Do ATMs in Spain require a chip in your card?

lrisvold

Member

Time of past OR future Camino

Camino Frances (2015)

• Jun 11, 2015

• #1

My bank does not yet make cards that have the chips in them. I know some european businesses online require a chip to do transactions. Will I be okay for ATMs with my debit card even though it has no chip? 3 more sleeps to go and getting nervous!

 

MechEngr69

Member

Time of past OR future Camino

SJPDP to Burgos 2014. Burgos to SdC arriving 5/5/2015. C2C (2016) Le Puy to Moissac April (2018)

• Jun 12, 2015

• #2

Some do not require a chip. For example, in Burgos I had to try three ATM before I found one that worked with my US bank debit card without a chip. I don't know if the problem was due to a lack of chip or something else. It would be a good idea to stock up on cash in one of the larger cities. I had no problem in April-May 2015, just took extra time to find one that worked. Buen Camino!

 

L

LauraK

Active Member

Time of past OR future Camino

Leon-Santiago (2004) Roncesvalles-Leon (2006) Camino Frances (2012) Kumano Kodo-Japan (2014) Camino Sanabres/Salamanca-Santiago (March 2015) Camino Del Salvador and Camino Primativo (Oct 2015)

• Jun 12, 2015

• #3

I walked the VdlP from Salamanca in March and had no problem with my ATM card which does not have a chip. MechEngr69 gives good advice on stocking up in the larger cities...I got down to 15 € once when I forgot to check the size of villages. This shouldn't be a problem on the CF. Have a wonderful camino!

 

MTtoCamino

Veteran Member

Time of past OR future Camino

Francis SJPdP to Finnestere April(2014)

• Jun 12, 2015

• #4

I had a chip, & every single atm worked, when your walking this far do you want to go searching? If you can get a chipped card do it. (Hopefully you will have another card just for backup) every machine I used sucked the entire card in, so best be prepared if it doesn't come out again.
Buen Camino!

 

newfydog

Veteran Member

Time of past OR future Camino

Pamplona-Santiago, Le Puy- Santiago, Prague- LePuy, Menton- Toulouse, Menton- Rome, Canterbury- Lausanne, Chemin Stevenson, Voie de Vezelay

• Jun 12, 2015

• #5

No

 

fjvjess

Member

Time of past OR future Camino

June/July 2015

• Jun 12, 2015

• #6

MTtoCamino said:

I had a chip, & every single atm worked, when your walking this far do you want to go searching? If you can get a chipped card do it. (Hopefully you will have another card just for backup) every machine I used sucked the entire card in, so best be prepared if it doesn't come out again.
Buen Camino!

Click to expand...

Every machine?! Oh my. Were you able to retrieve it each time?

 

MTtoCamino

Veteran Member

Time of past OR future Camino

Francis SJPdP to Finnestere April(2014)

• Jun 12, 2015

• #7

fjvjess said:

Every machine?! Oh my. Were you able to retrieve it each time?

Click to expand...

Not 1 problem, Just go & enjoy it! Any issues will simply work out.

 

Scott Sweeney

Veteran Member

• Jun 12, 2015

• #8

It is always a mild rush of apprehension when you place your card in the atm's. I've never had an issue but the "what if" always gives me goosebumps. Had a Wells Fargo machine shred my card once because I didn't remove my card quick enough. ha
The chip seemed to making purchasing a little easier but don't worry.

 

waveprof

Enthusiast

Time of past OR future Camino

May-June 2013, Camino Frances

• Jun 12, 2015

• #9

The chips are quickly becoming standard in Europe. Spain isn't there yet. Not having one will only cause problems in random spots. Give it just one or two years......

 

t2andreo

Veteran Member

Donating Member

Time of past OR future Camino

2013 - 2018 , Pilgrim Office volunteer 2014 - 2022

• Jun 12, 2015

• #10

Ask your home bank or credit union if they offer a chipped Debit Card or ATM card. Also ask if they have a pre-paid chipped debit card.

I have both the mag-stripe only debit and credit cards, and a separate chipped prepaid Visa debit card issued by my credit union. I use the mag-stripe card as my default and revert to the prepaid card only in emergencies, like if my regular ATM card does not work.

Generally, the ATMs in larger towns and cities should work with mag stripe cards as they receive more tourist business. The key thing is to ensure that your debit / ATM card has a FOUR NUMBER PIN. Only that is acceptable. if you do everything I suggest in this post, then the particular machine is being finicky. Move to another bank down the street and try it again.

Finally, another thing many people simply forget to do before they leave for the Camino is to notify their bank and / or card servicing office that they (and their debit, ATM and credit cards) will be in (Country) from (date you land there) to (date you lift off to come home). You do not need precise dates.

In fact, I customarily inform VISA card management services, by phone, that I will be in, say Belgium, France and Spain, from April 24 through June 10. You do not need to say more than that. This means that when you try to make a purchase or use your card in an ATM in one of those countries during that time frame, the computer KNOWS that you told the issuer you would be there during that time period, so the transaction is likely authentic.

BTW - NO ONE uses Travelers Checks anymore. Don't even go there...

I hope this helps.

 

grayland

Veteran Member

Donating Member

Time of past OR future Camino

Yes

• Jun 12, 2015

• #11

Often, the problem with an ATM card not being accepted at certain machines in Europe (Spain) is simply that your card bank is not on the same linked network group as the ATM bank. Usually you can see the networks on the back of your card and on the machine.

There are several banks in Spain that are closed to just their own cards.
There are a few that have a restrictive system. You card will not work in these.
It has nothing to do with chips.
As of now...chips are not required in ATM machines

 

Last edited: Jun 13, 2015

tominrm

Active Member

Time of past OR future Camino

2022

• Jun 12, 2015

• #12

Don't worry about the chip. My debit card does not have one, and it worked every time.

 

jmcarp

Veteran Member

Time of past OR future Camino

Camino Frances, 2013
Camino del Norte a Chimayó (USA), 2015
Camino Portugues, 2017

• Jun 12, 2015

• #13

We had no problem on the CF with a magnetic strip ATM card, but you do need a 4-digit PIN number. We only had one problem with our ATM card (in Portomarin), but we just walked down the street to another ATM machine and it worked fine. I don't know if it the lack of a chip or simply that that particular machine did not accept the ATM network that my card uses. In any event, try to get more cash when you get down to reserve of €100 or so.

 

november_moon

Veteran Member

• Jun 12, 2015

• #14

No problem using a card with magnetic stripe and no PIN in ATMs in Spain (or elsewhere in Europe). It's totally fine. The machines read both types of cards. That's not to say that every ATM will work - some malfunction, some are just out of cash - most don't tell you what's wrong, just that the transaction can't be processed.

The only time magnetic stripe, no chip cards (credit or debit) are really a problem in Europe is when you want to buy something at a kiosk - such as train tickets from an unmanned machine. If a person is processing the transaction, then they can handle magnetic stripe cards. You might have to remind them that they need to swipe the card, but they can do it.