If you travel abroad or you plan to travel abroad in the future, then it is time for you to shop for a good Visa or Mastercard credit card that works at the self-service machines/unattended terminals such as train ticket kiosks at some airports and train stations in some countries.

You might ask, “Hey wait a minute, what do you mean. I thought my card already has a chip feature?”

True. Almost all cards issued in the U.S. come with chip technology, but that does not mean those cards will always work outside the U.S. if you use them at the self-service machines/unattended terminals that require a pin. They may not work because most cards issued in the U.S. support the chip and signature technology, which means you have to sign after you make the purchase and those self-service machines/unattended terminals require a pin, not a signature.

Okay, another question you might ask, “What credit cards that support a chip and pin capability?”

There are a few banks in the U.S. that issue credit cards with a chip and pin capability. Barclays Bank and Bank of America are on the top of the list. There are a few other banks as well but for the sake of simplicity, I recommend you stick with the major well-known banks.

Most Barclays credit cards and some Bank of America credit cards support the chip and pin feature, which means you will be able to use them outside the U.S. at those self-service machines/unattended terminals such as train ticket kiosks that require a pin.

There are a few things you must keep in mind regarding those cards that support the chip and pin capability:

• You still need to activate the PIN before traveling outside the U.S. if you have one of those cards. If you have Barclays visa card or any other Barclays credit cards, you have to request a pin online and then use the card at least once at a location with a cashier or attendant and sign after your first transaction goes through. You must do this before you travel outside the U.S. to ensure that you can use your card at any self-service machine/unattended terminals that require a pin. The same applies to Bank of America credit cards if you have one of them.
• Even if you have those cards, you may still need to sign if you use the card outside the U.S. even though those cards support the pin feature. The chip and pin capability is only triggered when the card is used at a location without the presence of a cashier or attendant. For example, when you use the card at the train tickets kiosks. The bank system is smart enough to know that the machine requires a pin and there is no cashier present. However, if the card is used at a location with a cashier or attendant such as a restaurant, shopping mall, or grocery store, you will have to sign the transaction the same way you do in the U.S.