I like it. I wish more places would be like Chili's and have the kiosks on the table so you can pay when you want to and not have to give your card to the server to go swipe at a terminal somewhere out of sight.


A bit OT...


As for the metric system you'll probably never see that in the US namely due to the sheer number of road signs (distances between cities, mile posts, exit numbers, speed limits etc) that would have to be changed to KM. Add in reprinting of maps and the like and the cost would be astronomical.

BioMio in this case...

A while back, California finally got exit numbers on their freeway signs. They didn't do a mass installation though--they only added the numbers as signs needed replacing/fixing. Might be something that could be done for metric conversion but it would take a fairly long while to fully complete.

We're quite happy mixing metric and imperial in the UK. It's a very typically British messy compromise...

Right. This is now standard procedure in Canada. The main reason all the banks went to chip & pin is we actually have decent banking regulations in Canada.

The Canadian banks all said a long time ago they were moving to this system, and they did. The U.S. banks are all scared to go first, because there's no incentive for any one of them to do so.

I like it from a security point of view. The only negative is that if you add a tip, you are doing it right under the eyes of the server. I prefer to tip in the privacy of my own mind.

Of course this tipping issue is primarily a US thing anyway.....

Indeed. In fact one of our local roads has sign boards that were placed for measuring distances in KMs but ended up with them printed in miles.

As for the chip and pin machines at the table... Other than sometimes having to wait ages to pay I think it's great.

Since the terms and conditions of owning a card, certainly in the UK and I believe much of the rest of the world, do not allow you to let the card out of your sight in strangers' hands, I find it very uncomfortable watching the staff taking away my card to get out their cloning kit....

But pay at table, certainly in informal dining, is taking on a new dimension with apps like Qkr! which allow you to scan a QR code embedded in the table and pay that way. Saves having to wait for the bill - you each just pay and go. Far better.

I actually believe we will skip chip and pin in the US. I already do a fair amount of my transactions using ApplePay (grocery and sporting events). Restaurants are the only place where my card is ever out of sight. OpenTable is developing a system where you pay your bill on your mobile device. Professional sports are working on a system which will require every attendee to have a mobile device -- no paper tickets, no cash or credit cards at concessions. The White Sox did not even send out printed season tickets this year.

Ironically in 30+ years of heavily using credit cards, the only place I had a card cloned was at a trendy restaurant in London in 2008. The server swiped my card in front of me and a few days later someone started racking up purchases at a D&G boutique. Amex caught it and, since it was the only transaction I put on that card during that trip, went after the restaurant.

I prefer to pay at the table. I have not had any problems with card cloning or theft by unauthorized use but I am uncomfortable watching the card leave my sight in an unfamiliar restaurant. Since Chili's is owned by Brinker, has anyone seen the Ziosk at Maggiano's as well?

Ironically the only reason why Apple Pay is even usable anywhere in the US is because of the chip migration that's happening right now. We'll likely still need it for years to come simply because there needs to be a fallback for when phones don't work or aren't supported.

Personally, I think the belief that we will all have smart phones and feel comfortable enough using them for anything that comes up is wildly optimistic and perhaps even a bit dangerous. that would be the proverbial straw that would bring the downfall of the technology haves and have nots.

Don't think that it is just restaurants where your card gets striped. Yes that is a very common place, but there are also many ways thieves can get the info right off of your card right from the machine. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/busin...423-story.html

I hear almost 80% of people in this country have some sort of smartphone. Maybe not one that can do NFC though. I will give you that it is ridiculously easy to spend money with Apple Pay, possibly too easy.

I do like the small units at the Chili's and just saw one not too long ago at a Red Robin. I slightly worry that someone can intercept the wi-fi signal and decrypt it to find my information, but my worry level on that is pretty low.

My main reason for liking it isn't so much my card leaving me but it seems that as soon as we are done with a meal and want to pay and leave, the server is nowhere to be found! Or hasn't printed the check etc. etc. It allows me to finish, swipe the card, and be on my way with a minimum of delay.

I prefer it as well, for the same reasons others have mentioned. I've heard of a few large scale card thefts at restaurants so it's nice if the card stays in your hands. I've seen it at a handful of places in the US. One place in Atlanta that I can't remember the name of and used to visit. Theirs had the buttons you could press for tip percentages. Fast and easy.