Chip & PIN Technology

[sun_shine]

Just frustrated with chip & PIN at the moment and need to RANT! So as well know there are pros and cons to this 'new' technology. In my opinion, the pros far outweigh the cons (harder to duplicate and compromise than magnetic strip being the best pro) but I am currently more frustrated about the con of the chips malfunctioning far more often than the strip ever does. Right now the chip on my MC doesn't work, and of course with the long weekend it is taking longer for my new card to come in... this doesn't mean I don't still have purchases that need to be made! Today I went to Shell for gas and decided to go pay inside as their pumps (at least in my city) don't have the Tap technology yet. I don't regularly go to Shell but assumed that they had the tap inside as every other gas station I have been to has it. Maybe this was all my fault because I didn't check inside before pumping gas, but really, gas stations were some of the first businesses to install the paypass machines according to my recollections. Well, I went ahead and pumped $50 and went inside to pay, and there was no way for me to pay After two tries with the chip it instructs to swipe, but then when you remove the card it says 'please wait' and when it comes back it says insert/swipe. So I swipe anyway and it instructs to use the chip. The cashier said that if she swipes my card on her till it will just instruct to use chip. She kept wiping off my chip and I told her that it won't work and hasn't worked anywhere for over a week now. She just stood there and said "I have no other solution for you". I didn't have anything else with me and obviously couldn't get in my car to go and get another form of payment as then I would have been breaking the law and 'stealing gas'. Yes, chip & PIN technology is great, but I believe businesses need to either a) have tap technology or b) have the ability for the card to be swiped after a few tries if the chip doesn't work. I was so frustrated that I didn't have any other option and needed to contact somebody else to come and pay for the gas. I wasn't really mean to the cashier, despite my frustration as I realize it wasn't her fault and in that situation I wouldn't know what to do either. I simply said "you guys need to have another option for payment when chips malfunction".

There was a bank machine in the gas station but I just assumed it wouldn't have worked if the chip wasn't working... now that I think of it, it may have as cards were still inserted in bank machines even before chips existed. Regardless, I would not have liked having to pay the cash advance fees just because the gas station didn't have another solution.

[GracieAnne]

I can hear my Mom's voice in my head right now, "That's why you should always have cash with you". I had a similar thing happen to me a year or so ago, and since then I always carry $20 or $30 cash on me as a "just in case" because I really got crap from my Mom that day, having to call her up and come to lend me money that my stupid debit card wouldn't let me have.

[Shwa Girl]

I can hear my Mom's voice in my head right now, "That's why you should always have cash with you". I had a similar thing happen to me a year or so ago, and since then I always carry $20 or $30 cash on me as a "just in case" because I really got crap from my Mom that day, having to call her up and come to lend me money that my stupid debit card wouldn't let me have.

Yes, cash comes in handy.

OP, a while ago, they had a black out on the east coast of Canada and the US. Gas stations worked on electricity and were closed. Cell phone service/towers was not working.

Only a few gas pumps were open in Toronto. They had manual pumps still. And, you guessed it, they only took cash. Some people were stuck in Toronto, with no way to get home after work.

And they could not call home for help, with the cell phone.
we kept our land line after learning about that.

[sun_shine]

Some people aren't in a financial situation that allows them to have cash on hand

I agree that you all have a point, but for me, carrying cash isn't a possibility right now as the cash has to come from somewhere.

[i_forget]

I had the same thing happen to me with my bank card. Had to use my credit card to pay for gas. Really irritating...and embarrassing.

[sun_shine]

I had the same thing happen to me with my bank card. Had to use my credit card to pay for gas. Really irritating...and embarrassing.

I agree! Usually I got Loblaws/Superstore gas bar anyway as I find the Superbucks to pay off for me better than any other points systems that other gas chains use. Quick example, today I was at Loblaws and wanted bananas (RCSS is too far away, even though Loblaws cost more) and grabbed a bunch of 6. Total was $2.11 (grrr, knew I could probably PM a better price at WM), but after using some of my Superbucks I paid $0.11 for my bananas Just happened to stop at Shell today and probably won't go there again.

[OgresWife]

My issue with the tap technology is that anyone can use the card. People can steal one and rack it up before you notice it gone! When I got my new debit card it has the tap feature on there and I asked for it to be disabled (no problem!)

But I do understand your frustration. DH chip started messing up a few weeks ago. His bank is in another town, and we don't drive. Trying to figure out a banking day he has off AND he can find a way up to get a new card has proven very difficult. (they won't let him change his address over the phone since technically his home branch closed down) He now etransfers me his "free" money and either asks for some cash or borrows my card, which is fine because I have the scene card, with bank the rest debit lol.

Hes acutally spending less now!

But yea, I get your pain and it sucks!

[sun_shine]

My issue with the tap technology is that anyone can use the card. People can steal one and rack it up before you notice it gone! When I got my new debit card it has the tap feature on there and I asked for it to be disabled (no problem!)

But I do understand your frustration. DH chip started messing up a few weeks ago. His bank is in another town, and we don't drive. Trying to figure out a banking day he has off AND he can find a way up to get a new card has proven very difficult. (they won't let him change his address over the phone since technically his home branch closed down) He now etransfers me his "free" money and either asks for some cash or borrows my card, which is fine because I have the scene card, with bank the rest debit lol.

Hes acutally spending less now!

