Last edit by: storewanderer
Older (archived) threads: 2014-16
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FAQ- What is EMV contactless?
EMV contactless is a form of contactless/NFC that uses the same security and encryption that is used when inserting a chip card into an EMV-enabled terminal. Other than not having to sign/enter a PIN for smaller transactions, the security is effectively the same as chip and PIN/chip and signature.
In contrast, MSD contactless is an older version that is designed just and only for the United States. This effectively uses much the same flow as a swiped card transaction with the same rules.
- What is CDCVM?
CDCVM stands for Consumer Device Cardholder Verification Method. It's a method of telling the terminal that the customer verified their identity using their mobile device. Terminals that support it will waive the signature/PIN requirement typically in place for larger transactions, potentially saving time at checkout.
More info: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202527
- Does EMV contactless need to be supported to support CDCVM?
Typically, yes. (However, there are some exceptions below.)
- Why can't I tap my foreign-issued contactless card at most places in the US?
This is likely because the store does not support EMV contactless. Foreign issued contactless cards typically do not support MSD contactless since other markets have had EMV for quite some time. In contrast, most stores in the US have yet to get the necessary certifications/software for EMV contactless so they are typically MSD-only--if contactless is enabled at all. (See below for a list of stores where your card will likely work.)
- I paid for a purchase with Apple/Android/Samsung Pay and still had to sign for it.
Most likely, the store in question does not have EMV contactless enabled (see above question). However, there are instances where CDCVM does not work even with EMV contactless enabled. Restaurants that allow tip adjust, for example--where the tip amount is written on a paper receipt and entered by the staff later--cannot support CDCVM. It may simply be a matter of the merchant's processor or the POS software in use not supporting it too.
Another common reason is if you used a US-issued AmEx card with a mobile wallet. AmEx currently does not allow EMV contactless support in mobile wallets for these cards, so they always run as MSD contactless. Because of this, CDCVM is not supported (with very few exceptions, as noted below).
Note: if you used Samsung Pay, you may have paid with MST instead of NFC. Since MST emulates the magnetic pulses that the terminal receives when swiping a regular card, the normal magstripe rules apply.
- How can I tell whether EMV contactless was used?
An easy way to tell if you have Apple Pay is to pay with a Visa or MC while in airplane mode. Wallet will then show a transaction amount next to "Payment" for the card that was used. Alternatively, EMV-related information will typically print on the receipt (AID, etc.) if EMV contactless was used.
(Non-exhaustive) list of EMV contactless supporting merchants in the US:
- 7-Eleven
- 99 Ranch
- Albertsons (Safeway, Vons, Pak N Save, Jewel, Acme, Shaws, Star, Carrs, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Haggen, Eagle, Lucky UT/SoCal)
- Apple Store*†
- Athleta
- Auntie Anne’s Pretzels
- Banana Republic
- Costco Wholesale
- CVS
- DuaneReade*
- El Pollo Loco
- EG Group US (Quik Stop, Kwik Shop, Tom Thumb, Turkey Hill) Note: cashier must press "Electronic Payment" to activate NFC
- Five Below*
- Five Guys
- GAP
- Grocery Outlet*
- Harmon's Grocery
- H&M*
- Jolibee
- Kohl's*
- Lush Cosmetics*
- Maverik
- McDonald's*
- Meijer
- Old Navy
- Panera Bread
- PetSmart
- Ray's Food Place
- Round Table Pizza
- Royal Farms
- Red Ribbon Bakeshop
- Sheetz
- Sherm's Thunderbird Discount Markets Inc.*
- Sprouts
- Staples*
- Starbucks*
- Subway
- Walgreens*
- Weis Markets
- All businesses that use Square and support contactless*
- All businesses that use Clover and support EMV†**
- All businesses that use First Data standalone terminals (e.g. FD100+FD35, FD130) with EMV enabled**
* CDCVM support confirmed
** CDCVM support depends on store/restaurant
† CDCVM supported in MSD mode
USA contactless credit/debit/transit (2017 - 2021)
#3961
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,723
I wonder if Phillips 66 Passport now supports contactless at most/all locations? I went to a few Phillips 66 locations both with Passport and they both have nfc+emv enabled. One was a brand called Fast Mart which did not have it on at another location previously and the other was owned by a different company. Apparently Apple Pay is used a lot at the latter location which is next to a high school. I then went to a Commander Phillips 66 and that also have nfc+emv. Next I visited a Sinclair with Passport and nfc+emv is enabled too but the guy two people in front of me had issues with his chip card but Google Pay worked just fine.
There is an old 70/80's style Kum & Go that I visited today and they also accept contactless but I've seen other locations that did not have contactless at every register NCR Radiant is a bit buggy but contactless is pretty fast if its enabled. Speaking of NCR I found a grocery store location that has Retalix and nfc was not enabled at least on the register but did say 'tap card' so it might just be broken for now, so maybe they are getting EMV contactless soon? Or the nfc portion failed like what happened at Raley's. NCR retalix nfc failure is fairly rare for sure. Before they got Verifone MX915's they had Hypercom L4250's.
There is an old 70/80's style Kum & Go that I visited today and they also accept contactless but I've seen other locations that did not have contactless at every register NCR Radiant is a bit buggy but contactless is pretty fast if its enabled. Speaking of NCR I found a grocery store location that has Retalix and nfc was not enabled at least on the register but did say 'tap card' so it might just be broken for now, so maybe they are getting EMV contactless soon? Or the nfc portion failed like what happened at Raley's. NCR retalix nfc failure is fairly rare for sure. Before they got Verifone MX915's they had Hypercom L4250's.
