Jan 16, 2017, 6:55 am
Last edit by: storewanderer
Older (archived) threads: 2014-16
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- 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)
Sep 9, 2019, 6:34 pm
#7066
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They wouldn't necessarily need to provide a significant bonus for using a contactless card, though. Even just an additional percent or two might be enough (with a cap if they feel they need to, and possibly restricted to just transit). In fact, since they're already limiting the 5% CB Bonus to $1,500 a quarter, they could just piggyback on that and have "contactless" be a bonus category one quarter (which frankly they probably should have done for Apple Pay instead of the 10% thing).
Sep 9, 2019, 7:58 pm
#7067
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SAN
Programs: UA
Posts: 204
I'm not sure where those labels & signs are coming from but they seemed to have turned up everywhere almost overnight. Even the little Indian restaurant I go to had them. Also spotted at Five Guys today.
Also noticed that Chase is going to start issuing contactless Debit cards this year:
https://www.nfcw.com/2018/11/14/3585...s-cardholders/
They did that way back when, too. In fact I think they were the biggest issuer of those, at the time.
Also noticed that Chase is going to start issuing contactless Debit cards this year:
https://www.nfcw.com/2018/11/14/3585...s-cardholders/
They did that way back when, too. In fact I think they were the biggest issuer of those, at the time.
Sep 9, 2019, 9:42 pm
#7068
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 452
Also, there's a possibility that Discover's customer base might end up preferring devices over cards. I've heard at least one person saying that she "didn't see any point" in contactless cards when there was already Google Pay, for instance, and I recently read something claiming that mobile wallet use has doubled in the US compared to last year (though I'm not sure how accurate that is). If mobile wallet usage builds up enough, it might never become worthwhile for Discover to adopt contactless cards.
Here this might not be the case as much, as more people have more expensive phones, although there seem to still be outliers like Motorola g7 with their $300 phone lacking NFC capabilities. So I wonder if that might at all play a part in here, or is that market negligible enough and majority of the people have NFC in their phones.
Interestingly enough, Wawa seems to have disabled contactless at the pump. I have gone to two separate locations and the green lights aren't flashing on the reader. I get one quick green light flash if I put a contactless card up to it but it never reads. Ironically, the pumps have multiple signs advertising NFC payments. Hoping this is temporary for outdoor EMV certification.
I went to my local Wawa and NFC at the pump worked as always - no indication of anything changed on the receipt either. I wonder if it is a staggered roll out then.
Sep 9, 2019, 10:58 pm
#7069
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,508
I'm not sure where those labels & signs are coming from but they seemed to have turned up everywhere almost overnight. Even the little Indian restaurant I go to had them. Also spotted at Five Guys today.
Also noticed that Chase is going to start issuing contactless Debit cards this year:
https://www.nfcw.com/2018/11/14/3585...s-cardholders/
They did that way back when, too. In fact I think they were the biggest issuer of those, at the time.
Also noticed that Chase is going to start issuing contactless Debit cards this year:
https://www.nfcw.com/2018/11/14/3585...s-cardholders/
They did that way back when, too. In fact I think they were the biggest issuer of those, at the time.
As for Chase, contactless debit cards have been available for a few months now IIRC.
I would be very interested to know how many people actually have smartphones with NFC. For example, in Poland, majority of phones do NOT have NFC, so contactless card usage is huge while mobile wallets is much smaller. A lot of people over there have cheap Xiaomi phones without NFC.
Here this might not be the case as much, as more people have more expensive phones, although there seem to still be outliers like Motorola g7 with their $300 phone lacking NFC capabilities. So I wonder if that might at all play a part in here, or is that market negligible enough and majority of the people have NFC in their phones.
Here this might not be the case as much, as more people have more expensive phones, although there seem to still be outliers like Motorola g7 with their $300 phone lacking NFC capabilities. So I wonder if that might at all play a part in here, or is that market negligible enough and majority of the people have NFC in their phones.
