Originally Posted by
RichardInSF
I've never needed one when using a US credit card in Japan. And I don't think magnetic swipe cards are even capable of being used with a PIN, but I live to be proven wrong.
Having the terminal to use the PIN for is a shop by shop thing. Not at all ubiquitous, not by a long shot. I was used it far more in Europe last year actually.
The cards with stripes are very capable of having the chips. Mine all have both. I kind of suspect the next step towards modernization for America though is not the chip and PIN thing, but rather getting out of the prehistoric habit of using checks.
