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)
Nov 11, 2017, 5:29 pm
#2641
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: FRA/SXB
Programs: FB Gold
Posts: 1,998
I visited my parents in the Northeastern US today, and stopped by a Wegmans.
Why am I prompted for "credit or debit" for a 4 $US transaction? I chose debit then entered my PIN. But that defeats the point of the speed of contactless transactions. Should be tap and done for small value (under 30€, 30$ or whatever) transactions.
Why am I prompted for "credit or debit" for a 4 $US transaction? I chose debit then entered my PIN. But that defeats the point of the speed of contactless transactions. Should be tap and done for small value (under 30€, 30$ or whatever) transactions.
Nov 11, 2017, 6:20 pm
#2642
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 1,592
I visited my parents in the Northeastern US today, and stopped by a Wegmans.
Why am I prompted for "credit or debit" for a 4 $US transaction? I chose debit then entered my PIN. But that defeats the point of the speed of contactless transactions. Should be tap and done for small value (under 30€, 30$ or whatever) transactions.
Why am I prompted for "credit or debit" for a 4 $US transaction? I chose debit then entered my PIN. But that defeats the point of the speed of contactless transactions. Should be tap and done for small value (under 30€, 30$ or whatever) transactions.
Nov 11, 2017, 9:27 pm
#2643
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,061
I was finally able to use contactless at the Safeway on Hamilton Ave in Campbell today. This was at one of the manned lanes.
The place where I went for dinner, Aloha Fresh, had a Clover setup with a customer facing FD-40. I thought Clover had its own style of combo EMV/contactless pads like Square?
The place where I went for dinner, Aloha Fresh, had a Clover setup with a customer facing FD-40. I thought Clover had its own style of combo EMV/contactless pads like Square?
Nov 11, 2017, 9:37 pm
#2644
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: HHonors, TrueBlue, Delta SkyMiles, Hyatt Discoverist, Starwood Preferred Guest, American Airlines.
Posts: 2,035
I've made this argument a few times. Contactless in the US is more messed up than anywhere in the world.
Nov 11, 2017, 10:26 pm
#2645
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,507
I was finally able to use contactless at the Safeway on Hamilton Ave in Campbell today. This was at one of the manned lanes.
The place where I went for dinner, Aloha Fresh, had a Clover setup with a customer facing FD-40. I thought Clover had its own style of combo EMV/contactless pads like Square?
The place where I went for dinner, Aloha Fresh, had a Clover setup with a customer facing FD-40. I thought Clover had its own style of combo EMV/contactless pads like Square?
Anyway, I believe the FD40 is less expensive than those other two options, especially if one already has a Clover Station. Hence why they seem to be more common.
Nov 12, 2017, 11:07 am
#2646
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: SAN
Posts: 1,171
My point is you can have all the test environments you want, when you deploy to production and users get their hands on things, they will do things in ways you could never have anticipated and cause things to break in unexpected ways. We've seen how well trained many of these cashiers are about how to use their new terminals.
Nobody in retail IT is doing formal verificatation and EAL7-type development. That's basically what you have to do to ensure your code is bug free.
If retail IT was being fully invested in, all stores would be as fast as Walgreens' chip readers and nobody would be complaining how slow it is, the POS wouldn't crash if you pulled the card out early, etc.
I stand by my position that rolling out a software update to some of the registers in a location and testing before finishing the others is a reasonable approach to take if you want to ensure continuity of operations.
Nov 12, 2017, 11:19 am
#2647
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: RDU
Programs: DL(PM), UA(Silver), AA(EXP) Marriott(Ti), HH(Gold), Hertz(PC)
Posts: 2,668
Yes, I fully agree with the above. Worst case, only the upgraded terminals end up being off-line, and you still have others that are operational and can take care of the customers.
Nov 13, 2017, 1:54 pm
#2648
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 1,592
This ethnic market I went to yesterday has customer-facing FD40 terminals and happened to be fully aware of tap payment. Oddly, my receipt said signature verified despite not signing anything. I reckon they have digital signature capture on the Clover Station and just left it blank or whatever.
Nov 13, 2017, 2:05 pm
#2649
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,507
This ethnic market I went to yesterday has customer-facing FD40 terminals and happened to be fully aware of tap payment. Oddly, my receipt said signature verified despite not signing anything. I reckon they have digital signature capture on the Clover Station and just left it blank or whatever.
Nov 14, 2017, 12:09 pm
#2650
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,507
For those who use Sprint for their mobile devices, this card might be useful (and seems to have contactless built-in). It looks like it may be targeted, however, and not open to the general public.
Nov 15, 2017, 1:46 am
#2651
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 489
For those who use Sprint for their mobile devices, this card might be useful (and seems to have contactless built-in). It looks like it may be targeted, however, and not open to the general public.
Nov 15, 2017, 10:56 am
#2652
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,507
Also, did the MC map update this month yet? I think it might have but I'm not 100% sure.
Nov 15, 2017, 2:45 pm
#2653
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: Skymiles
Posts: 3,251
Perfect placement of a “window” for Apple Pay and PIN enabled cards. 
At the Muir Woods forest in CA, and a lot of international users were keying in their PINs just fine on it. I used Apple Pay
At the Muir Woods forest in CA, and a lot of international users were keying in their PINs just fine on it. I used Apple Pay
Nov 15, 2017, 6:04 pm
#2654
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,507
Unfortunately EMV support is definitely not system wide. The Cabrillo National Monument, for example, was 100% magstripe-only when I went.
Nov 15, 2017, 6:07 pm
#2655
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 1,592
I hear Sprint is actually decent in at least a couple of metros, not to mention that they had a pretty good deal a while back for the first year of service. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Unfortunately they aren't so good where I live, so that's why I finally left them a couple years ago. Not sure if they've gotten better since.
That is a nice setup, though. At Great Falls Park (VA), the cashier hands out a terminal to the driver at the gate. They're fully aware of tap payments, and they even have a big contactless sticker on the window.