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New Chip in Credit Card


Aunt Jen

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I have a credit card company I've used for years. Though this card isn't due for replacement for another 4 years, they sent me another card as a replacement, saying they'll deactivate my current card soon. I'm required to use the new card. It has the same card number, but a different pin, those secret extre numbers some merchants require.

 

My concern is:

 

The new card has a microchip in it. I can see it, and they talk a little about it as a "chip and signature card."

 

I am leery of this. I've read about RFID chips in things and goodness knows what all, more than I know about going on inside the cards/chips.

 

Does anyone know what is going on with this card?

 

What is it doing?

Will it talk to information gathering devices as I walk by?

Can a crafty thief read it in my pocket at the airport?

Should I put it in an RFID shield (plastic slip-on type thing)?

 

I know some of you now so much more about these details than I.

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The purpose, as I understand it, is to let you keep more control over your card. You can just wave your wallet over the card reader, instead of having to physically take it out of your wallet and slide it through a scanner, or whatever.

 

I would not do it.

 

I don't know if it can talk to information gathering devices.

 

Yes, a thief with a chip reader can steal you number right through your purse.

 

My understanding is that the shield has to be metal to protect it. A "plastic slip-on thingy" would not help. They sell metal wallets, for that purpose. They sell metal card cases, that you can put your cards in, for that. I've seen people recommend wrapping the card in aluminun foil, for that.

 

If my card company sent me a card with a chip, I would tell them they had two choices - send me a chipless card, or I would find another card company.

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Jen and Alpo,

 

The chip in the card is not an RFID chip, and it is there to increase your card's security. It will not allow you to "wave your wallet over the card reader".

 

These cards are standard around the world and are now coming to the US. When making a purchase, you insert the card into the machine and type in a 4-digit PIN. It does not use a signature to verify that you are the card's rightful owner.

 

Personally, I like the new cards. I had my US cards replaced with chip cards before leaving for Europe last summer.

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I am concerned that the chip can be read by a thief with proper equipment.

 

I just talked with the credit card company on life chat, and I told them very clearly that I'd continue to use my non-chip card and that I was shredding my chp card because I was concerned about a thief's ability to hack the card.

 

Maybe I was wrong? That's what I did.

 

They said they'd consider it.

 

I tol them I was shredding the chip card.

 

Maybe I should wait?

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Jen and Alpo,

 

The chip in the card is not an RFID chip, and it is there to increase your card's security. It will not allow you to "wave your wallet over the card reader".

 

These cards are standard around the world and are now coming to the US. When making a purchase, you insert the card into the machine and type in a 4-digit PIN. It does not use a signature to verify that you are the card's rightful owner.

 

Personally, I like the new cards. I had my US cards replaced with chip cards before leaving for Europe last summer.

+1

 

The chip works much better than the magnetic stripe and it is not RFID capable.

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I am concerned that the chip can be read by a thief with proper equipment.

 

I just talked with the credit card company on life chat, and I told them very clearly that I'd continue to use my non-chip card and that I was shredding my chp card because I was concerned about a thief's ability to hack the card.

 

Maybe I was wrong? That's what I did.

 

They said they'd consider it.

 

I tol them I was shredding the chip card.

 

Maybe I should wait?

While the equipment to read the chip is different than that required to read a magnetic stripe they both require physical contact to be read. The chip is not the same as RFID. T

 

hey also tend not to be a picky as the magnetic swipe readers. As the chips become more prevelant the security of the transaction will increase as the chips will allow better encryption protocalls.

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so you're saying I should re-contact my credit card company and activate the new card, use it, shred the old card?

 

I trust the technical skill I find here in the Saloon. Thank you.

IMHO yes use the new card. For peace of mind you can double check that the card is not RFID capable with the credit card company.

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Well, this is probably all messed up, now.

 

I had live chatted and made it clear I was shredding the new card. Then I learned here, and now I went back to the CC on line, but live chat is not available now. :) :)

 

So I activated the new card, anyway.

 

Someone in teh back office may now think it's fraudulently activated or may have canned it...and I'll be on the phone with them to fix....

