Hopefully gas station pumps can continue to ask for a ZIP rather than a PIN. Just a personal preference.
That is really annoying for those who don' t live in the USA so have no zip code. It means two extra trips to the booth to get your credit card read and approved, and then debited with the actual amount of gas used. Almost all other countries use a PIN number (typically 4 digits) to approve credit card purchases done by machine but machines in the USA don't seem to be able to read them. I can't wait for the USA to catch up with the rest of the world.
But I suppose one can't expect any more of the only part of the world not to use International Standard road signs, A4 paper, 00 as the international dialling prefix, 230/240 volt mains, and metric units.
When I visited Australia and bought a local SIM card it took me ages on the phone to register, since I didn't have whatever the Australian equivalent was of an SSN number, and the whole process cost me a lot of time and money, making the SIM-card purchase only marginally worth-while.
Fortunately the UK doesn't (at present) require SIM card registration, so visitors to here shouldn't have that particular problem.
But one thing you will find is that you have to use SQL to get the best out of any relational database, and this involves thinking in a new way - it's basically set-oriented - rather than sequentially row by row. This takes a bit of effort, but can be rewarding, as you will discover new ways of achieving some of the things you want to do.
In Italy is worse than that, if you are a foreign tourist you cannot buy a SIM. Simple as that. To buy one you are required to provide your social security number card. I didn't have mine a few years ago while visiting and I had to return with my mother so that she could purchase it for me on her name.
That is undoubtedly a voiolation of European Union laws because it is discrimination against other EU citizens. But who is going to take it to the EU Court of Justice just to buy a SIM in Italy? Or even raise it with your MEP? It is such a pity that such petty restrictions still exist all over Europe.
"A car is just a big purse on wheels." -- Johanna Reynolds