Last edit by: storewanderer
Older (archived) threads: 2014-16
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FAQ- 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)
#5986
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That said, the gas stations with the foresight to install contactless readers on their pumps do support contactless outside for the most part, so there's that.
#5987
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I'm not sure if this is new or not, but after I paid at Sprouts tonight with a MC in Google Pay, the receipt showed all the normal EMV information with the addition of "PIN VERIFIED" at the bottom of that section. I don't recall ever seeing that on Visa and if anything, I would have expected it to be the other way around with my typical transaction amounts: PIN Verified for Visa (since CDCVM always happens) and nothing for MC.
Also, I did tap before the cashier finished ringing up my items, so perhaps that has something to do with it too.
Also, I did tap before the cashier finished ringing up my items, so perhaps that has something to do with it too.
#5988
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I think Circle K in Arizona has the worst setup. Some Contactless works, some don't at the pumps, no matter if its unbranded or not. Circle K has some pumps with black and white screens, some with contactless readers, it's a mess with zero standardization.
#5989
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As for outside, the problem is more that individual franchisees are taking their time on hardware upgrades--at least around here, anyway.
#5990
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So I was doing some cleanup of the EMV map's database and apparently Shell was still marked as not supporting contactless. After fixing that, we're now apparently at 72% of listings supporting it. ^ The top 5 by number of locations that don't support contactless now consist of:
1. USPS (~24K locations)
2. Dollar General (~12K)
3. Taco Bell (~6K) -- though they're enabling it now
4. Wendy's (~6K)
5. ExxonMobil (~10K combined)
and rounding out the top ten:
6. Dollar Tree (~5K)
7. The UPS Store (~4K)
8. Walmart (~4K)
9. O'Reilly Auto Parts (~2K)
10. The Home Depot (~2K)
Other than USPS (which considering their installation of NFC readers on the new kiosks means that it'll be enabled eventually) and Taco Bell (which is supposedly enabling it now), I'm not sure if or when the others will.
1. USPS (~24K locations)
2. Dollar General (~12K)
3. Taco Bell (~6K) -- though they're enabling it now
4. Wendy's (~6K)
5. ExxonMobil (~10K combined)
and rounding out the top ten:
6. Dollar Tree (~5K)
7. The UPS Store (~4K)
8. Walmart (~4K)
9. O'Reilly Auto Parts (~2K)
10. The Home Depot (~2K)
Other than USPS (which considering their installation of NFC readers on the new kiosks means that it'll be enabled eventually) and Taco Bell (which is supposedly enabling it now), I'm not sure if or when the others will.
#5991
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#5992
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#5993
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Out of curiosity, has anyone received a contactless debit card from TD Bank yet? I thought I remember someone (either here or the EMV thread) commenting about them before. Mainly I'm interested in whether the contactless interface is PIN preferring on the global AID just like the contact one, though it might require cardpeek to determine considering how debit cards are handled in the US.
#5994
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Out of curiosity, has anyone received a contactless debit card from TD Bank yet? I thought I remember someone (either here or the EMV thread) commenting about them before. Mainly I'm interested in whether the contactless interface is PIN preferring on the global AID just like the contact one, though it might require cardpeek to determine considering how debit cards are handled in the US.
#5995
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Yep, you remember correctly, I do have that one and I am the one mentioning it. I'm not sure how to check that - I haven't been prompted for much of anything yet while tapping it And I do not have the stuff for cardpeek. Any other way to check that? I'll be happy to play around, but it is difficult here. I know that my contact TD Card always defaulted to signature - when I was in Poland and other European countries, it would demand a signature and never a PIN, except for unmanned terminals. So I am surprised to see that it is listed as PIN preferring - I wonder if that changed? Santander's debit card always behaved like a European card, so it asked for a PIN and never signature.
As for cardpeek, if you (or anyone else) wants to scan their card's contactless interface, it'll require a USB NFC reader (something like ) as well as slight tweaks to the emv.lua file. For the latter, you'll want to modify line 51 after the "..." and use either "B7 60 C0 00" (what I use to be able to determine fDDA/offline transaction support) or if that doesn't work, "36 00 40 00" (per https://technologypartner.visa.com/Download.aspx?id=695, though that particular sequence indicates CVM not required) or "36 60 40 00" (same, but with CVM required). After doing this and scanning your card (Analyzer->EMV followed by Yes for Get Processing Options in the app), you'll want to look for something called "TLV (Context-specific) 9F6C"; my Chase contactless card gives "4000h", for example, which corresponds to "signature required". PIN preference should result in that first digit being 8 instead, regardless of the other digits.
BTW the above instructions only work with Visa. MC shouldn't require modifications to emv.lua, but AmEx and Discover require different modifications IIRC. It should also be possible to determine whether PIN's supported at all for contactless by removing the bit indicating support for signature from the three sequences above, but I imagine if PIN's not preferred, it's unlikely to be on the contactless interface at all (and probably not on the contact one, for that matter).
#5996
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Just reporting that tapping my AMEX card at Safeway went through correctly today.
#5997
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Ok so I went to a Cubby's Cenex gas station and I tapped my Amex card and it worked at the pump and didn't even ask for a zip code and the receipt shows swipe on it. Visa Debit Google Pay declined immediately with a $0 amount so the same as always but that is odd and it must not be working still. Inside they have EMV and ctls enabled too with Verifone Commander though so not surprising. But finally a local NCR grocery store with old blue Hypercom L5300's now has EMV ctls but it forces pin on debit card and the receipt looks just like many NCR grocery stores with MX915's and the screen name was "EMV_Online" which said that in the bottom right corner of the pin screen. Here is the receipt picture: https://imgur.com/dDYZkdt This place did get new pos hardware a year or so ago but did not change those L5300's which have been installed since like May 2012 wow they must be really well made to work that long.
#5998
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Successfully used Contactless at In N Out tonight. Not a location I've been to before so not sure if it's a one off or what. EMV Contactless. Processed very fast.
#5999
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Speaking of which, apparently metal cards are common enough here where this frozen yogurt chain needed to get the below labels printed up. Known issue with Clover?
#6000
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Instead of spending more money on labels they should have just pitched that mess out and got something decent.