Tough darts, and that may sound like a harsh response. I have had two cards replaced because merchants are "sloppy". No money lost but skimming these chipless cards is so easy its a joke. I am truly baffled by the lack of concern and the general attitude that kicking the can down the road over and over is OK. Don't get it!!
Good read. I wondered why some of the merchants were accepting cards with chips without requiring a PIN. Trader Joes is one of these. At least they educated their checkers to help customers to use the new slots. It didn't take long for people to "get it". The Target chain finally issued cards with chips and they do require a PIN. The transaction takes about the same amount of time as using a debit card since it's mostly about the customer remembering and keying in the PIN. All of the terminals I see in my area now have both mag strip slots and slots for cards with chips. Obviously it was necessary to install them ahead of enabling the systems to accept the new cards, but unfortunately some merchants still haven't implemented the new system. In other words the dual slotted terminals have been in place for months, but the slots for the cards with chips don't work. After putting my chip credit card in the new slot a few times and observed nothing happening I've learned to ask if the slot is enabled first. Some of the merchants have solved the problem by taping notes to the terminals saying that the new slot doesn't work LOL
This has always been a mystery to me why the USA never implemented such a system like 20 years ago. It works just fine over her in Europe.
At least part of it seems clear; for years the banks have been willing to absorb the losses of credit card fraud instead of improving security, and both the customers and the merchants have been protected so they haven't cared. An important part of the deadline for EMV implementation was the transfer of liability from the banks to the merchants. That was supposed to spur adoption, but it's still been slow.
