Portugal

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HEALTH PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO PORTUGAL
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Major Change in Credit Cards
Chip and PIN represent a change in the way that credit and debit cards are
used. The program is designed to cut down on the fraudulent use of credit
cards. More and more banks are issuing customers Chip and PIN versions of
their debit or credit cards. In the future, more and more vendors will be asking
for a four-digit personal identification number or PIN, which will be entered
into a keypad near the cash register. In some cases, a waiter will bring a handheld
model to your table to verify your credit card.
Warning: Some establishments in Portugal might not accept your credit
card unless you have a computer chip embedded in it. The reason? To cut down
on credit card fraud. More and more places in Portugal are moving from the
magnetic strip credit card to the new system of “Chip and PIN.”
In the changeover in technology, some retailers have falsely concluded that
they can no longer take swipe cards, or can’t take signature cards that don’t
have PINs anymore.
For the time being both the new and old cards are used in shops, hotels, and
restaurants regardless of whether they have the old credit and debit cards
machines or the new Chip and PIN machines installed. Expect a lot of confusion
before you arrive in Portugal or elsewhere.
In the interim between traditional swipe credit cards and those with an
embedded computer chip, here’s what you can do to protect yourself:
• Get a four-digit PIN from your credit card’s issuing bank before leaving
home.
• Call the number on the back of each card and ask for a four-digit PIN.
• Keep an eye out for the right logo displayed in a retailer’s window. You
want Visa or MasterCard, not Maestro, Visa Electron, or Carte Bleue.
• Know that your Amex card will work where an Amex logo is displayed, but
the card is not as widely accepted as Visa and MasterCard.
• As a last resort, make sure you have enough cash to cover your purchase.
STAYING HEALTHY
Portugal does not offer free medical treatment
to visitors, except for citizens of certain
countries, such as Great Britain,
which have reciprocal health agreements.
Nationals from such countries as Canada
and the United States have to pay for
medical services rendered.
You should encounter few health problems
traveling in Portugal. The tap water is
5 HEALTH
generally safe to drink, the milk is pasteurized,
and health services are good. Occasionally,
the change in diet can cause some
minor diarrhea, so you might want to take
along some antidiarrhea medicine.
Limit your exposure to the sun, especially
during the first few days of your
trip and thereafter from 11am to 2pm.
Use a sunscreen with a high protection
factor and apply it liberally. Remember