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Old Jan 16, 2017, 6:55 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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 Aug 7, 2018, 8:12 pm
  #4426  
 
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No go on that. But I've put a lot of effort into making the local stores keep their NFC working since they were so routinely broken. And in the past couple weeks on 2 of my 6 or so visits to one of the locations, I've seen two other customers using the NFC. So it is getting a little use.

I think reliable NFC is very important and like that every grocery store offers NFC (except Kroger).

Originally Posted by diburning
I usually do it when the cashier goes on break or leaves, or is otherwise in a position to be moved off the register. It's easier to suspend the transaction and take the payment from the customer at another register than it would be to reset the pin pad at that moment.

By "here at Safeway" I take it that you're a fellow Safeway field services technician?
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Old Aug 7, 2018, 10:13 pm
  #4427  
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So Samsung's next smartwatch might not include MST support at all. It's supposedly a "cost saving" measure since MST is only useful for a few markets.

Originally Posted by storewanderer
No go on that. But I've put a lot of effort into making the local stores keep their NFC working since they were so routinely broken. And in the past couple weeks on 2 of my 6 or so visits to one of the locations, I've seen two other customers using the NFC. So it is getting a little use.

I think reliable NFC is very important and like that every grocery store offers NFC (except Kroger).
So, what would convince Kroger to get on board? I mean, they supposedly had it at one or two locations for a month or two, so it's not like they completely need to start from scratch.

My guess is a significant interchange reduction for contactless transactions. Though how much is significant enough for them is the question.
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Old Aug 7, 2018, 11:01 pm
  #4428  
 
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Originally Posted by tmiw
So Samsung's next smartwatch might not include MST support at all. It's supposedly a "cost saving" measure since MST is only useful for a few markets.



So, what would convince Kroger to get on board? I mean, they supposedly had it at one or two locations for a month or two, so it's not like they completely need to start from scratch.

My guess is a significant interchange reduction for contactless transactions. Though how much is significant enough for them is the question.
I fill out the post shopping survey every time, let them know my displeasure at the lack of contactless support, and let them know that I'm increasing my visits at competitors that support NFC and decreasing my visits at Kroger (which is true).
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Old Aug 8, 2018, 11:53 am
  #4429  
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Originally Posted by cjw2001
I fill out the post shopping survey every time, let them know my displeasure at the lack of contactless support, and let them know that I'm increasing my visits at competitors that support NFC and decreasing my visits at Kroger (which is true).
To be honest, I don't even go to Vons that much anymore either, despite them eventually deciding to support it. It helps that Sprouts opened up in the same shopping center and that it's a much better experience overall.
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Old Aug 8, 2018, 3:11 pm
  #4430  
 
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Hopefully the NFC will actually work on the new watch. Both mine and my partners gears barely work via NFC .
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Old Aug 8, 2018, 3:20 pm
  #4431  
 
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Circle K Rocky Mountain now forces you to enter a zip code reguardless if you use ctls which is still msd and or chip .... Carl's Jr in Denver uses Point yeah and ctls works well. I also used contactless at a Safeway self checkout but unsure if all have it at that location
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Old Aug 8, 2018, 11:30 pm
  #4432  
 
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Originally Posted by scibot
Circle K Rocky Mountain now forces you to enter a zip code reguardless if you use ctls which is still msd and or chip .... Carl's Jr in Denver uses Point yeah and ctls works well. I also used contactless at a Safeway self checkout but unsure if all have it at that location
Yes, that is the standard Circle K system with Chip. I find it ironic they have not yet put it into place in Arizona.
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Old Aug 9, 2018, 2:22 am
  #4433  
 
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Originally Posted by storewanderer
Yes, that is the standard Circle K system with Chip. I find it ironic they have not yet put it into place in Arizona.
Its not in St Louis ones unless it has changed recently and they have finally made changes to some acquired Corner Store locations such as this: http://imgur.com/2yHAHge and it appears that they have the same hardware as some unbranded locations but notice it says Valero instead of Circle K and its attached to a Commander without chip but tapping at the pump actually works a first for that combo of Commander and Flex Pay IV. The Commander software hasn't changed it at least a year so maybe they will rip it out and end up like Circle K Shell and use old software without chip and yes it still declines with nfc with no EMV still even the location on the ctls locator
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Old Aug 9, 2018, 7:40 pm
  #4434  
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My local Costco has enabled their NFC terminals sometime in the last couple weeks. On the same visit I watched 2 people in front of me in the food court try to use Mastercards and fail miserably.
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Old Aug 9, 2018, 11:45 pm
  #4435  
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Looks like it's confirmed that MST isn't on the Galaxy Watch. Lots of people are unhappy but honestly, I'm okay with it if paying becomes more reliable (e.g. no weirdness with simultaneous NFC and MST reads). It's not like MST is necessarily going to help with the many merchants that don't have customer-facing terminals anyway.
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Old Aug 10, 2018, 1:03 am
  #4436  
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BTW, here's an interesting (albeit long) video on Samsung Pay usage:


I'd have liked to see him try various other places that could potentially have issues (like restaurants), though judging by his experience in the Taco Bell drive through and at Wendy's I'm not sure he'd have much luck.
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Old Aug 10, 2018, 6:05 am
  #4437  
 
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Originally Posted by tmiw
BTW, here's an interesting (albeit long) video on Samsung Pay usage
"Oh. Apple Pay."

It seems like the reader at Dunkin' Donuts had issues. It's like the local Panera Bread near me. The reader only works about one out of three tries. Now with Wendy's having EMV with customer facing terminals, I don't believe it would work at all, right?
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Old Aug 10, 2018, 8:22 am
  #4438  
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Originally Posted by Majuki
"Oh. Apple Pay."

It seems like the reader at Dunkin' Donuts had issues. It's like the local Panera Bread near me. The reader only works about one out of three tries. Now with Wendy's having EMV with customer facing terminals, I don't believe it would work at all, right?
It definitely does. Otherwise Samsung Pay wouldn't work at, say, 7-Eleven or Target.

That said, EMV at Wendy's isn't anywhere near universal. The ones around here didn't even have customer-facing terminals last I checked (though that was a while ago).
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Old Aug 10, 2018, 10:34 am
  #4439  
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BTW, I tried the gas pump trick from the above video at a Shell station this morning. It worked, but did need a couple of attempts. This particular one used Gilbarco pumps with vertical card readers, if that matters.
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Old Aug 10, 2018, 12:06 pm
  #4440  
 
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Originally Posted by tmiw
BTW, here's an interesting (albeit long) video on Samsung Pay usage:

https://youtu.be/9Tpe7hRY2I8

I'd have liked to see him try various other places that could potentially have issues (like restaurants), though judging by his experience in the Taco Bell drive through and at Wendy's I'm not sure he'd have much luck.
Looks like he had good luck everywhere but as expected lame ... Wendy’s. Can that company go out of business already?
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