Credit cards with chips aren't completely secure

[sunshinehighway]

My credit card purchases last week were all swipe and sign. I don't have a pin or a chip on my credit card.
My only debit card transactions were at ATMs and those of course asked for a pin.
My daughter's classmate only had issues over the past year with her chip credit card. But not everywhere. She did have a pin for it, and it was 4 digits since the European system isn't set up for more than 4 digit pins.

Whether your swipe card worked in Europe or not has nothing to do with your earlier statements about smart chip cards not working in Europe. Numerous posters, some of whom live in Europe, have explained to you that chip cards are standard in Europe. Stores there are required to have chip readers. The fact that stores there can also accept swipe cards doesn't make your earlier statements true.

 

[Domo]

The big problem, IMO, is in contact-less cards. They're the new thing over here. For things up to £25 I can swipe my Barclaycard across a reader - no magnetic strip, no chip, no signature, no pin. The big problem is that sometimes you end up accidentally paying for someone else's stuff or your card is spiked by a guy with a reader whilst your card remains in your pocket...

 

[tvguy]

Whether your swipe card worked in Europe or not has nothing to do with your earlier statements about smart chip cards not working in Europe. Numerous posters, some of whom live in Europe, have explained to you that chip cards are standard in Europe. Stores there are required to have chip readers. The fact that stores there can also accept swipe cards doesn't make your earlier statements true.

I was told my daughter's friend had issues. She did. I was there last week. The merchants said there HAVE been issues with chip cards, but my conversations last week seem to indicate the issue is the card readers not the cards.
I'm not going to go through this entire thread, but I sure never intended to say they don't work.
What I intended to say was:
1) There HAVE been issues. Which is true
2) That U.S. banks recommend taking a magnetic strip card. Which is true.
3) That the Study abroad program recommeded strip cards. Which is true.
(And might add for those going overseas for the 2014-2015 school year that is still the recommendation)

 

[sunshinehighway]

I was told my daughter's friend had issues. She did. I was there last week. The merchants said there HAVE been issues with chip cards, but my conversations last week seem to indicate the issue is the card readers not the cards.
I'm not going to go through this entire thread, but I sure never intended to say they don't work.
What I intended to say was:
1) There HAVE been issues. Which is true
2) That U.S. banks recommend taking a magnetic strip card. Which is true.
3) That the Study abroad program recommeded strip cards. Which is true.
(And might add for those going overseas for the 2014-2015 school year that is still the recommendation)

You repeatedly said they don't work. You said merchants don't have chip readers. You fail to understand that chip cards also have magnetic strip so they can be used either way. Banks recommend cards with smart chips for overseas travel.

It's OK. You had bad information. It happens to everyone.

 

[joanne7891]

I live in the uk and I only use my chip and pin in shops. For the most part I don't carry cash. The only problems I have would be trying to use my American Express card in a smaller shop (there is a higher fee or something for the shop to pay to accept these) or some middle of no where shop that might only accept cash. Contactless is getting more popular but not everywhere has it yet.

I had to use chip and pin in walmart last week. Also it always puzzles me when they hand your card back then get your signature.. They don't even check it's correct.

 

[tvguy]

You repeatedly said they don't work. You said merchants don't have chip readers. You fail to understand that chip cards also have magnetic strip so they can be used either way. Banks recommend cards with smart chips for overseas travel.

It's OK. You had bad information. It happens to everyone.

Okay, I have gone back through this entire thread.

I said (and only ONE time) in response to a question"

[I]Merchants don't have the chip reading machines. Now, some will manually enter the card number, but some clerks don't know how to do this.[/I]

Maybe I should have been clearer. After being there last week, maybe it should have been "don't have WORKING chip readers".

So, let's move on. My information was correct. That is my job so being accused of misinformation is a sensitive issue with me.

 

[Unas]