That said, I don't think Chase et al are waiting any longer for mobile wallets to be adopted, even if the usage from younger customers does look promising.
Sep 10, 2019, 5:40 am
#7070
Join Date: Mar 2017
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Still wondering when Citi is going to roll out their contactless debit cards.
Sep 10, 2019, 8:46 am
#7071
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Location: RSW
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My cousin has an iPhone, but told me that she cannot use it outside North America with no GSM (bandwidth incompatibility), something like that. I believe my mom's fellow senior friend could use Samsung Pay (they're both on a European tour at present), but no Tracfone service elsewhere. So, there's that factor to consider beyond hardware.
Sep 10, 2019, 8:58 am
#7072
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Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
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My cousin has an iPhone, but told me that she cannot use it outside North America with no GSM (bandwidth incompatibility), something like that. I believe my mom's fellow senior friend could use Samsung Pay (they're both on a European tour at present), but no Tracfone service elsewhere. So, there's that factor to consider beyond hardware.
Sep 10, 2019, 10:40 am
#7073
Join Date: Oct 2007
Programs: AA, WN, UA, Bonvoy, Hertz
Posts: 2,491
(reference articles: https://www.nfcw.com/2010/01/22/3258...sticker-trial/ https://www.digitaltransactions.net/...ayment-system/)
I suspect many project people who were at Discover doing that trial are no longer there and have moved on (to Apple Card or other companies). There is still not a peep from Discover about offering a current generation contactless card option. They do have the technical standard, so it seems that people using their Discover via mobile wallets should be fine if the merchant processor/acquirer has coded in their "D-PAS" standard. It would be great if someone knew if it was working.
Sep 10, 2019, 10:46 am
#7075
Join Date: Oct 2007
Programs: AA, WN, UA, Bonvoy, Hertz
Posts: 2,491
My cousin has an iPhone, but told me that she cannot use it outside North America with no GSM (bandwidth incompatibility), something like that. I believe my mom's fellow senior friend could use Samsung Pay (they're both on a European tour at present), but no Tracfone service elsewhere. So, there's that factor to consider beyond hardware.
Sep 10, 2019, 12:16 pm
#7077
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Sep 10, 2019, 12:47 pm
#7078
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Indianapolis area
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 438
Ah, Discover Zip. But it was such a limited roll-out and most people could only get it on request.
(reference articles: https://www.nfcw.com/2010/01/22/3258...sticker-trial/ https://www.digitaltransactions.net/...ayment-system/)
I suspect many project people who were at Discover doing that trial are no longer there and have moved on (to Apple Card or other companies). There is still not a peep from Discover about offering a current generation contactless card option. They do have the technical standard, so it seems that people using their Discover via mobile wallets should be fine if the merchant processor/acquirer has coded in their "D-PAS" standard. It would be great if someone knew if it was working.
(reference articles: https://www.nfcw.com/2010/01/22/3258...sticker-trial/ https://www.digitaltransactions.net/...ayment-system/)
I suspect many project people who were at Discover doing that trial are no longer there and have moved on (to Apple Card or other companies). There is still not a peep from Discover about offering a current generation contactless card option. They do have the technical standard, so it seems that people using their Discover via mobile wallets should be fine if the merchant processor/acquirer has coded in their "D-PAS" standard. It would be great if someone knew if it was working.
Sep 10, 2019, 2:59 pm
#7079
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: RDU
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Is it really important to have a contactless card though? I much prefer to bring my iPhone with me, which stores several cards, and I also carry a thin wallet with my driver's license and a couple of credit cards for those cases where NFC isn't an option.
Sep 10, 2019, 4:55 pm
#7080
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Pretty sure the standard certification test cards include Discover contactless test cards. So they support it, they just haven't chosen to roll it out yet. https://b2ps.com/products/b2-emv-test-card-sets/
In addition, contactless cards don't need a battery and may be more familiar to cashiers outside the US (at the expense of potentially being unable to tap for larger purchases).