Last edited by scibot; May 7, 2018 at 9:53 pm
#3962
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 49
Capital One's Quicksilver. Pretty much all AMEX cards. Paypal's debit card. Citi's Costco card. Sprint's credit card.
#3963
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: HHonors, TrueBlue, Delta SkyMiles, Hyatt Discoverist, Starwood Preferred Guest, American Airlines.
Posts: 2,035
#3964
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: RSW
Programs: Delta - Silver; UA - Silver; HHonors - Diamond; IHG - Spire Ambassador; Marriott Bonvoy - Titanium
Posts: 14,185
First time in UK/Ireland I've hit a no-contactless merchant: Half Price Theatre Tickets. Guessing they never started with it as most sales likely over GBP 20 (recently 30).
#3965
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: Skymiles
Posts: 3,251
Square just launched a full service restaurant solution. They’re including their contactless and chip reader which is actually now required to use with their new software.
Bad news: good luck going to a server station to use Apple Pay.
Bad news: good luck going to a server station to use Apple Pay.
#3966
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,508
Well, it's small enough to take over to the table--but then again, that might be a hard sell when tip adjust is possible.
#3967
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: SW WA
Posts: 3,888
Trust me, I've tried. The cashiers tell me that people keep trying but it has never worked...
#3968
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,723
Panda Express admitted to actually trialing contactless at certain locations but none near me but any of you can DM and they will tell you if they are testing near you or not. Hopefully they will roll it out in the near future.
#3969
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,508
Panda Express admitted to actually trialing contactless at certain locations but none near me but any of you can DM and they will tell you if they are testing near you or not. Hopefully they will roll it out in the near future.
https://twitter.com/PandaExpress/sta...17896735027200
https://twitter.com/PandaExpress/sta...17896735027200
#3970
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: Skymiles
Posts: 3,251
I suspect the one in San Diego that I found initially will close soon; that entire mall isn't doing so well (despite being in the middle of downtown) and most of the stores are already closed as a result. If so, I don't think any other locations there will get it until the trial period's done.
#3971
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,508
#3972
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SAN
Programs: UA
Posts: 204
The closing of Nordstrom's really did that place in. It's bizarre layout isn't helping the cause any either. The stuff on the bottom seems to do OK though, and people seem to shop at Jimbob's (or whatever that grocery store is)
In other news,
At IAD last weekend, I noticed some of United's check-in machines had contactless readers and a different looking credit card slot. These were behind security though, at the gates. There were rows of 4 and 2 of the four had the new hardware, in fact the whole top piece looked different. I'm thinking this is some sort of field test to work out last-minute issues before these get rolled out to the busy check-in areas at the front of the airport. (Though it's possible there were some up front and I hadn't noticed.)
#3973
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,508
Well what other shopping mall is in the middle of downtown?
The closing of Nordstrom's really did that place in. It's bizarre layout isn't helping the cause any either. The stuff on the bottom seems to do OK though, and people seem to shop at Jimbob's (or whatever that grocery store is)
The closing of Nordstrom's really did that place in. It's bizarre layout isn't helping the cause any either. The stuff on the bottom seems to do OK though, and people seem to shop at Jimbob's (or whatever that grocery store is)
In other news,
At IAD last weekend, I noticed some of United's check-in machines had contactless readers and a different looking credit card slot. These were behind security though, at the gates. There were rows of 4 and 2 of the four had the new hardware, in fact the whole top piece looked different. I'm thinking this is some sort of field test to work out last-minute issues before these get rolled out to the busy check-in areas at the front of the airport. (Though it's possible there were some up front and I hadn't noticed.)
At IAD last weekend, I noticed some of United's check-in machines had contactless readers and a different looking credit card slot. These were behind security though, at the gates. There were rows of 4 and 2 of the four had the new hardware, in fact the whole top piece looked different. I'm thinking this is some sort of field test to work out last-minute issues before these get rolled out to the busy check-in areas at the front of the airport. (Though it's possible there were some up front and I hadn't noticed.)
#3974
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: HHonors, TrueBlue, Delta SkyMiles, Hyatt Discoverist, Starwood Preferred Guest, American Airlines.
Posts: 2,035
I suspect the one in San Diego that I found initially will close soon; that entire mall isn't doing so well (despite being in the middle of downtown) and most of the stores are already closed as a result. If so, I don't think any other locations there will get it until the trial period's done.
Mid-2018 in America - *We're still testing Apple Pay (notice: they don't say "contactless").
The merchants here embarrass themselves. Cashier facing readers that look 20 years old, swiping, no contactless. Businesses here do the bare minimum expense to pad their back pocket, which is sad because it wasn't that way 15-20 years ago. They used to pay employee well, provide pensions, good benefits, and had at least some morals to buy the latest technology.
#3975
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,508
Other countries - *contactless at over 90% of the merchants that exist, some from as far back as 2004.*
Mid-2018 in America - *We're still testing Apple Pay (notice: they don't say "contactless").
The merchants here embarrass themselves. Cashier facing readers that look 20 years old, swiping, no contactless. Businesses here do the bare minimum expense to pad their back pocket, which is sad because it wasn't that way 15-20 years ago. They used to pay employee well, provide pensions, good benefits, and had at least some morals to buy the latest technology.
Mid-2018 in America - *We're still testing Apple Pay (notice: they don't say "contactless").
The merchants here embarrass themselves. Cashier facing readers that look 20 years old, swiping, no contactless. Businesses here do the bare minimum expense to pad their back pocket, which is sad because it wasn't that way 15-20 years ago. They used to pay employee well, provide pensions, good benefits, and had at least some morals to buy the latest technology.
And really, I'd rather there be testing beforehand or else stats like this will just get worse.