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

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 Annes 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)

Old Jan 27, 2019, 10:45 pm
  #5506  
 
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Originally Posted by tmiw
My contactless Freedom and CFU had new expiration dates, actually. I'd expect the same for the CSR too.
I'll report back once I receive the new CSR, but my Chase Freedom Unlimited had its original expiration date on the contactless version. Upon second look, the Chase Freedom did get a new expiration date, but the Freedom Unlimited is definitely the old one. (Even on the new contactless version the card expires next year.)
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Old Jan 28, 2019, 9:46 am
  #5507  
 
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Originally Posted by scibot
So it seems they might be getting rid of Circle K Shell altogether and I wonder if it has to do with the lack of EMV at those locations? While unbranded Circle K now has EMV enabled and so do Phillips 66/Conoco Circle K's as well. I guess if it starts happening in AZ then they must be getting rid of Shell for sure. Hmmm here it is happening in FL: https://www.tampabay.com/news/busine...ons-_167658781 interesting..
I wonder if it has anything to do with shell's cost. I've noticed many of the convenience stores in my area switched from selling shell to selling mobil.
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Old Jan 28, 2019, 10:19 am
  #5508  
 
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Originally Posted by PhX1Guy
I wonder if it has anything to do with shell's cost. I've noticed many of the convenience stores in my area switched from selling shell to selling mobil.
I also noticed that in some cases the private Valeros are turning into Shells
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Old Jan 28, 2019, 3:44 pm
  #5509  
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Originally Posted by diburning
So, in Safeway's New England division, the EMV update was rolled out to all stores today instead of a staggered rollout. Contactless payments run as EMV don't even show a cash back prompt if everything is working properly. I haven't seen any external changes to any of the screens or processing time.
Today I noticed that the dots showed up on the insert/swipe screen before tapping (they never used to before). Is that related to this update? No EMV info on the receipt though.
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Old Jan 28, 2019, 4:11 pm
  #5510  
 
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Originally Posted by tmiw
Today I noticed that the dots showed up on the insert/swipe screen before tapping (they never used to before). Is that related to this update? No EMV info on the receipt though.
Maybe. The dots used to show sometimes, and even if the dots disappeared, NFC was still on. Or, they'd show on the loyalty card phone number screen and then disappear after moving on from that screen. The damn update broke contactless again. I had to go in and reset an entire store today. My unfortunate colleagues were all out rebooting pin pads today too. To add insult to injury, a soft reset didn't work for most of them, so they required a cold boot to fix. The strange thing is, this problem just appeared. It didn't appear on the roll-out day, it affects all pin pads in the store, and seems to occur at random since the support tickets are sporadic.
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Old Jan 28, 2019, 4:30 pm
  #5511  
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Originally Posted by tmiw
At least for AmEx it seems to require that you tap a specific side of the card vs. working with both. We'll see in any case.
I have contactless on my Plat Amex (metal). The way they built that card, it's a metal card but the back of it (signature panel side) is basically a plastic sticker stuck on the front metal piece. You must tap with the plastic side toward the terminal for it to work.

Originally Posted by D582
My current CSR is plastic, so Im wondering what the replacement will be.
I have both a metal and plastic CSR on the same account. Hopefully when they replace mine it'll be the plastic. Has anyone gotten a plastic contactless CSR yet?
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Old Jan 28, 2019, 10:15 pm
  #5512  
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Originally Posted by diburning
Maybe. The dots used to show sometimes, and even if the dots disappeared, NFC was still on. Or, they'd show on the loyalty card phone number screen and then disappear after moving on from that screen.
Might have been a fluke, then, especially if EMV info is supposed to show on the receipt.

Originally Posted by gooselee
I have contactless on my Plat Amex (metal). The way they built that card, it's a metal card but the back of it (signature panel side) is basically a plastic sticker stuck on the front metal piece. You must tap with the plastic side toward the terminal for it to work.
Is there any documentation from AmEx talking about needing to do that?
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Old Jan 28, 2019, 11:19 pm
  #5513  
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Weirdly, this advertising on a Chase ATM makes it seem like the CFU has the contactless symbol on the front when it's actually on the back (at least on mine):



BTW the ATMs still only accept Chase debit cards via contactless.
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Old Jan 29, 2019, 2:00 am
  #5514  
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Originally Posted by tmiw
Is there any documentation from AmEx talking about needing to do that?
If there is, I didn't see it or perhaps just threw it out when I got the new card. My comment is just based IME...I've accidentally tried it backwards a few times and consistently had to flip it around for it to work.
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Old Jan 29, 2019, 3:56 am
  #5515  
 
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According to Apple Maps Ralphs accept Apple Pay. So I went to one of their stores next to the LAX but without luck. They don't even had a contactless reader.
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Old Jan 29, 2019, 6:13 am
  #5516  
 
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Originally Posted by Marschel
According to Apple Maps Ralphs accept Apple Pay. So I went to one of their stores next to the LAX but without luck. They don't even had a contactless reader.
How would you know? The MX915 has contactlsss built in
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Old Jan 29, 2019, 9:31 am
  #5517  
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Looks like Commerce Bank is next to introduce contactless cards: https://apnews.com/38aa88742bd346b4befb4661135d3ae5

Also, the name sounds familiar but I'm not sure where from.
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Old Jan 29, 2019, 4:27 pm
  #5518  
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Per Apple's earnings report today, there were 1.8 billion Apple Pay transactions in the previous quarter. Even assuming a pessimistic 10% or so of the total, that's still 2 million transactions per day in the US. ^

It would be nice to get a more detailed usage breakdown (like by state/metro or something) but I doubt Apple would release those numbers.
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Old Jan 29, 2019, 7:21 pm
  #5519  
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
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Originally Posted by tmiw
Weirdly, this advertising on a Chase ATM makes it seem like the CFU has the contactless symbol on the front when it's actually on the back (at least on mine):

BTW the ATMs still only accept Chase debit cards via contactless.
Maybe there was a last minute design change before the card went to print, but the artwork for the ATM screens wasn't updated. Or perhaps they're doing that to get you to think about using it.

What happens if you have a Chase debit card that doesn't have contactless in it? Not good....
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Old Jan 29, 2019, 7:39 pm
  #5520  
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Originally Posted by HotelHacker
Maybe there was a last minute design change before the card went to print, but the artwork for the ATM screens wasn't updated. Or perhaps they're doing that to get you to think about using it.

What happens if you have a Chase debit card that doesn't have contactless in it? Not good....
The contactless reader on ATMs was originally for mobile wallets, so no worries there.
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