 

OR OR OR

 

They'll have done nothing, and it won't matter that I chatted. ???

 

Who knows.

 

Life's a gamble.

 

But I'm into the new card now

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If your card has a little patch of gold spots that looks like somebody splattered a gold bug on it, it's not an RF chip and nobody can read it while it's in your pocket. I'd say go ahead and use it.

 

They probably didn't do anything to deactivate that card after your conversation with customer service. Those things expire if they're not activated within a certain amount of time, and they're worthless until they're activated.

 

My fiancee works for a technology services company in Canada that manages the cards, networks, and databases used by credit card companies all over the world. Her boss is a recognized expert in the field. I've seen him speak, and he knows his stuff. Chip cards (actually called EMV cards) have made the cards much harder to counterfeit. Counterfeit cards are the biggest form of credit card fraud in countries that use magnetic strip cards. After introducing EMV cards, the majority of fraud cases switch to bogus online transactions.

 

The US is the last major economy in the world to use mag stripe cards. We're now being dragged into the 21st Century.

 

I trust the technical skill I find here in the Saloon. Thank you.

 

Yeah, we'll teach you! (grin)

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You are way behind the times. The Europeans have put chips in their credit cards for several years. My standard magnetic stripe card would not work in some ATMs in Europe. We have been slow to change in the U.S. because of the vast number of old machines we have in service. That is changing and the cards with the chip are much more secure than the old magnetic stripe technology. My credit card company sent me a new card with a chip about nine months ago.

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Having a "chip" does not necessarily mean a card is not RFID.

 

Read here.

 

And by the way... Chipped cards are NOT new in the US.

 

In a former life I worked in the BankCard industry... we were putting chips in cards over 20 years ago. Not all of 'em, but they were not at all uncommon. I do believe the Europeans followed OUR lead. ;)

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In a former life I worked in the BankCard industry... we were putting chips in cards over 20 years ago. Not all of 'em, but they were not at all uncommon. I do believe the Europeans followed OUR lead. ;)

 

I've seen those chip contact patterns on cards for years. I may be mistaken, but I think the Europeans maybe were the first to make chips mandatory.

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I think the RFID cards have a symbol that looks like a series of curved lines getting larger (like waves being transmitted) I also recall vaguely that when they first came out some people would use a punch to disable the RFID function.

 

I do not know if this is still a possible way to prevent RFID skimming or if it might otherwise disable the card.

 

Just info for your further research

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Guess it depends on WHAT KIND of chip.

 

https://humnwallet.com/blog/how-can-you-tell-if-your-credit-cards-have-rfid-chips

> RFID chips do not require contact to transfer information. They are used to create better convenience for the user and the merchant. Many RFID chip credit cards have magnetic strips just like regular credit cards so they can be used the same way if needed. Here are a few ways to determine if your cards have RFID chips: 1. Look on your card for a PayPass logo or "waves." <

 

This is the type chip I was talking about. Now, for the first time, I hear about EMV chips.

 

http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/emv-faq-chip-cards-answers-1264.php

 

Maybe THAT'S the kind Jen's company sent her. i don't know. I never heard of them before today. But the RFID chipped cards - those I don't want.

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I've seen those chip contact patterns on cards for years. I may be mistaken, but I think the Europeans maybe were the first to make chips mandatory.

 

Likely so.

 

I do recall that there was significant resistance to 'em... and at the time the were pretty expensive.

 

Credit card fraud is a major expense to the industry... and the consumer. Something on the order of $14 billion globally.

 

On the lighter side of things ~ I'm smiling at the memory of my dear but departed friend "Doxna." For a time many years ago, Dona ran the Authorization Center for a major card processing organization, back in the days when every transaction over a "floor limit" required a phone call for approval. And, as the Center was a full-time around-the-clock operation, we had staff working all holidays, including Christmas and even New Year's Eve.

 

Sooo..... one year, feeling sympathy for the folks having to work New Year's Eve, Doxna arranged for snacks and libations - the latter in the form of five gallons of screwdrivers in the water cooler! :lol:

 

The one caveat was that only pointy, conical paper cups could be used... the thought being authorization clerks wouldn't have full coffee mugs of "elixir" at their workstations all evening.

