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)
Jun 17, 2018, 11:05 am
#4201
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Canada
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Jun 17, 2018, 8:47 pm
#4202
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
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I think the MC map updated recently but I'm not 100% sure. Can anyone else confirm?
Assuming it did, however, Country Inn & Suites is on there now. I'm not sure if that means that you can tap to check in or if it's for something else (like a gift shop or restaurant).
Assuming it did, however, Country Inn & Suites is on there now. I'm not sure if that means that you can tap to check in or if it's for something else (like a gift shop or restaurant).
Jun 17, 2018, 9:02 pm
#4203
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,722
Yesterday I visited a Cenex brand running Verifone Commander with both EMV and contactless. The total screen has a list with a total, a list of items and tiny nfc dots for a second then it goes to a "Insert or Swipe Card" Verifone screen with the white top part and a blue background so like Exxonmobil Commander but yeah nfc is still enabled unlike the other brand of Cenex around here which disabled nfc a year ago and does not have EMV I believe. A difference in the receipt is that it lists RFID instead of Contactless MSR at other Commander brands such as BP, Sinclair and VP Express.
Jun 18, 2018, 1:24 pm
#4204
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,746
Which Capital One Cards
I see online that some Capital One cards in the US are now issued contactless - but when I call Capital One to inquire as to which cards, the answer I get does not make sense.<br /><br />Anyone know which Capital One cards come enabled with contactless, and if all of those cards have contactless (Capital One told me that it depends on whether your account "has the offer" for contactless, so that depending on whether the account had the offer, a Venture card would or would not be contactless.)
Jun 18, 2018, 5:01 pm
#4205
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Location: San Diego, CA
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Google Pay failed at Rite-Aid today; the terminal did not recognize the payment with multiple attempts despite the checkbox appearing on the phone. 
Jun 19, 2018, 4:14 pm
#4206
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BTW, it looks like they changed the text on the vending machine readers at work to get rid of references to contactless cards. I'm also not sure what the purpose of the second set of lights on the bottom is, either, come to think of it.
Jun 20, 2018, 12:11 am
#4207
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,060
I went to Subway for lunch, and the cashier helped an older gentleman tap his Costco Visa on the terminal rather than inserting it! 
Jun 20, 2018, 4:49 am
#4208
Join Date: Mar 2017
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Noticed M&T Bank's new business Visa credit cards have contactless. Perhaps the rest of their cards will follow?
https://www.mtb.com/business/busines...ds-credit-card
https://www.mtb.com/business/busines...ds-credit-card
Jun 20, 2018, 3:49 pm
#4209
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: New England
Programs: American Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Silver
Posts: 5,640
Ok, which of you came by my store? 
A few days ago, a customer complained that our pin pads (MX915s) were too sensitive and that he should not be able to activate Google Pay just by using his phone while in line. He had his phone set so that while it is unlocked, further authentication (fingerprint, passcode, etc) was not needed. I demonstrated to him (with my phone) that it is the intended function to activate the contactless payment function on his phone when it is near the pin pad. He was upset that it would activate so far away (about an 3/4th of an inch from the screen) and insisted that it wasn't supposed to work unless he tapped his phone on it.
I told him that the distance is indeed the intended function as it is "contactless," and he responded by saying that it was too sensitive and that if he didn't want to use Google Pay, that it should not activate while he had his phone in his pocket (his shirt pocket happened to be at the same height as the pin pad).
I suggested that he should set some sort of security feature such as a fingerprint or passcode to activate it, so that if he lost his phone, someone else wouldn't be able to use it to make payments. He stormed off.
A few days ago, a customer complained that our pin pads (MX915s) were too sensitive and that he should not be able to activate Google Pay just by using his phone while in line. He had his phone set so that while it is unlocked, further authentication (fingerprint, passcode, etc) was not needed. I demonstrated to him (with my phone) that it is the intended function to activate the contactless payment function on his phone when it is near the pin pad. He was upset that it would activate so far away (about an 3/4th of an inch from the screen) and insisted that it wasn't supposed to work unless he tapped his phone on it.
I told him that the distance is indeed the intended function as it is "contactless," and he responded by saying that it was too sensitive and that if he didn't want to use Google Pay, that it should not activate while he had his phone in his pocket (his shirt pocket happened to be at the same height as the pin pad).
I suggested that he should set some sort of security feature such as a fingerprint or passcode to activate it, so that if he lost his phone, someone else wouldn't be able to use it to make payments. He stormed off.
Jun 20, 2018, 4:34 pm
#4210
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,507
Ok, which of you came by my store?
A few days ago, a customer complained that our pin pads (MX915s) were too sensitive and that he should not be able to activate Google Pay just by using his phone while in line. He had his phone set so that while it is unlocked, further authentication (fingerprint, passcode, etc) was not needed. I demonstrated to him (with my phone) that it is the intended function to activate the contactless payment function on his phone when it is near the pin pad. He was upset that it would activate so far away (about an 3/4th of an inch from the screen) and insisted that it wasn't supposed to work unless he tapped his phone on it.
I told him that the distance is indeed the intended function as it is "contactless," and he responded by saying that it was too sensitive and that if he didn't want to use Google Pay, that it should not activate while he had his phone in his pocket (his shirt pocket happened to be at the same height as the pin pad).
I suggested that he should set some sort of security feature such as a fingerprint or passcode to activate it, so that if he lost his phone, someone else wouldn't be able to use it to make payments. He stormed off.
A few days ago, a customer complained that our pin pads (MX915s) were too sensitive and that he should not be able to activate Google Pay just by using his phone while in line. He had his phone set so that while it is unlocked, further authentication (fingerprint, passcode, etc) was not needed. I demonstrated to him (with my phone) that it is the intended function to activate the contactless payment function on his phone when it is near the pin pad. He was upset that it would activate so far away (about an 3/4th of an inch from the screen) and insisted that it wasn't supposed to work unless he tapped his phone on it.
I told him that the distance is indeed the intended function as it is "contactless," and he responded by saying that it was too sensitive and that if he didn't want to use Google Pay, that it should not activate while he had his phone in his pocket (his shirt pocket happened to be at the same height as the pin pad).
I suggested that he should set some sort of security feature such as a fingerprint or passcode to activate it, so that if he lost his phone, someone else wouldn't be able to use it to make payments. He stormed off.
Jun 21, 2018, 7:19 am
#4211
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: PDX
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Posts: 459
I see online that some Capital One cards in the US are now issued contactless - but when I call Capital One to inquire as to which cards, the answer I get does not make sense.<br /><br />Anyone know which Capital One cards come enabled with contactless, and if all of those cards have contactless (Capital One told me that it depends on whether your account "has the offer" for contactless, so that depending on whether the account had the offer, a Venture card would or would not be contactless.)
Jun 21, 2018, 8:55 am
#4212
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: HHonors, TrueBlue, Delta SkyMiles, Hyatt Discoverist, Starwood Preferred Guest, American Airlines.
Posts: 2,035
Jun 21, 2018, 9:42 am
#4214
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: HHonors, TrueBlue, Delta SkyMiles, Hyatt Discoverist, Starwood Preferred Guest, American Airlines.
Posts: 2,035
The companies that buy Rite Aid will most likely use their POS system and not Rite Aid's garbage system.
Jun 21, 2018, 6:42 pm
#4215
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,133
Total Wine's terminals now say "Swipe/Tap/Insert Card", but NFC is not working. Cashier mentioned it should be coming soon. Also, seems like they have stopped requiring signatures as well (didn't have to sign for a purchase over $100).