Chip day is coming

[mhkohne]

I don't know how accurate this is (tech guys?) but in the UK you can buy foil-lined wallets to avoid this. Supposedly a cheap alternative is using tin foil to make a pocket for your card in your wallet.

The theory is fine, but whether any given wallet has sufficiently good shielding to actually prevent activation is dependent on lots of factors. We keep our passports in a metalized bag when travelling, but I have no way to test how well that shielding works.

[NorthernZel]

I don't know how accurate this is (tech guys?) but in the UK you can buy foil-lined wallets to avoid this. Supposedly a cheap alternative is using tin foil to make a pocket for your card in your wallet.

DK is rolling in scannable chip cards as we speak (the last couple of years we had the "standard" chip card you had to insert in a slot). I've already bought a card holder that should prevent accidental scanning, over here it costed the equivalent of USD 8.00 but due to our insane sales taxes it shouldn't cost more than 3-4 bucks over the pond.

[Chromatix]

When I visited London a couple of years ago, I found that my Star Citizen card (which is solid metal) and my Helsinki Travelcard (which I assume operates on the same frequency) would each effectively disable my Oyster card unless I removed it from the wallet first.

Both London's Oyster card and Helsinki's Travelcard use NFC signalling, though I don't know how closely related the NFC payment systems are.

[katzklaw]

my bank just recently sent me and my husband replacement debit cards along with a very generic "use these cards for better security" form letter. they have chips in them. i didn't know about the changeover in October.. i've tried to use the chip feature a few times, for the novelty of it... i can't get it to work.

[Chromatix]

So not even an explanation of how to use the card? Hmm...

It's very straightforward from my experience, at least if the machines used over there are at all similar to the ones used here:

0) Learn your PIN, and/or change it to something memorable and unguessable for you. Don't write it down.
1) Identify whether it's a chip-capable reader or not. There'll be a separate slot for a chip card versus a swipe card.
2) Read the instructions on the screen. It should tell you when to insert the card.
3) If you have a loyalty card, swipe that before using your payment card.
4) Chip cards go in end-on, chip contacts low and towards you. Leave it in the reader until it tells you to remove it.
5) You might get a prompt asking which type of transaction you want, if you have both credit and debit facilities on the same card.
6) Enter your PIN when prompted - but check the balance shown first. Ideally, use one hand to type and the other to shield your movements from view.
7) Press the OK button (usually green) when finished. Press the Correction button (usually yellow) if you make a mistake. Press the Cancel button (usually red) if you realise you're using the wrong card or something.
8) The display will tell you whether the transaction was accepted or not, and then to remove your card.

[Dreamstalker]

The current crop of paper card sleeves from the bank allegedly have RFID shielding...I want to test that out but am not sure how to do it 'safely' (ideal would be sniffing traffic on the home wifi while an active card is unshielded, but I wouldn't know what to look for or even if there is anything to find).

[katzklaw]

one of the few places in town that have chip-card capable readers already is the local Wal-mart, and that's where i tried. i slide my card in the slot, face up and chip side facing away from me... the reader thinks about it for a few seconds, then says "transaction canceled" every time.

[Chromatix]

Away from you? Are you sure that's the right way around? It's the opposite way every chip-card reader over here works.

[Naaman]

The theory is fine, but whether any given wallet has sufficiently good shielding to actually prevent activation is dependent on lots of factors. We keep our passports in a metalized bag when travelling, but I have no way to test how well that shielding works.

See if your phone has NFC (Near Field Communication) in it's spec sheet and you'll be able to download an app, I normally use https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...r.sample&hl=en when I've had the toolkit out (Pin drill & craft knife to disable the RFID aerial)

[Taz]

The Wal-Mart card readers by me take the card with the magnetic stripe down and the chip end in the reader. Granted, the only card I have with a chip is my Sam's Club Mastercard but I believe the technology will work the same for all cards.

[Shalom]

Wal*Mart is the only local to me store that successfully uses the chip.

At the Orange Apron it works, but inconsistently. One time I plugged the card into the reader and it rebooted the card reader. Register sat there waiting for an input that wasn't ever going to come, and they finally moved me over to the SCO and rang me out there.

Everywhere else that even has the slots (yeah I'm looking at you, Hawaiian Shirts Grocery), they aren't hooked up yet. Some of them even have a plastic blank that covers the slot so you can't even get the card in.

[Dreamstalker]

Bullseye is the only store nearby I know of that has the chip readers. No idea when my store will switch or even if they know about it...maybe I should mention it to SM (along with the fact that Shithead is usually the one sent for training on these things, but I'm the one who ends up explaining it to/training him so would they let me go with him this time?)

[Lovecats]

Our local Wally world has them. But considering that the only cards that I have with the chip is one that I hardly ever use (don't even carry it with me) and my bullseye debit card I don't care. I really haven't noticed at some other stores I go to. Like a former co-worker said, "I'm too poor to pay attention."

[Dreamstalker]

Only reason I knew about it was because I got an email from Square.

Last night a customer with a chip card was having problems with our swipe reader (I doubt we've upgraded). They wanted to go to the bank and get cash so I needed to save the order; D had the keys so wanted to know why.
Me: "They have a chipped bank card and it's not working so they want to get cash and come back." (I wouldn't be surprised if some international chip cards won't work in the swipe-only readers)
D: "A what credit card? What's a chip card?"
Cue quick-and-dirty explanation of chip cards; the bottom line is all I need to do is suspend the order because it's NOT working and they need to get cash.
D: "Slide the card again. Are you sure it's not working?"
Me: "It's not working. And no, I will not enter it manually, we're not supposed to."
Cashier: "I just need to save the order, they'll come back."
D: "What's a chip card?"

[katzklaw]

Away from you? Are you sure that's the right way around? It's the opposite way every chip-card reader over here works.

The Wal-Mart card readers by me take the card with the magnetic stripe down and the chip end in the reader...

this is how all the chip readers i've seen so far are set up. the Wal-Mart people seem mostly oblivious of it currently, but i tried the chip at another location that had the slot (forget where.. maybe a Walgreens?), and the cashier told me that it wasn't going to be ready and usable till october.

o well. guess i find out in a month if it works or not.