credit cards
Going abroad: Who offers EMV credit cards?
Highlights
- Traditional magnetic-strip credit cards aren't always accepted overseas.
- Special-chip cards, called EMV cards, are common in more than 80 countries.
- Several U.S. banks and credit unions now offer special-chip cards for travelers.
Credit Cards » Going Abroad: Who Offers EMV Credit Cards?
If you plan to visit another country, your credit card may not work in some stores, restaurants and highway tollbooths, among other places. That's because magnetic-strip cards have been replaced with EMV credit cards, named for developers Europay, MasterCard and Visa, in many countries.
EMV credit and debit cards, which contain a microchip to store and encode information more securely, are used in 80 countries in Europe, Latin America and Asia, according to the Smart Card Alliance, a New Jersey nonprofit that promotes smart card usage.
If you travel abroad often and would like to carry an EMV chip card, check out Bankrate.com's list of banks that offer EMV chip cards to U.S. consumers as of March 2012. If your bank, credit union or credit card company isn't on the list, it could be there in the future.
EMV cards available in the US |
| Major issuer | EMV card name | Card type | PIN? | Annual fee? |
| Andrews Federal Credit Union | GlobeTrek Visa Rewards Card | Rewards credit card | Yes | None |
| Bank of America | Corporate One card | Corporate card | Yes | N/A |
| Bank of America | Corporate Travel card | Corporate card | Yes | N/A |
| Bank of America | Executive One card | Corporate card | Yes | N/A |
| Chase | British Airways Visa Signature credit card | Travel rewards credit card | No | $95 |
| Chase | Hyatt Visa Signature Credit Card | Travel rewards credit card | No | $75 |
| Chase | JPMorgan Select Visa Signature Card | Rewards credit card | No | $95 after first year |
| Chase | JPMorgan Palladium Visa Signature Card | Luxury credit card | No | $595 |
| Citi | Corporate Chip and PIN card | Corporate card | Yes, when merchant can do it | N/A |
| North Carolina State Employees' Credit Union | SECU Visa Check debit card | Debit card | Yes, for debit purchases
No, for credit purchases | None |
| Silicon Valley Bank | World Elite MasterCard for Business card | Corporate card | Yes, only for cash advances | N/A |
| Travelex | Cash Passport prepaid card | Prepaid card | Yes | None, but other fees apply |
| United Nations Federal Credit Union | Visa Elite credit card | Rewards credit card | Yes | $50 |
| U.S. Bank | FlexPerks Travel Rewards Visa credit card | Travel rewards credit card | No | $49 after first year |
| Wells Fargo | Platinum credit card (EMV in pilot phase) | Standard credit card | Yes, when merchant can do it | None |
| Note: PNC provides an EMV version of its corporate travel and purchasing cards. The bank did not provide details. |