As mentioned in #219, Amex is one of the Founding members of EMV.

...and already issues Chip & PIN cards in Europe.

Not it wasn't, in fact they were the last to join. If AMEX was a founder it'd be called EMVA :D

Is it possible to buy general use gift cards or the like with chip and pin in Europe?

From earlier in this thread: http://www.what-prepaid-card.co.uk/f...aid-cards.html

From earlier in this thread: I hadn't realized "prepaid" was what I should be searching for. "Gift" didn't turn up anything useful.

thanks

Have never tried to get a prepaid card of any kind, but I'm assuming there are Visa gift cards in the EU as well, though have never paid much notice. In Madrid this coming week. Will see if I can find anything.

Does anyone in US offer Visa/Mc Chip & Pin?
 

I'm surprised USAA, which has a Total Rewards program, doesn't offer chip & pin - especially since they are oriented towards the military.
Does anyone know the best channel to suggest this to them? It would also give USAA a chance to stand out from the pack>

Aside from the credit union for the United Nations, not a single US financial institution big or small, personal or corporate, offers chip and PIN nor provide customers with the option to do so should they need one for travel outside the US.

Heck I'd be just as satisfied with a optional fee-based reloadable VISA or MC giftcard/travelcard with an EMV chip on it but even that's not offered anywhere within the States. :td:

Another article about the problem, including news that WalMart plans to install C&P capable terminals in all of its stores.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...trpucci25.html

Maybe they can push Green Dot to issue a C+P card?

Well with Wal-Mart's size and prevalence maybe this will be the beginning of the slow move toward C&P here or are at least having it as an option...sort of like when the adult film industry's choice of VHS made the defacto choice of format for home videotapes back in the 80s (not that I'd know anything about that...)

MasterCard is more realistic. It says it knows customers have had problems, and is working on a solution that could allow financial institutions to issue a "dual interface" card that would work in the U.S. and other countries without waiting for the entire U.S. banking system to adopt chip-and-pin.

FINALLY. Although, let's be real, this should have been done years ago


He guesses they might start by combining a Visa or MasterCard chip-and-pin card with an airline-affiliated card aimed at frequent travelers. Most of those cards, however, carry annual fees.

Who cares? Give us the bloody cards, already.

"For the bank, it comes down to what kind of services are you going to offer your customers who travel," says Whaley. "For many financial institutions, I think it's still a matter of waiting to see if there the demand"

IF?! There is still doubt about that?

Which is what I’ve been saying for the past year or so! :rolleyes:

It’s not like the whole US financial industry has to change over to Chip & PIN overnight; just continue to use the swipe and sign until merchants and banks feel free to do so. Sooner or later it needs to happen, but all this is made over-complicated when it’s simple as just issuing a single all use card for the time being. NOBODY has to change, just issue the single all use card for those that need it! Give us an option at the least instead of alienating us from the rest of the world!

Seriously, how hard is it to just issue a single card that features everything from embossed numbers (for imprinters), mag-strip on the back (for swipe & sign in the US), contactless chip (for Paypass, etc), and the EMV (for Chip & PIN use abroad)?? Is it that difficult to do?

It's not hard ... it's just not that great of an idea, from the standpoint of the card issuers. I think this thread has been clear on this issue: there's nothing technical stopping them from doing it, there are just political and business issues. You keep hammering on this point that it's not hard; I think you just don't understand the issues.