 

Her department always had the HIGHEST morale rating in the company! ^_^

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We have been using chips in our credit cards in Canada for 3 or 4 years now and there have been no problems. We use separate debit cards and they also have a chip. We even got rid of the penny, the one and two dollar bills and turned the rest into plastic bills. (supposed to last longer and you can't tear them) The one and two dollar bills were replaced with 1 dollar and 2 dollar coins. In 2012 we were in Memphis, TN and I was showing a store clerk our new plastic $20 bill and she thought it was real neat but, she wanted to know why a picture of the Queen was on it. She didn't realize that we are a commonwealth country.

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Yeah, Buff... you guys do have some neat coins and currency. :)

 

I wish we had a beaver on OUR nickels~! :lol:

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Yeah, Buff... you guys do have some neat coins and currency. :)

 

I wish we had a beaver on OUR nickels~! :lol:

 

Take heart Hardpan. With the kinds of people who get elected to office in the U.S. these days, we're bound to end up with a loon on our currency sooner or later.

 

I like the plastic bills in Canada. They're a lot easier to count than new U.S. twenties.

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Do you think these chips will use the metal plate in my head as an antenna? I'm concerned about the satellites and drones that orbit my back yard.

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Do you think these chips will use the metal plate in my head as an antenna? I'm concerned about the satellites and drones that orbit my back yard.

 

This is exactly the problem I am worried about. I am shredding my card and asking questions later.

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I've got a card with the new chip.

I've only used it once, at Wally Mart. (I go there for ammo) Not a good experience. Poor instructions on the card reader screen. Once I did find the very well hidden slot, the card reader locked up and had to be reset by a grumbling employee. Took about 3 - 5 minutes to get my can of chili paid for.

Bah.

If that's the norm, they get the card back in sharp little pieces.

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Howdy,

My pards sure can muddy the waters.

 

The chip cards are coming. They are standard in Europe and will SOON be in ALL your pockets.

So just relax. Use the card you have now and WHEN the new card readers are installed THEN

you will use the new card.

 

If you shred the new card they can send you another but hey it might not be FREE.

Its supposed to be better. Supposed to be much more secure.

Supposed to AVOID the card info thieves.

 

But you can all fuss and cry the sky is falling or you can read up on new tech.

If all goes as planned the cards we are using now will be gone.

And good riddance.

 

once in a while read the directions...

Best

Chili Ron

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My new card has a strip and a chip. At walmart I have to use the chip reader but at the supermarket and hardware it works like normal. Technology. :(

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Well, I'm going to put tin foil in my hat just to be safe...... I already put tin foil in my underwear

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I----

 

Shredded the old card. I'm using the new chip/strip card.

 

And to protect myself, I put the card number on the Internet and told thieves it would do no good to steal that number because it has a chip on it. (Not.)

 

It's a tech escalation. Thieves do, we do more. They do more. We do more...

 

You know we're Borging up, don't you? How will we be different from the Borg?

 

We'll have chips in our brains, enhanced memory / calculations. We'll have enhanced eyes, enhanced muscles....

 

How are we gonna restrict who watches us all Tge time?

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Here its called EMC and all financial institutions will be using by 2016. It re encripts your data each time the card is used so even if it was cloned by the time bad guy scould use it the data info will have changed. We the US has never had anything like it we did in fact follow Europee on this one. Ive been in remittance processing for over 30 years and this is hot stuff!!

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Howdy

 

CASH.

No paper trail, no data mine, and cash will never go outta style

cause how else would the pollytichians get the payoffs?

 

Best

CR

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Every spring, we get an influx of American coins, pennies, nickles, dimes and quarters. The Snowbirds bring them back from their change while spending the winter in the U.S. They are treated as legal tender up here at face value, regardless what the rate of exchange is.

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Every spring, we get an influx of American coins, pennies, nickles, dimes and quarters. The Snowbirds bring them back from their change while spending the winter in the U.S. They are treated as legal tender up here at face value, regardless what the rate of exchange is.

 

Until you try to put one in a vending machine.

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