BofA Adding Chip+PIN Support

[arkane]

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@NRB525 wrote:

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@pipeguy wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

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  True Chip And PIN cards with PIN priority aren’t being issued in the US by our banks because they fear that consumers will forget their PINs and therefore not use the credit card.

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A couple of weekends ago the DW and I were doing a good bit of shopping for apparel. I had decided to use my BHO Diner's card since doesn't really get much usage. First shop, no problem no pin required, second shop where I was buying 3 new business suits, PIN required.... I had to search through my wallet for the "cheat sheet" for the DC card, inputted number - wrong, double checked punched in 4 digit number wrong. Fortunately there was no line and I buy all my suits from this store so they know me nor was it really embarrassing and it cetainly was not in any way a credit issue.

Needless to say I took the Diner's Club Card out of my carry wallet with a mental note not use the BHO DC as a general spend card - I should note that "required PIN" has never happened online. Although this is a comfortable $20k CL card, I don't use it enough to justify the AF so come the renewal date, I'll probably cancel this card - the required PIN when I'm standing there with the card, ID, finderprints, DNA, etc. is just a royal pain in the ***.  

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My Diners Club card is always in my wallet. Other cards come and go, DC always there. I have gone through phases where I look for places to test my Diners Club card PIN and am quite smug when it does need the PIN. It also worked as tap-and-pay in the Netherlands in some places. It works to get me into some airport lounges. I keep it active and use it regularly because it is so unique and irreplaceable. $95 per year is a bargain for the entertainment it provides.

But that's just me

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Yeah I'd also gladly swap out all my current cards for true chip+PIN cards if the banks started offering them.

[Anonymous]

I feel like unless the vast majority of the major banks start offering them, PIN preferring cards like Diners Club will still have issues in the US at some merchants. (I doubt the networks will full on disallow PIN support at the terminal level.) I became disillusioned at the whole concept after a few merchant rejections, unfortunately.

Speaking of BMO/DC, that card has also become pretty touchy on the fraud prevention front as well lately, with no alternative but to call them and wait on hold for 20mins to get the block cleared. At least with Chase they send an email that I can tap a link on to confirm transactions.

[Anonymous]

I'd like to see chip and PIN simply for the fact that it'll force merchants to adopt consumer facing technology. 

No more seeing the contactless indictator on a terminal that's behind a tall counter. 

Americans need to get out and witness how the rest of the world does things... America does a lot of things very wrong. They should get out and see how healthcare, education, and card payments are supposed to work. 

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I'd like to see chip and PIN simply for the fact that it'll force merchants to adopt consumer facing technology. 

No more seeing the contactless indictator on a terminal that's behind a tall counter. 

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Actuallly, it seems that consumer facing terminals are increasing in prominance despite lack of PIN (outside of table service restaurants, of course, but I suspect that's a special case that we'll mostly just accept and eventually carve out specific rules for). YMMV of course.

Also, it sounds like you haven't been to Mexico. You're not allowed to touch the terminal at all there unless you have to enter a PIN. Different countries do different things, apparently.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

I'd like to see chip and PIN simply for the fact that it'll force merchants to adopt consumer facing technology. 

No more seeing the contactless indictator on a terminal that's behind a tall counter. 

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Actuallly, it seems that consumer facing terminals are increasing in prominance despite lack of PIN (outside of table service restaurants, of course, but I suspect that's a special case that we'll mostly just accept and eventually carve out specific rules for). YMMV of course.

Also, it sounds like you haven't been to Mexico. You're not allowed to touch the terminal at all there unless you have to enter a PIN. Different countries do different things, apparently.

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My BOA card worked just fine as chip and pin in mexico. They brought the portable machine to the dining table, inserted the card, and had to enter the pin.  I was shocked. This was last year.  But I had set up the pin online beforehand, and also added a travel alert.  Arrival plus on the other hand, I had to set up the pin there, even though I already had the pin set up before i left! I am pretty sure it was just an anomaly.

[UpperNwGuy]

I am really pleased to see a large bank make the chip+PIN technology available to its customers.  I joined the United Nations Federal Credit Union two years ago for the sole purpose of obtaining one of their chip+PIN cards for my European travels.  I love it when the waiters are surprised that my American card works the same way as the European cards.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous 

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My BOA card worked just fine as chip and pin in mexico. They brought the portable machine to the dining table, inserted the card, and had to enter the pin.  I was shocked. This was last year.  But I had set up the pin online beforehand, and also added a travel alert.  Arrival plus on the other hand, I had to set up the pin there, even though I already had the pin set up before i left! I am pretty sure it was just an anomaly.

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Interesting since my BofA card seems to be configured to only ask if signature isn't possible. And in my experience, signature is no problem in Mexico (especially since cards down there are mostly chip and signature too). We'll see what the scan of the card looks like next time the card's replaced, I guess.