to accept American cards, and many stations have staffed
information windows rather than staffed ticket windows.)

Here in New York, the situation is somewhat different: although each
station has at least one manned booth that sells MetroCards, credit cards
are only accepted at the vending machines. (As in London, there are
large machines that also accept cash and small machines that only accept
credit and debit cards.) Prevalued MetroCards are also sold at many
outside vendors, and, of course, many of them accept credit cards as well.
--
David of Broadway
New York, NY