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USA contactless credit/debit/transit (2017 - 2021)

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Old Jan 16, 2017, 6:55 am
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Last edit by: storewanderer
Older (archived) threads: 2014-16
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FAQ
  1. 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.

  2. 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

  3. Does EMV contactless need to be supported to support CDCVM?

    Typically, yes. (However, there are some exceptions below.)

  4. 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.)

  5. 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.

  6. 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
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USA contactless credit/debit/transit (2017 - 2021)

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Old May 7, 2018, 9:23 pm
  #3961  
 
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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.

Last edited by scibot; May 7, 2018 at 9:53 pm
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Old May 7, 2018, 10:59 pm
  #3962  
 
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Originally Posted by mikesyr18

Originally Posted by Buster
As an aside, what US issuers offer contactless cards? We're getting rid of the Starwood Amex when they roll out the new changes, but I like having a contactless card (in addition to Google Pay).
Capital One's Quicksilver. Pretty much all AMEX cards. Paypal's debit card. Citi's Costco card. Sprint's credit card.
Also HSBC and BMO Harris
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Old May 8, 2018, 5:30 am
  #3963  
 
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Originally Posted by storewanderer
... the system takes 10 or so seconds at the end to "catch up."
Which is ridiculous.
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Old May 8, 2018, 7:40 am
  #3964  
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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).
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Old May 8, 2018, 9:41 am
  #3965  
 
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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.
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Old May 8, 2018, 10:53 am
  #3966  
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Originally Posted by RedLight2015
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.
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.
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Old May 8, 2018, 11:24 am
  #3967  
 
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Originally Posted by storewanderer
Hold your phone or card dead center in the screen... also be sure to wait until they have scanned everything/a final total is calculated. If your transaction has more than a few items, the system takes 10 or so seconds at the end to "catch up."
Trust me, I've tried. The cashiers tell me that people keep trying but it has never worked...
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Old May 8, 2018, 5:58 pm
  #3968  
 
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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.
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Old May 8, 2018, 6:02 pm
  #3969  
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Originally Posted by scibot
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
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.
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Old May 8, 2018, 6:24 pm
  #3970  
 
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Originally Posted by tmiw
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.
Are you talking about the Horton mall?
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Old May 8, 2018, 6:57 pm
  #3971  
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Originally Posted by RedLight2015
Are you talking about the Horton mall?
That's the one.


(not my video)
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Old May 8, 2018, 9:55 pm
  #3972  
 
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Originally Posted by tmiw
That's the one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MU_rwqMCt4k

(not my video)
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)

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.)
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Old May 8, 2018, 10:10 pm
  #3973  
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Originally Posted by HotelHacker
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)
I walked through Horton Plaza a couple of days before leaving for Mexico and unfortunately there were a fair bit of vacancies on the bottom floor too. Jimbo's is still doing okay, however.

Originally Posted by HotelHacker
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.)
Black slot with a LED light on the side or is it more like what Southwest uses (one of the UX series Verifones IIRC)? The former's at the ones in SAN.
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Old May 9, 2018, 5:03 am
  #3974  
 
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Originally Posted by tmiw
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.
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.
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Old May 9, 2018, 5:38 am
  #3975  
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Originally Posted by mikesyr18
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.
Again, contactless cards are uncommon in the US; why confuse people with terminology that they don't understand? People are far more likely to know what Apple Pay is than anything else.

And really, I'd rather there be testing beforehand or else stats like this will just get worse.
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