# Europe Forum > Travelling & Living in Europe >  Paying with cash or plastic while travelling

## DeLorian

Hi! What's your point of view: paying with cash or plastic while travelling? I feel that cash creates more mess and is more awkward to deal with than a card

----------


## Maciamo

Why would anyone prefer cash? Cards are more convenient and safer.

----------


## Jovialis

On top of that, some banks offer points now for purchases, which can be used as money. Particularly, for travel related purchases, like flights and hotels. As long as one pays the full monthly balance at the end of the month to avoid interest, it is all gain for the consumer.

----------


## Maciamo

Some credit cards also offer a 2-year extended warranty on purchases, free insurance on car rentals, travel insurance, damage insurance on deliveries, etc.

----------


## nordicwarrior

Now you know where I'm going to be on this issue...

I don't own a single credit card. 

In fact, I had a debit card for years and years but a few years ago the bank sent me a note saying they needed to send me another one... "there's no problem or anything, we need to send you a fresh card". Well the new card had a RFID chip embedded in it. I ripped it up and requested another without the chip.

"Okay no issues... the new card is on the way and it will be like the old kind," they said. Received a new one in the mail... had the chip. Rinse and repeat. Five times... all with the embedded chip.

I now pay with only cash or check. The bank used to make a big ruckus about my lack of card when I went inside... so I would patiently explain my anti-chip position each time. Other nearby customers inevitably seemed very interested in this topic. Very interested. 

The bank must have noted my account because it's not brought up anymore (probably because other customers started doing their own research on RFID technology).

----------


## Maciamo

> Now you know where I'm going to be on this issue...
> 
> I don't own a single credit card. 
> 
> In fact, I had a debit card for years and years but a few years ago the bank sent me a note saying they needed to send me another one... "there's no problem or anything, we need to send you a fresh card". Well the new card had a RFID chip embedded in it. I ripped it up and requested another without the chip.
> 
> "Okay no issues... the new card is on the way and it will be like the old kind," they said. Received a new one in the mail... had the chip. Rinse and repeat. Five times... all with the embedded chip.
> 
> I now pay with only cash or check. The bank used to make a big ruckus about my lack of card when I went inside... so I would patiently explain my anti-chip position each time. Other nearby customers inevitably seemed very interested in this topic. Very interested. 
> ...


No, I did not see that one coming and I have no idea why you have a problem with chips on credit cards. They actually increase the security of the card, so it's a good thing. Chips allow:

- pin codes for payments (not just ATM withdrawals)
- required physical presence to prevent card-not-present (CNP) transactions, the most common type of fraud.
- geoblocking (for instance most European banks block payments from the USA by default because the US has the highest percentage of card frauds in the world)

Since January 2005 in the EU and October 2015 in the USA merchants are liable for any fraud that results from transactions on systems that are not EMV-capable. All credit cards issued in the last 15 years in Europe have been equipped with an EMV chip and frauds have significantly decreased as a consequence.

By the way, AFAIK chip credit cards do not use RFID (radio frequency) but EMV. Contactless cards also do not RFID but NFC (Near-field communication) technology, which, as its name implies, only works at short distance (4 cm, i.e. less than 2 inches).

----------


## nordicwarrior

> No, I did not see that one coming and I have no idea why you have a problem with chips on credit cards. They actually increase the security of the card, so it's a good thing. Chips allow:
> 
> - pin codes for payments (not just ATM withdrawals)
> - required physical presence to prevent card-not-present (CNP) transactions, the most common type of fraud.
> - geoblocking (for instance most European banks block payments from the USA by default because the US has the highest percentage of card frauds in the world)
> 
> Since January 2005 in the EU and October 2015 in the USA merchants are liable for any fraud that results from transactions on systems that are not EMV-capable. All credit cards issued in the last 15 years in Europe have been equipped with an EMV chip and frauds have significantly decreased as a consequence.
> 
> By the way, AFAIK chip credit cards do not use RFID (radio frequency) but EMV. Contactless cards also do not RFID but NFC (Near-field communication) technology, which, as its name implies, only works at short distance (4 cm, i.e. less than 2 inches).


Boy did I get a chuckle out of that. 

We have two completely different vantage points, but that's O.K.

