Why Chip Cards Are The Worst

I still don't like 'em. As previously mentioned, it's a crapshoot whether the reader is enabled or not, and more importantly, the two main sources of card fraud (online and gas stations) are not affected by having a chip or not. At least, I've never seen a gas station with a chip reader. You can still get your number stolen and they can still buy 50k worth of crap on amazon with it, whether there's a chip in the damn thing or not. It's just an annoyance, as far as I'm concerned.

Just an observation, but I sort of feel like many cards are less physically protected when using the chip reader. Why? Because swiping means the card usually doesn't leave the customer's hand; with the chip most folks pop it into the reader and it hangs there til the transaction is finished. Easier to grab than a bag hanging on someone's shoulder.

In Canada Chip and Pin are the norm and we are now moving on to NFC cards where you just tap the machine

Classic trade-off issues between security, ease-of-use and legal liability. Ever try to use the "self-checkout" system? Notice that there is always someone around to make sure you are not stealing anything?

For anyone outside of the US who doesn't understand this problem, it's not so much that chip card readers are difficult to use. There are two main issues: 1) right now, it's about 50/50 as to whether the store you're going to can actually *use* the chip reader (even if the machine has a slot for it), so unless you frequent that place and remember how it is there, you ALWAYS have to ask, "Do I swipe or insert the card?"; and 2) in my experience, it takes *so* much longer for the chip reader process to complete than it did for a simple swipe of the old-fashioned credit card.

Once all retailers in America are able to use the chip reader, and once (or, "if") it starts going a lot faster, then no worries. Until then, it's just an annoyance for everyone involved, cashiers included.