Magnetic stripe credit cards

[peregrina2000]

An article in today's NY Times describes what might someday be a problem for US peregrinos. Unlike most other countries, US banks are not moving towards microprocessor chip technology, which is now common in European credit cards. And these cards with chips apparently reduce fraud quite a bit, b/c they require pin numbers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/trave ... updateema3

The article does say that the problem is currently limited to places like "automated ticket kiosks at train stations, gas pumps, parking garages", so I guess we don't have to start worrying yet!

Laurie

 

[Deleted member 397]

I have an Aussie credit card with a chip. Withdrawing money from ATM's you obviously need a PIN bur in shops I sign...wonder why US banks are not adopting them.

 

[lynnejohn]

Very strange that America is lagging behind on this. In a related article a SmartCard expert opines that it would likely be 5-10 years before the US adopts the technology. (AMEX already does have the chip-and-pin technology, but this doesn't help much as it is not widely accepted.)

lynne