FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - USA EMV cards: Availability, Q&A (Chip & PIN -or- Chip & Signature) [2012-2015]
Old Jul 3, 2014, 1:28 am
  #5326  
JEFFJAGUAR
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,762
I wouldn't call the results of that poll overwhelming as the vast majority of people polled don't seem to care one way or the other.

And in saying what I am about to say, I am simply the messenger. The bean counters have obviously spoken and won the day. As far as visa and mc are concerned (others will not buck the trend), chip and signature is cheaper than chip and pin to implement and confers almost as much protection on card is present transactions as chip and pin (they will readily admit chip and pin is somewhat more secure but only marginally so and the difference is not worth the amount of infrastrcture needed to implement chip and pin). And after all, they will argue, there is no big problem overseas because merchants are required to accept all valid cards. (We know this is not a universal truth but trying to rebut the argument is like spitting in the wind blowing in your face). They will admit unpersonneled kiosks might be a problem but tell you they are working with regulatory agencies in various countries to resolve this problem but that the cards (chip and signature) will work 99.7% of the time and that nothing is 100%. Domestic merchants don't care; they're not liable anyway. Most consumers don't care (add together in that poll the number of chip and signature with the number of I don't care) as they have no intention of going overseas. Add it all up. Scream about it, yell about it, write letters all we want (yes I want offline chip and pin) and you know what. It isn't going to change any of the beans counters and hence the banks' minds.
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