Does anyone know if the UNFCU is using the Gemalto back-end? (I do know that they contract-out their Visa CC processing.) If so, it shouldn't be too long before some other financial institutions linked to Gemalto go the same way. That should lead to a snowball effect as the institutions notice the benefits.

Of course, the lower Card Present fraud benefit will only come with C&P terminals, but the current CC terminals can't last forever. The accepting institutions only have to increase merchant charges for non-C&P transactions for the merchants to start signing-up for C&P. (I appreciate that, in the US, you do have an issue with PINs being primarily associated with Debit Cards, but we're talking here of a process that will take several years, anyway.) Even here in France, where I started using C&P more than 20 years ago, I understand that terminals had to be changed to the EMV standards, as the original French standards were out-dated.

One of the issues that isn't much spoken about with Card Present fraud is the rôle of the cashier. S/he could easily be associated with a card fraudster and turn a blind eye to an unconvincing signature. (The signatures on the pressure sensitive pads are neo-useless in any case.) C&P eliminates this almost entirely, as well as making life much more difficult for thieves to live on stolen cards by making store purchases.

It happens that, as a former UN staff member, I hold a UNFCU Visa account and my new UNFCU C&P card is currently on its way to me. I'll try it out, both in France & in Switzerland, and post my findings as soon as it arrives.