Originally Posted by
D582
Just based on observational experience in Canada, I would say these are the vocal minority. I see people using contactless everywhere with regularity to the point that people try to use it on terminals that don't support it and merchants having to add a label saying 'NO TAP' where it's not available.
I'd agree with this. I was in Canada recently and pretty much all of my low value purchases were contactless, which is very unusual for the Amex card that I normally use (I use it as my main reward card abroad as it charges no-forex fees) at it doesn't use the conventional AID that most Amex cards use and most non-uk terminals will fail via contactless (it works fine via contact chip). Thats my theory why the card doesn't work via contactless anyway.
I'm starting to see the same behaviour here in the UK as well, both Asda and Sainsburys (Major supermarkets for those who don't know) have contactless ready terminals but don't have it turned on yet and the amount of times I've seen people tapping their card waiting for something to happen, some Sainsburys stores now have a sign saying that contactless is coming soon.
Interestingly I came across an unattended terminal that supports pin today that went through as NO CVM on a contact transaction with my UK chip and pin machine for a low value transaction (The same thing happened on my friend's Amex as well). This is the first time I've seen NO CVM on contact Chip and pin priority card transactions for years. This was using an American Express card, so maybe its something they are testing (especially given the patchy contactless acceptance in the UK on older terminals).
Out of interest has anyone else came across non-standard American Express AIDs?