Chip & PIN in USA

EssexExile

What has been your experience of chip & PIN cards in the USA? I keep hearing they are gradually catching up but I've done a bit of reading this morning & they still seem to be dragging their feet & even trying to divert into chip & sig cards.

I've been travelling to the States for decades & have always been amazed at their cavalier attitude to card security. My reading explains that this is because the retailer is not liable if there is fraud, so doesn't bother to take security seriously. Evidently next October the retailers will become liable for any losses if they don't convert to chip & PIN, so they may make some progress then.

InsideInsurance

USA is very variable, or really talking NYC as thats where I spend most my time.

NFC exists and is growing, chip & pin is growing and many places have a stupidly large machine for it but there are many places that still use the old carbon paper and card impressions

No idea what the liability laws are like in the USA for card fraud etc.

Doshwaster

Apart from in a few supermarkets I have hardly ever seen Chip & PIN in the US. In bars and restaurants it is virtually unknown.

Most of the time they don't even check your signature and just give you he card back before asking you to sign the receipt. You could sign "Donald Duck" for all they care.

SW17

Chip and PIN will grow faster in the US this year, as from October 2015 the card issuers are shifting fraud liability to the merchant for any transaction processed via the magnetic strip, if it could have been done via EMV (chip). Nothing like a financial incentive (or disincentive, depending how you look at it).

Doshwaster wrote: »

Most of the time they don't even check your signature and just give you he card back before asking you to sign the receipt. You could sign "Donald Duck" for all they care.

They check if you've added a tip though..;)

steve1500

Only seen once in a blue moon in Orlando

daveyjp

During my wife's last visit to the States they swiped the card and that was it. No signature required.

It causes far more problems when her US staff visit the UK with no chip and pin cards.

phatbear

Doshwaster wrote: »

Most of the time they don't even check your signature and just give you he card back before asking you to sign the receipt. You could sign "Donald Duck" for all they care.

everytime ive bene to macys in NY the staff usually swipe the card and then lean over and sign the electronic signature pad themselves.

On my many trips to the states ive never seen chip and pin in action

Doshwaster

phatbear wrote: »

everytime ive bene to macys in NY the staff usually swipe the card and then lean over and sign the electronic signature pad themselves.

On my many trips to the states ive never seen chip and pin in action

I've seen it in some supermarkets (Whole Foods and Trader Joes, I think) but ask about Chip & PIN in a restaurant and you'll get a blank look.

Most people I know in the US don't even bother signing their debit/credit cards since you aren't asked for a signature (and when they are they use their driving licence) and I've started to do the same here since we have Chip & PIN and rarely have to sign a receipt. Also, if someone finds your card then they immediately have a piece of plastic with your signature on it.

InsideInsurance

Doshwaster wrote: »

Also, if someone finds your card then they immediately have a piece of plastic with your signature on it.

On the flip side, dont sign it and they have a blank card they can sign themselves after damaging the chip so C&P isnt used.

Of course even here they werent good at checking, even had a card with my photo on the back that the girlfriend at the time managed to use by accident and no one spotted despite different gender, hair colour, skin colour, race etc.

That said the chip failed on the Mrs' card the other day and they asked her to sign for the cashier to refuse to accept it as both it and all her other cards were unsigned. They did allow her to do C&P on a different unsigned card though.

System

TD Bank ATMs and WalMart definitely used Chip and Pin

I think the PNC Bank ATMs in WaWa petrol stations did too but couldn't confirm either way from the receipt.

kizkiz

Just got back from New York and was also amazed at the complete lack of security
You hand your card over, they take it away, then come back with receipt. Job done
No signing most of the time, let alone chip and pin