Why U.S. Credit Cards May Not Work Abroad

The eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano introduced Jim Burke to the difficulties millions of Americans face when they try to use their credit cards abroad.

Burke stood in line for more than seven hours at an Amsterdam train station in April as he sought passage to Belgium. He watched European travelers, also grounded by the eruption, buy tickets at automated kiosks that accepted microchip-embedded credit cards. Burke's Bank of America (BAC)-issued Visa (V) card, with the standard magnetic stripe on the back, was useless. When the 64-year-old retired economist from Bandon, Ore., returned home, he called Bank of America to ask whether he could get a chip card. The answer disappointed him: "They have basically said, 'Sorry, but you're out of luck.' "