Originally Posted by
soitgoes
If it is possible to get a chip/pin card Visa card as a US resident that one can reload, then it provides the ability to use the chip/pin card at unattended kiosks/gas pumps that reject chip-less cards.
(I'm not interested in getting this card, so I basically agree with you.)
I understand that, but I doubt you'll see Travelex offering a chip+pin card to a US resident at one of their retail locations anytime in the near future. I'm taking this stance because I don't see them signing up for the IT support that would need to come with aligning their systems with the chip+pin infrastructure, vs. the plain ol mag swipe/ATM pin.
So back to my original question, since they don't offer a chip+pin product, what advantage does this have over the debit card in your wallet? I guess if you're mugged, you'd cancel your debit card as fast as you'd cancel this one. The only thing I can think of is that if you lose this card you limit your loss to the funds you've loaded on the card. But how often do people lose their cards without noticing?
Too much work, IMHO.