CHIP CARDS

Thursday I went to lunch with some of the other wives whose husbands are also here working. The subject of bank cards came up. All of our husbands have bank cards with the Bank of Ireland. They were all required to get one when they got here, and luckily there is a branch out at work. However NONE of us wives have a bank card. Why? Because to get one, the bank requires us to have a photo ID (which we have), and a utility bill (which we don't have). We don't have utility bills because our company pays all of our living expenses. We all have Irish Registration cards, which we were required to get so as to be able to get in and out of the country without visa's. (Our husband's all have work visas.) We do have other credit cards, but here in Ireland, they require "chip" cards. Credit cards with tiny micor-chips in them. I have pulled out every credit card I have and they tell me none of them have a chip in them. So they HATE taking my credit cards, because they have to swipe them and ask me for an ID and have me sign the receipt. I have managed to make do with my American Express, Visa, and Master Card, using them all in various places. Unfortunately it screams "American" when I use them. So after talking with all the other frustrated wives, I've decided that we need to do something about this. So I have nominated my husband to be the one to go get this through someone's head that this is just not working. Tune in to a later post on the outcome.