Need ID to use a credit card in Norway?

[BuckeyeMark]

Obviously you never leave the ship w/o proper ID but someone in our group of cruisers is saying they read you have to SHOW that ID to use a credit card. I hadn't read or heard this. Is this so?

[CruiserBruce]

There might be the odd place that requires ID. Assuming you are American,  I would assume they want to see your passport. Some countries require this for checking into hotels, for example. But,overall,  it's rare.

[hallasm]

As a general rule, you do not have to show ID when purchasing with a credit card in Norway.

It is possible that you must show ID when purchasing where a VAT Refund is requested if stores offer 'tax-free shopping'.

[Ergates The Ant]

I’ve never been asked for ID using a credit card in Norway. However, in the past, many American credit cards still had to be swiped and a signature supplied. Asssuming you now have cards that require a PIN, or are contactless, that wouldn’t be necessary now.

[John Bull]

As previous posters have said, ID isn't required for run-of-the-mill purchases

 

JB 🙂

[MeHeartCruising]

I just spent over 2 weeks in Norway (Oslo, Bergen, and then a multitude of smaller towns that were stops for the Havila Coastal Express up to Kirkenes and back down to Bergen).  I used my iPhone's ApplePay contactless for every single purchase -- from a bag of chips up to my hotel bills in size.  I never took my credit card out of my pocket.  My ApplePay is linked to a Well's Fargo credit card with no foreign transaction fees.  It worked flawlessly every time.  No ID was ever asked for by a merchant.  I did get asked for my Passport at 2 hotels when checking in, I think.  I honestly can't recall.  I'm confident that since contactless with the phone worked so well, that using the physical card in the same manner probably would have been fine too.

 

When I arrived in Oslo, I pulled 500 Kroner (about $45) from an ATM just in case I needed it.  I never used it for anything.  I ended up converting it back to US dollars at the airport when I was leaving Oslo.

[hallasm]

15 minutes ago, MeHeartCruising said:

I'm confident that since contactless with the phone worked so well, that using the physical card in the same manner probably would have been fine too.

Yes, I recommend contactless credit cards or ApplePay. Chip will work in many places. Problems can arise with magnetic strips, especially at smaller merchants and vending machines.

[BuckeyeMark]

Thanks everyone - super helpful!

[Morgsmom]

Just returned yesterday.  I NEVER needed to exchange to DKK but I also had an issue using AMEX in a number of places.  Thankfully I also had a Visa a as a backup.

[gnome12]

1 hour ago, Morgsmom said:

Just returned yesterday.  I NEVER needed to exchange to DKK but I also had an issue using AMEX in a number of places.  Thankfully I also had a Visa a as a backup.

Were you in Norway or Denmark? The thread is Norway, but their currency is NOK. DKK is the currency of Denmark. 

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, Morgsmom said:

Just returned yesterday.  I NEVER needed to exchange to DKK but I also had an issue using AMEX in a number of places.  Thankfully I also had a Visa a as a backup.

That is true for a lot of Europe.