Testing Chip & Pin
I asked the same question awhile back. Since then, I have noticed that the card readers at two local Wal-Marts have an EMV slot at the bottom (underneath the keypad) in addition to the swipe slot at the right. I have also noticed similar readers at other large retailers (e.g., Meijer), but have not tried any of them yet.
In any case, I'm guessing that if you successfully presented your AFCU card for an EMV transaction, you would then be asked to sign. So, that would only verify the Chip part of Chip+Pin, which is the easy part.
From my experience in Germany (see further back in this thread), I got a distinctly different response from the automated kiosk the first couple times I tried C+P from when I did it a few days later. First time didn't seem to acknowledge the card at all. Later transaction requested PIN but then hung up: I'm guessing that I removed the card before the transaction completed, since nothing said not to do this. Similarly, when I first used it to buy rail tickets, the agent seemed to have some difficulty and asked whether the card was new. (It was, but it had been used twice previously.) She used both swipe and EMV readers, and finally got a printed slip for me to sign. Check that: no signature required for this. Take-away: break in the card before you travel, and don't give up if the first couple of C+P transactions don't work.
Last edited by othermike27; Nov 5, 2012 at 1:38 pm
Reason: to correct a statement