Chip and Pin in America?

Louisa_Jane_2

I'm off to New York two weeks today , and was wondering if you still sign using credit cards or have they gone over to chip and pin ?

jenniferpa

Nope, we're still signing for credit cards (and normally not checking that the signature matches - very odd).

Jennifer

alison74

You still sign on paper for some places, but a lot of the shops make you sign with a plastic pen onto a screen and it is so hard to try and make it your signature.

As the previous poster said, no one checks anyway.

I don't understand why they went to the expense of these screens at the checkout when they don't really prevent fraud, when they could have done a chip and pin version ?!!?

tipsychick

When I was in New York in 2003 they were definitely using chip and pin for debit cards and I think credit cards. I hadn't even heard of it at stage! They did let you sign instead though.

jenniferpa

alison74 wrote:

You still sign on paper for some places, but a lot of the shops make you sign with a plastic pen onto a screen and it is so hard to try and make it your signature.

As the previous poster said, no one checks anyway.

I don't understand why they went to the expense of these screens at the checkout when they don't really prevent fraud, when they could have done a chip and pin version ?!!?

Because most/many americans have real difficulty with technological issues. Do you know there are still some states (New Jersey comes to mind) where you're not allowed to pump your own gas for fear you might blow yourself up? American's generally know 1 number (their social security number) and that's it. I would say for the general population fraud is pretty low on their radar. After all, if your card is stolen or cloned your credit card issuer will refund those charges so until the credit card companies push this retailers won't. The retailers are covered if they obtain an authorization code and they're not likely to do anything to tick off their customers.

Jennifer (In sunny Western Pennsylvania)

jenniferpa

Debit cards have a pin yes, but not credit cards. I don't know whether you can use a U.K. debit card and use a pin, or whether it has to be processed as a credit sale.

ginger_nuts

I am just back from New York with my Narionwide credit & debit cards ( thanks Martin )
They either sign a plastic screen or paper .I was always handed my card back Before I signed .Only once was I asked for photo Id and that was in Virgin Mega Store .

Finishrich

Asking for photo ID seem to be a common thing when paying with a credit card.

Louisa_Jane_2

Thanks everyone for your replies!