We are an independent publisher. Our reporters create honest, accurate, and objective content to help you make decisions. To support our work, we are paid for providing advertising services. Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Next” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. The compensation we receive and other factors, such as your location, may impact what ads and links appear on our site, and how, where, and in what order ads and links appear. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, our site does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We strive to keep our information accurate and up-to-date, but some information may not be current. So, your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms on this site. And the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.

This page may include: credit card ads that we may be paid for (“advertiser listing”); and general information about credit card products (“editorial content”). Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Apply Now” button or “Learn More” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. When you click on that hyperlink or button, you may be directed to the credit card issuer’s website where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer. Each advertiser is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its ad offer details, but we attempt to verify those offer details. We have partnerships with advertisers such as Brex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo and Discover. We also include editorial content to educate consumers about financial products and services. Some of that content may also contain ads, including links to advertisers’ sites, and we may be paid on those ads or links.

For more information, please see How we make money.

Why You Need a Chip-and-PIN Credit Card to Get Gas in Iceland

  • Million Mile Secrets

    • Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Here’s our full advertising policy: How we make money.

    Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.

    During my recent trip to Iceland, there were a couple of times I was glad to have a credit card that had chip-and-PIN capability.  Especially at gas stations!

    Don’t Get Stuck Without a Chip-and-PIN Capable Card at Unattended Gas Stations!

    I’ll share my experience about which cards I used in Iceland.  And helpful tips so you don’t get stuck without gas!

    A Trip to the Land of Fire and Ice Index:

    Some Gas Stations Require a Chip-and-PIN Capable Card

    Link:   Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard

    Link:   Chase Sapphire Preferred

    Link:   Chase British Airways Visa

    There were a couple of times while in Iceland that I was glad I had a chip-and-signature credit card that was able to default to Chip-and-PIN!

    Cards such as the Barclaycard Arrival Plus, Chase Sapphire Preferred, and British Airways Visa are Chip-and-Signature.  But I was able to use my Arrival Plus at unattended kiosks because it defaulted to being a chip-and-PIN card when that was the only option.

    Note:  The only true Chip-and-PIN cards available in the US are listed here and none are the travel rewards cards we usually use.

    So, US Chip-and-PIN cards are really Chip-and-Signature cards that can handle PIN-based transactions.  This means if your transaction can be completed with a signature, it will go through as a chip-and-signature purchase.

    But if you can NOT sign for a transaction (like at an unattended gas station in rural Iceland!) the transaction will process as a Chip-and-PIN purchase.

    Not all cards, with a chip, issued by American banks are Chip-and-PIN compliant.  Most are Chip-and-Signature cards.

    Iceland Is Gorgeous! Make Sure You Have Enough Gas to Explore It All

    In Iceland, some gas stations in rural areas are completely unattended.  And others are left alone after closing hours.  You can still get gas, but NOT if you have the wrong card.

    If you don’t have a Chip-and-PIN card (or a Chip-and-Signature card which will default to a Chip-and-PIN mode if you can’t sign for the transaction) or a prepaid debit card, you will NOT be able to get gas.

    The Best Cards to Use

    Barclays

    I used my Barclaycard Arrival Plus many times during the trip.  It was the best card because it worked every time.  What a lifesaver!

    And it earns 2X Barclays Arrival miles on every purchase.  It also has NO foreign transaction fees, which makes it a great card to travel with overseas.

    American Express

    NONE of my AMEX cards worked at the gas stations in Iceland because they only have chip-and-signature technology.  So they can’t handle transactions that require a PIN.

    Chase

    Something funny happened.  I found I could use my Chase Sapphire Preferred with ANY random 4-digit combination!  But I would not recommend that folks rely on this.

    There are reports that the Chase British Airways Visa now comes with chip-and-PIN technology.  You may have to request a new card if you’ve had it for a while, and Chase will send you 1 with a chip.

    Again, these cards are primarily Chip-and-Signature.  But in my experience in Iceland, I found that the Arrival Plus and Chase Sapphire Preferred both defaulted to Chip-and-PIN when necessary.

    How to Set a PIN Online for the Barclaycard Arrival Plus

    To set a PIN on the Barclaycard Arrival Plus, call the number on the back of your card.  Or you can set it on the online banking website.

    After you log-in, click on “Account settings.”

    You Can Set a PIN on Your Barclaycard Arrival Plus in the “Account Settings” Section

    Scroll down almost to the bottom of the page.  Look for a section that says “Manage your PIN.”

    Click “Change Your PIN” and Set It to a New Number

    Then click “Change your PIN” to set a new number.

    Buy Prepaid Gas Cards Instead

    If you don’t have a Chip-and-PIN card but need to buy gas, there’s a way around it.

    You can buy prepaid gas cards during business hours and use them when you’re in other parts of the country.

    Iceland Has Mountains in the Distance, but Maybe Not a Gas Station. Fill Up When You Pass 1!

    The biggest gas station chains in Iceland are N1 and Olis.  So if you buy a gas card to either, top off your tank whenever you pass a pump.  Especially if you are planning to drive to rural areas.

    Other Places You’ll Need a Chip-and-PIN Card

    These tips don’t apply to just Iceland.  There are many parts of the world where you’ll need a chip-and-PIN credit card to purchase gas.

    You might also need a Chip-and-PIN card at:

    Besides Rural Icelandic Gas Stations, Lots of Other Places Will Require Chip-and-PIN Cards

    For example, if you want to take the train into Paris from the airport, you’ll need a chip-and-PIN card.  The same is true for buying metro tickets in other European cities.

    Of course you can always pay cash in those situations.

    But if you have a Chip-and-PIN card, you won’t have to carry cash.  And you can earn miles and points!

    Bottom Line

    I’m glad I had a chip-and-PIN capable card with me on my trip to Iceland!

    Cards such as Barclaycard Arrival Plus are actually chip-and-signature.  But they’ll automatically switch to chip-and-PIN at machines without human attendants, such as at unattended gas pumps in Iceland!

    There are other places that will only accept chip-and-PIN cards, like train ticket machines and toll booths.

    One trick is to buy prepaid gas cards and fill up your tank whenever you pass a gas station that will accept it.

    But I prefer using my card to earn extra miles and points when I travel abroad.

    Have you been in a situation where you had to use a chip-and-PIN capable card?

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)