Got A New Credit Card

[Ironclad Alibi]

I got a new Master Card today. My old card number was used half way across the country, so I got a new one. But the new card is different from the old one.

It is not embossed. That's right, no raised numbers on it.

Is this the new style of credit cards in the US?

[Aethian]

Yea, I don't like it. They did that to my debit card.

[csquared]

It is the new trend. When was the last time you saw someone take an imprint? Legally that is (rubbing a card is a ID theft trick). Banks want to do away with the carbon copy for security issues. It also allows them to issue the card faster as they can print one in your local branch.

Now if we can just get them to go to chip & pin.

[Andara Bledin]

I don't think I like it.

And places that take cards but do a virtual terminal instead of sliding them aren't going to like being unable to take an imprint to prove they had the card in hand, like the local pizza guys.

Similarly, I took a trip to Nevada recently, and apparently license plates are going the same way, and not just in Nevada.

^-.-^

[PepperElf]

indeed - i know some places that still have the old machines. ... i can only guess that the mentality is that "people can get those smart phone card readers now" etc.

although if it's easy to print up locally for the banks, that would also mean it's easy to print up for anyone else too.

i wonder if this is going to affect the prices on plastic card printers. my bf was thinking of getting one to print business cards etc.

[Jester]

When was the last time you saw someone take an imprint?

Oh, that's easy. That would be the last time the credit card part of the computer at work went down. Which happens rarely, but often enough where we keep one of those old-fashioned physical swipers, along with old-fashioned carbon credit slips, on hand.

Which points out the one major flaw to the credit cards without raised numbers: if you are in a place that doesn't have computers (there are a few of them left) or in a place where the credit card system goes down, and you have no cash, well, you're kinda fucked. Or they are, depending upon your view. Because without raised numbers, they can't take an imprint. They can write it in, of course, but they don't have the security of knowing that they can PROVE you were there.

This will probably not be a problem with anyone on this board. It's the SC's of the world I worry about.

And yes, we all know such a situation is coming, if it hasn't happened already.

[Arcus]

There is one hotel/casino group in Las Vegas that still requires an imprint when you check in. They have a copier where you can see it and they make a copy of the front of the card. You can refuse to let them make a copy of it, but they will refuse to let you check in.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I guess that depends on the bank . . . My Visa debit (thru Stagecoach Bank) was recently renewed (old one expired in June, new one came in May) and it has the embossed raised numbers.

And my MasterCard (which I just got back in October this year from the Bank of the Vikings - love the commercials, BTW) also has the raised, embossed numbers as well.

As far as imprinting the credit card numbers, I haven't seen one of those machines since I worked at the old membership warehouse back in the late 80's. I'm surprised to hear they're still being used.

[Dreamstalker]

The bookstore I worked at probably still has some imprinters for use when the registers go down, and I think the grocery store has some as well.

[violiavampyr]

A couple years ago my bank card went bad and the WalMart said she couldn't type the number in (right..) So I walked to 4 feet to my bank and they printed me up a new one, sans the raised numbers. Then I lost that last year, so they mailed be a new one, this time with raised numbers (the bank no longer had the card printing device).
I saw a training video someplace (Home Depot?) that said not to take card without raised numbers because that's a sign of a fake.

[Chromatix]

All of my recent cards have NOT had embossing. They also have a tiny legend reading "For electronic use only" or some such, meaning of course that they won't work in the imprint machines. I think this style came in on debit cards first, so embossed credit cards might still be available.

I'm not *entirely* sure, but I think all such cards that I've had are Chip&PIN capable. It's unusual for them not to be these days.