But yea, I get your pain and it sucks!

Oh yes, I hear you on disabling the tap feature. I personally love it and wouldn't do that, but I understand the reasoning behind it and why many people choose to do it. I guess I should consider myself lucky that it was a credit card and I could simply request a new one over the phone and wait for it to come in; having to get out of town to a bank for a debit card must be frustrating!

I just didn't like that this particular Shell only had one way to accept chip cards, when now these cards have 3 different ways of usage (chip, tap, magnetic strip). I would imagine my new card should be in the mail tomorrow; it just happened that we had this long weekend after I requested the new one which has just made me wait longer. Someday soon I hope to switch to cash (I love watching Til Debt do us Part and have learned so much from that show!) and be free of these cards and systems affecting my life!

[trishka]

How timely, my second card in 2 months is now dead. Well, the chip anyway. I usually don't have a problem because I use the tap, but Walmart does not have the tap feature, so I have to stand there like a jerk, having my card rejected two or three times before I can swipe. I usually tell the cashier up front that the chip doesn't work but it's sometimes very embarrasing. I usually have another credit card on me, as I use that solely for gas as I get cents off the pump, so I have a back up if needed, but I use my other card for grocery purchases as I get double cash back. I know my card hasn't reached its limit but it's so frustrating that I had my card replaced less than 2 months ago and now it's malfunctioning again.

Depending on who you bank with, you can get the card sent to your closest branch and it's much faster. I usually get it sent to the one at work as it is just downstairs.

Also, I believe that credit card companies still accept non-electronic forms of credit use. Anyone remember "the clicker" where the machine ran over your card to make an impression and you got a carbon copy for your receipt. That form, including writing down the info and submitting it later is still, as far as I am aware, and feel free to correct me, an accepted way to pay but is seldom used. Although, I'm sure many people younger than I am (I'm 25) probably don't know what that is.

[joseff]

Also, I believe that credit card companies still accept non-electronic forms of credit use. Anyone remember "the clicker" where the machine ran over your card to make an impression and you got a carbon copy for your receipt. That form, including writing down the info and submitting it later is still, as far as I am aware, and feel free to correct me, an accepted way to pay but is seldom used. Although, I'm sure many people younger than I am (I'm 25) probably don't know what that is.

At our place of business, we are not permitted to write down any credit card information. The credit card companys have changed some wording regarding privacy and as far as I know, it is illegal, bordering, on fraud to copy a cc# down. We can't even type in the cc# manually or take phone orders. If the card doesn't chip or swipe I have to request another form of payment.

[Shwa Girl]

Some people aren't in a financial situation that allows them to have cash on hand

I agree that you all have a point, but for me, carrying cash isn't a possibility right now as the cash has to come from somewhere.

Forgive me if I missed something.
Yes, some people don't have cash on hand.
But, with the credit card, somebody has to pay the credit card -- eventually.
What am I missing?

[tjthemanto]

My issue with the tap technology is that anyone can use the card. People can steal one and rack it up before you notice it gone! When I got my new debit card it has the tap feature on there and I asked for it to be disabled (no problem!)

But I do understand your frustration. DH chip started messing up a few weeks ago. His bank is in another town, and we don't drive. Trying to figure out a banking day he has off AND he can find a way up to get a new card has proven very difficult. (they won't let him change his address over the phone since technically his home branch closed down) He now etransfers me his "free" money and either asks for some cash or borrows my card, which is fine because I have the scene card, with bank the rest debit lol.

Hes acutally spending less now!

But yea, I get your pain and it sucks!

I too disabled it on my debit card, but I still kept it on my credit card.

The tap feature is only upto a certain amount , I think ..like 50 bucks or something.

If you buy more than that I think you have to sign or insert the chip or something like that...so I guess they will have to do lot of small transactions on my CC..he he

[sun_shine]

Forgive me if I missed something.
Yes, some people don't have cash on hand.
But, with the credit card, somebody has to pay the credit card -- eventually.
What am I missing?

Eventually is the key word. Just finishing school and starting work, so the money will begin to come in but at present isn't there

[trishka]

Also, I believe that credit card companies still accept non-electronic forms of credit use. Anyone remember "the clicker" where the machine ran over your card to make an impression and you got a carbon copy for your receipt. That form, including writing down the info and submitting it later is still, as far as I am aware, and feel free to correct me, an accepted way to pay but is seldom used. Although, I'm sure many people younger than I am (I'm 25) probably don't know what that is.

At our place of business, we are not permitted to write down any credit card information. The credit card companys have changed some wording regarding privacy and as far as I know, it is illegal, bordering, on fraud to copy a cc# down. We can't even type in the cc# manually or take phone orders. If the card doesn't chip or swipe I have to request another form of payment.

Thanks for the info. I was pretty sure my info was outdated.

[Dinobuzz]

Another thing to be careful of is the CC Pay Pass....it is very sensitive and the machine can pick up on it without it being inserted to the machine. At the Pharmacy, I was paying with debit but the machine didn't ask me my PIN but it completed the transaction....looked at the receipt & it said M/C was my method of payment. I told the cashier & she asked if I had a CC w Pay Pass on it in my wallet & I said yes. The machine picked up the chip from my wallet! The manager also said that the other day, woman who was behind a person cashing out, was tapping her card while waiting & machine picked on her chip & paid for the other person's groceries!!