Credit card use in Sweden

I have a Capital One Venture card which is a chip and signature Visa card. Prior to leaving for Sweden I set up a PIN. I have been in Linköping for three weeks and using this card for most transactions. Stores take the card but require a signature along with another ID such as drivers license and an ID number. Each time this has caused confusion because Washington state drivers license contains letters which are unacceptable in ID numbers in the Swedish transaction system. Some stores figure something out and we are allowed to complete the transaction but on some occasions my son has had to pay using his Swedish personnummber . Some stores use DOB as an additional ID number to enter into their system and it has worked, but most stores don’t know how or where to enter that info. Not once has the option to use a PIN been offered. Entering a PIN does not come up on the credit card machine either. I have told clerks that I have a PIN and no one knows how to get it entered into the system since my card evidently shows up as needing a signature. Today we just had to leave our purchases as the check out person could not figure out how to enter an acceptable ID number from my drivers license. Stores here do not take cash. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what ID number can be used along with an American Visa card in Sweden? Or know of a true chip and pin credit card that will work easily in Sweden? This is getting frustrating and a little embarrassing as we hold up lines in grocery stores.

Stores here do not take cash.

Some don't but others do. Having a bit of cash as a back up is probably a good idea. Especially at grocery stores, those usually accept cash.

It sounds like your card was set up to prioritize the signature over the PIN. Can you contact the card issuer and have them change it to PIN priority?

I think this is a holdover from the US practice of signing for everything.

Just taking a stab at this, but do vendors there take Apple Pay via your iphone or apple watch if you have one? I found widespread acceptance of it on my last trip to France and Germany, even though every time I asked, they said they weren't sure it would work, but if they have those contactless payment readers, chances are good they can accept apple pay or one of the other pay systems (google, etc).

Thanks for suggestions. We will contact credit card company and see if they can change priority to PIN priority. Also will check into Apple Pay.