4 Options for Chip-and-PIN Credit Cards in the U.S.

For decades, credit cards carried their data on a magnetic strip on the card’s back. Unfortunately, counterfeiting was fairly easy with magnetic stripe cards, so credit cards weren’t very secure.

Today, most credit cards come embedded with Europay, MasterCard, and Visa (EMV) microchips, which contain encrypted data that makes chip cards much more secure. 

Though cards typically have EMV chip technology, there's a key difference between how most U.S. credit cards work vs. how credit cards work abroad. In the U.S., retailers generally verify the cardholder’s identity by matching up the signature on the back of the credit card with a receipt at checkout.

However, most cards issued abroad don’t rely on signatures — instead, cardholders have to enter a PIN, or personal identification number, when they pay — similar to what you'd experience with a debit card. These are known as chip-and-PIN credit cards.

Why chip-and-PIN cards aren't common in the U.S.

EMV chip-and-PIN cards aren’t common in the U.S. for a few reasons:

• Consumers are used to signing a sales slip when using a credit card, and entering a PIN could be a hassle.
• Credit card issuers don’t want to deter customers from paying with their cards by forcing them to enter a PIN. 
• It’s not cost-effective for card issuers to issue cards with PINs to millions of customers.

Though these EMV cards aren’t that common, certain card issuers do offer them. Some offer PIN-priority cards, which means the default when you make a transaction with the card is to enter a PIN. Others offer PIN-capable cards, which means you can request a PIN and complete credit card transactions with a PIN, but the default when you put your card into a chip reader is to require a signature.

Suppose you’ll be traveling abroad, especially to Europe. In that case, you’ll likely want a card with PIN capability because self-payment terminals and credit card processing kiosks in foreign countries might not work otherwise.

4 chip-and-PIN cards you can get in the U.S.

If you want to make sure you’re able to use your card in countries where chip-and-PIN technology is the norm, here are five cards you can get in the U.S. with chip-and-PIN functionality.

• The Platinum Card^® from American Express
• AAdvantage^® Aviator^® Red World Elite Mastercard^®
• Navy Federal Visa Signature^® Flagship Rewards Card
  
• PenFed Power Cash Rewards Visa Signature^® Card

Card	Do you have to request a PIN?	Annual fee	Best for...
The Platinum Card® from American Express	Yes	$695 Terms apply	Travelers who enjoy luxury travel perks like complimentary airport lounge access (select benefits require enrollment)
Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard	No	$99	Frequent American Airlines travelers who can use free checked bags and discounted inflight purchases
Navy Federal Credit Union Visa Signature Flagship	Yes	$49	Navy Federal Credit Union members seeking an affordable travel rewards card with a low annual fee
PenFed Power Cash Rewards Card	No	$0	PenFed members interested in earning generous rewards with a no-annual-fee card

The Platinum Card by American Express

• Annual fee: $695
• Welcome offer: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 6 months
• Rewards rate: 5X points per dollar spent on eligible airfare (on up to $500,000 per calendar year, after that 1X) and eligible hotel purchases, and 1X points per dollar on all other eligible purchases

If you're a frequent traveler who enjoys top-notch travel perks, the Platinum Card by American Express may be a good option for you. While this card does come with a hefty $695 annual fee, the perks outweigh the cost in many cases. 

Each year, cardholders receive up to $200 in Uber credits for U.S. rides, $100 statement credit for Saks Fifth Avenue purchases, and up to $100 in hotel credits on qualifying charges at select hotels. The credits alone can help offset the annual fee, but frequent travelers can also benefit from earning up to 5X points per dollar spent on eligible purchases. Select benefits require enrollment.

Other perks and benefits of the Amex Platinum Card include:

• Complimentary access to airport lounges
• Statement credit for either a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• Uber VIP status
• Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors
• Select benefits require enrollment

Read more about this card's benefits in our Amex Platinum review.

Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard

• Annual fee: $99
• Welcome offer: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you make your first purchase in the first 90 days
• Rewards rate: 2X miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases, and 1X mile per dollar spent on all other purchases

If you’re a frequent traveler on American Airlines, the Barclaycard AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard may be a great choice for you. Not only will you earn extra bonus miles when you shop with American Airlines, but you’ll also get a 25% savings in the form of a statement credit on all inflight purchases of food and beverages on American Airlines-operated flights.

While the card has a $99 annual fee, it also comes with some generous features that make it worth your while if you travel often. Other perks and benefits of the card include:

• Free checked bag on American Airlines flights
• Up to $25 in statement credits per year for spending on WiFi on American Airlines flights
• 25% inflight savings in the form of a statement credit when you buy food or beverages on American flights
• Companion certificate good for $99 worth of travel for a guest after you make your first purchase on the card within 90 days and pay the annual fee.
• Companion certificate good for $99 worth of travel for a guest provided each year if your account is still open 45 days after your anniversary date and you’ve spent at least $20,000 on purchases
• Travel accident insurance, baggage delay insurance, car rental insurance (secondary coverage), trip cancellation and interruption insurance; and 24/7 travel assistance services
• 0% on balance transfers for 15 billing cycles (on balance transfers that post within 45 days of account opening), then 20.74%, 24.74% or 29.74% (variable).

Navy Federal Credit Union Visa Signature Flagship

• Annual fee: $49
• Welcome offer: Earn 40,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 90 days
• Rewards rate: 3X points on travel and 2X points on all other purchases

If you’re eligible to be a Navy Federal Credit Union member, the Visa Signature Flagship Card is a great travel rewards credit card. It has a $49, which is less than the annual fees charged on many other travel cards. The fee can be worth paying because of the advantages the card provides.

Some of the perks and benefits of the Navy Federal Credit Union Visa Signature Flagship include:

• Up to a $100 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years
• No balance transfer fee, foreign transaction fee, or cash advance fee
• Worldwide Automatic Travel Accident Insurance
• Cell phone protection
• Extended warranty service
• Travel and emergency assistance

PenFed Power Cash Rewards Card

• Annual fee: $0
• Welcome offer: $100 bonus after spending $1,500 in the first 90 days
• Rewards rate: 2% cash back on all purchases for PenFed Honors Advantage Members; 1.5% cash back on all purchases for other cardmembers

The PenFed Power Cash Rewards Card offers a reasonable annual bonus and a generous rewards rate for a card with no annual fee. Cash back gives you the chance to use your rewards to save on everyday purchases, and if you use your card abroad, there’s no foreign transaction fee to worry about.

You may also qualify for PenFed Honors Advantage to earn bonus rewards if you have an Access American Checking Account or prior military service.

What are chip-and-signature cards?

Chip-and-signature cards are more common in the U.S. These credit cards have EMV microchips and require your signature instead of a PIN to verify purchases. The verification is done by matching the signature on the back of your card with your signature on a credit card receipt. 

Apart from the difference in the verification process, both chip-and-PIN and chip-and-signature cards provide a similar level of security with EMV chips and are typically accepted widely. However, some might argue that chip-and-PIN cards are more secure because you need to enter a PIN to make a purchase.

Here are a few popular chip-and-signature travel cards:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred
• Chase Sapphire Reserve
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
• World of Hyatt Credit Card
• Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

FAQs

Bottom line

Each of these chip-and-PIN cards has its own unique perks and benefits, so just about anyone who travels abroad regularly can compare credit cards and find one that works for them. Just remember to confirm you know your PIN before departing so you can complete transactions with merchants that require you to enter this number for added security.