Chip & Signature Less Secure?

cheesetoast

So, my credit card company sent me a Chip & Signature card instead of my usual PIN one... Am I right to complain and ask for a PIN one instead, on the grounds of it being less secure? Or an I missing something?

reclusive46

For you its more secure. If someone steals your card, they can't really argue that a forged signature is yours, if someone steals a chip and pin card and someone gets hold of your PIN, the bank would probably make you liable.

Lemonsqueezer78

Do you know why they sent you a chip and sig card? It would be strange for the bank to just do that for no reason.... As reclusive says, they are less secure - but that means more risk for the bank, not you. You wouldn't be paying for any fraud whatever happens.

I'd be more annoyed because its harder to use C&S cards.. it would probably confuse pretty much every cashier you meet these days

cheesetoast

I phoned them up simply to request a different design of card, and they must have clicked the wrong button.

20aday

Lemonsqueezer78 wrote: »

Do you know why they sent you a chip and sig card? It would be strange for the bank to just do that for no reason.... As reclusive says, they are less secure - but that means more risk for the bank, not you. You wouldn't be paying for any fraud whatever happens.

I'd be more annoyed because its harder to use C&S cards.. it would probably confuse pretty much every cashier you meet these days

I work in Retail and our card machine is acting up (we're waiting for a new one).

It falls back to a signature after three failed attempts and you'd be amazed how many people no longer sign the back of their cards.

Mind you I can't believe it's just over 10 years' ago since Chip&PIN took over from Swipe & Sign :eek:

Paul_1977

Only used a pin and signature a few times, even when drawing out £500 from the travel agents, my signature did not resemble what was on the card (there so hard to sign properly), cashier did not say a word.

callum9999

20aday wrote: »

I work in Retail and our card machine is acting up (we're waiting for a new one).

It falls back to a signature after three failed attempts and you'd be amazed how many people no longer sign the back of their cards.

Mind you I can't believe it's just over 10 years' ago since Chip&PIN took over from Swipe & Sign :eek:

Half my cards aren't signed (and my main card is so worn you can't see the signature any more!).

It's never been an issue except once about 3 years ago when a jumped-up checkout operator launched into a lecture about how the card isn't valid without a signature etc.

Though given my signature is incredibly easy to copy (not to mention cashiers don't really look at them anyway) I'm not sure it really adds any security even if it was used in a store that still didn't use Chip and PIN.

boo_star

callum9999 wrote: »

Half my cards aren't signed (and my main card is so worn you can't see the signature any more!).

It's never been an issue except once about 3 years ago when a jumped-up checkout operator launched into a lecture about how the card isn't valid without a signature etc.

Though given my signature is incredibly easy to copy (not to mention cashiers don't really look at them anyway) I'm not sure it really adds any security even if it was used in a store that still didn't use Chip and PIN.

It's not exactly fair to call them "jumped-up" if it's completely correct.

Bear in mind that stores do send people in to test compliance with various company rules or laws. It's not outside the realm of possibilities that they may test employees compliance with little things like cards being signed.

At the end of the day they're risking their job, it's not really unreasonable if they follow the rules, regardless of how pointless you may think they are.

cheesetoast

Very true. I used to work in a mobile phone shop, and part of the check was that the signature on the debit card matched that on the contract.

The number of people we had to turn away because they hadn't signed their card was significant.

Of course, they always came back 90 seconds later with a signed card, after we'd given them a free pen to say thank you for visiting.

chattychappy

callum9999 wrote: »

It's never been an issue except once about 3 years ago when a jumped-up checkout operator launched into a lecture about how the card isn't valid without a signature etc.

Good for them! I wouldn't accept an unsigned card. Incidentally, you probably know that the card remains the property of the issuer and the merchant is entitled to withhold a card they have concerns about. In the days of telephone authorisation on rare occasions the merchant services provider would instruct the cashier to retain the card.

callum9999

boo_star wrote: »

It's not exactly fair to call them "jumped-up" if it's completely correct.

Bear in mind that stores do send people in to test compliance with various company rules or laws. It's not outside the realm of possibilities that they may test employees compliance with little things like cards being signed.

At the end of the day they're risking their job, it's not really unreasonable if they follow the rules, regardless of how pointless you may think they are.

Jumped-up doesn't mean they were doing anything incorrect, so I think it's pretty fair...

Given I know for a fact that specific store doesn't even tell it's staff to look at the signature (as I worked there at the time), I think that's somewhat unlikely.

No they weren't risking their job in the slightest. If they were (e.g. when I forget ID and want to buy alcohol) then I wouldn't have any issue with it.

chattychappy wrote: »

Good for them! I wouldn't accept an unsigned card. Incidentally, you probably know that the card remains the property of the issuer and the merchant is entitled to withhold a card they have concerns about. In the days of telephone authorisation on rare occasions the merchant services provider would instruct the cashier to retain the card.

Well they did accept the unsigned card, like any normal cashier would...

I do indeed, though as you should be able to tell, I couldn't care less!