Hello,
I am not illegal. I stay here for the max allowed by Schengen passport law and then leave each time. I stay out beyond the amount required to stay out before I return each time. My BF is a Dutch native and we have been together for about 2 years. He comes to visit me and sometime we meet outside of both, in UK for instance when outside of allotted time to visit Schengen. In a nutshell, we live together in NL for about 5.5 months a year. The rest of my time is spent in USA and traveling to other non Schengen places to meet up with my BF. We are very much in love. I don't come here for advice about IND and the rules, I am quite aware of all of them and my BF has an appt with them soon to discuss further. I come here for expat interaction. I am from USA and looking at moving for good at some future point to NL. I have studied Dutch for over a year or so, but stink at it, I do need to by the next Rosetta Stone, but will admit to giving up for now. My biggest challenge I have met here is merchants that are Maestro/Master Card merchants that now refuse to take my American Master Cards since they don't have pins/chips. I have called my Card companies and they all say that any vendor is still required to take them, but guess what, they give a darn over here about that. That cause a huge problem with my ability to budget my cash flow versus my credit lines and they tend to be quite rude about it while doing so. Aside from an angry tweet and considering reporting them to MasterCard, what can I do? And yes, they carry they MasterCard logo in their windows and yet deny my MasterCard. Urrrrrrgh.
My Intro
I would consider getting the appropriate card that the merchants require.
There is a lot of credit card fraud in Europe so I guess they are trying to minimize this.
You should look into debit cards when in USA next.
You should be able to pre load them then top them up from your MasterCard account.
Just be sure to check that businesses will accept debit cards.
its like that here in netherland, we have they same problem !!! we always take money cash and payed cash everytime and now i have already ING bank but for emergency only!
These merchants won't take any American cards. I have 2 debit cards with Pins, several Mastercards without Chip and 3 cards with Chips. They want the PIn/Chip cards used in EU. USA Banks offer some cards with chips in them none with both yet, I got the Chip cards in 3 of my cards this time and they don't work in the merchant terminals either. I I think it is sad when you have been going to the same vendor for 2 years and now after accepting and getting paid a few grand from me, they won't take my cards anymore. The customer service aspect of it sucks, there is obviously no credit card fraud from someone who has been frequently your establishment for years. I just take my business to their competitors who do take my card. Most of the time now, we drive the extra 15 minutes to Rotterdam and they still take them. It is frustrating to say the least. Until I can completely close the distance I don't want a Dutch bank account due to tax laws about foreign accounts and my taxes being so complicated already with my US business. I will be continuing to call and complain to my card companies and hope they start offering cards that will work in the EU Pin/ Chip terminals.
Long and short of it. Dutch companies that don't take em, are no longer getting our business. He is boycotting the two that were rude to me about it while doing so too. I think it is sad the smaller cities are doing this, imo they should be benefiting from additional monies while the larger cities that are already making plenty of tourist dollars are still taking them.
Hi there, I do recognize some of the problems!
The banking rules are being tightened in the EU.
Some for the better some for the worst............
I firmly believe that the merchants also are victims of these rules. I mean, what kind of merchant would not accept money? Maybe the one that went out of business........ :-)
I pay cash now almost everywhere....... That will teach 'em.......... 
Ciao
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