By the way Maciamo, thanks for the negative comment... it took me into regular status even though my thumbs up from "normal" contributors certainly outweigh my down votes. Guess it depends on who is giving the negative vote. It's your site though so I really can't complain.

Let's start another thread and talk about how great it is the cell phone companies trace all our movements in real time. It keeps us nice and secure because Big Brother knows where we are at all times. 

Safety first...

----------


## Maciamo

> Boy did I get a chuckle out of that. 
> 
> We have two completely different vantage points, but that's O.K.


Could you at least explain your point of view? Why don't you like chip cards?

----------


## Salento

Maybe, sometimes, people don't want Big Brother or someone to know where they hang their hat :) and what they buy.

to prevent criminal from scanning their CC chip, many carry in their wallet a RFID & NFC Blocking Card, ... I do ...

----------


## Northener

> Why would anyone prefer cash? Cards are more convenient and safer.


Agree, I don't have cash in my pocket any longer, for a I guess already ten years or so. I mostly pay by debit card (so simple!), but I see more and more people paying by their cell phones.

But in countries like France and Germany cash is still more usual, I talkes with a shopkeeper in Hamburg about it, most people there don't trust 'virtual money'.

----------


## Salento

> Agree, I don't have cash in my pocket any longer, for a I guess already ten years or so. I mostly pay per debit card (so simple!), but I see more and more people paying by their cell phones.
> 
> But in countries like France and Germany cash is still more usual, I talkes with a shopkeeper in Hamburg about it, most people there don't trust 'virtual money'.


After a damaging Storm:

... if you were my neighbor and you didn't have any cash, 
you would have been at my mercy  :Grin: 
I would have probably helped you, ... or maybe not :)

----------


## Northener

> After a damaging Storm,
> 
> ... if you were my neighbor and you didn't have any cash, 
> you would have been at my mercy 
> I would have probably helped you, ... or maybe not :)


my neigbors lent me the money without mercy..... :Grin: 

but seriously in the shops the ones who pay with cash are seldom.

----------


## Maciamo

I don't use cash either. I have had a debit card since I was 12 years old and never understood why people would prefer to fiddle with banknotes and coins and risk losing them. Nordic countries, the Benelux, France and the UK are countries where card payments are far more common than cash payments.

----------


## Salento

... I usually pay with a debit card, though I must always carry some cash (and a watch on my wrist), otherwise, I feel like something's missing.

----------


## Maciamo

> ... I usually pay with a debit card, though I must always carry some cash (and a watch on my wrist), otherwise, I feel like something's missing.


I usually carry a bit of cash (like 50€) just in case, but it's extremely rare I need to use it in Belgium, as 99% of places accept card payments (including park meters in the street). One of the things that gets the most on my nerves when travelling to countries such as Germany and Japan, is that so many places don't accept cards. About half of restaurants don't! My rule is that if they don't accept cards they lose me as a customer.

My attitude to shopping in general is that it is preferable to order online whenever possible rather than waste time going to a physical shop (and not knowing whether what I want will be available there). That's why the Covid-19 lockdown didn't change anything for my shopping habits.

----------


## Jovialis

I carry some cash on me too, in case of an emergency. I also keep some hidden in the car. You never know when there could be some wild scenario, where you lose your wallet, and need some funds on hand. But I pay with credit card whenever I can, to take advantage of the points.

@Salento, you should consider switching to credit card as your primary payment method. Because in case of fraud, the bank will more likely be able to reverse the transaction, than with debit. My friend that worked for Chase, gave me that advice a while ago.

I too also still wear a wrist watch, despite the fact I have a clock on my phone. Because it looks nice :)

----------


## nordicwarrior

Why would I give some person or company the opportunity to trace every single transaction I make? Utter foolishness in my opinion.

But if you like the chip, I don't begrudge you using it. Seriously, I understand there are different strokes for different folks. I much prefer cash.

Another consideration... there's a lack of robustness in cards/the chip. This technology is grid dependent. Hard currency is not. No electricity, no problem. No satellite connection, no problem.

Of course there is a religious component that some of you will invariable scoff at, but that a large segment people (here in the of U.S. anyway) do pay heed to. It has to do with buying and selling and how restrictions will be placed on these transactions at some point in the future... I will leave it at that.

----------


## AmondoO

100% better with plastic, but cash is safer

----------

