In my life, I've never had a credit card transaction rejected. I've had cards get cancelled and replaced because some vendor got breached. But my cards worked until a replacement arrived.

Until recently. While traveling internationally. Staying at hotels.

This fucking chip thing. If it doesn't work, they won't swipe the strip or enter the number manually. The card reader rejects it. The fucking card is dead.

I know the strip still works because some places don't have the chip reader. Who the fuck thought this was a good idea？ Takes better part of a week to get a new card. Really holy fuck. What the hell is one supposed to do? Try and check out without a working credit card.

FUCK!!! I'm going to apply for a few different cards from different banks and carry at least three from now on. One has been enough until now. But I guess with this new fangled fucking technology, one is none and two is one

I'm having the same problem with my CC right now.

I reduced down to one card close to 20 years ago but now I am thinking about picking up a second card because of the chip.

quote:

Originally posted by SpinZone:

....I reduced down to one card close to 20 years ago but now I am thinking about picking up a second card because of the chip.

Recommend having two, especially if you travel away from home. If your primary card is disabled (chip issues or fraud) you'll have a back up.

I learned this lesson the hard way...

The chip is VERY GOOD thing! You are immune to your credit info being compromised due to a vender being breached/hacked because the vender NEVER gets your info from a chip transaction. The swipe terminal transfers the chip ID directly to the bank and the ONLY DATA the vender ever sees/gets is the approval code for the transaction. This means NEVER being exposed to a vender breach such as those made infamous at/by Target, Home Depot, etc.

Yes, you should carry more than one credit card....And you really need to plan appropriately if you will be crossing a U.S. border. All bets are off if travelling internationally. Always have a contingency plan!

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Takes better part of a week to get a new card. Really holy fuck. What the hell is one supposed to do? Try and check out without a working credit card.

You can plead terrible inconvenience or stamp your foot or something and get it overnighted to you, but usually just for asking politely.
 

quote:

You can plead terrible inconvenience or stamp your foot or something and get it overnighted to you, but usually just for asking politely.

Yes, just ask for overnight. The CC company did so with out cost, but only when I asked.

quote:

Originally posted by Sigmund:

quote:

Originally posted by SpinZone:

....I reduced down to one card close to 20 years ago but now I am thinking about picking up a second card because of the chip.

Recommend having two, especially if you travel away from home. If your primary card is disabled (chip issues or fraud) you'll have a back up.

I learned this lesson the hard way...

This. ALWAYS have backup plastic - from a different bank. Especially when traveling.

-Rob

It wasn't even uncommon with the swipe strip...that's why I've always had a backup card (actually I usually have 3)

Having a chipped card really offers peace of mind about card security...and banks will overnight a new one to you if you ask

Not only am I chipped, my bank requires I notify them in advance if I travel.

An old fire chief of mine once said "never rely on one of anything."

I loathe the chip. Takes too long and I've had to replace cards way more often.

Loathe.

quote:

Originally posted by BurtonRW:

quote:

Originally posted by Sigmund:

quote:

Originally posted by SpinZone:

....I reduced down to one card close to 20 years ago but now I am thinking about picking up a second card because of the chip.

Recommend having two, especially if you travel away from home. If your primary card is disabled (chip issues or fraud) you'll have a back up.

I learned this lesson the hard way...

This. ALWAYS have backup plastic - from a different bank. Especially when traveling.

-Rob

I carry three at all times. Discover, Amex, and Visa, and I don't travel internationally.

I've never had any problems with the chip.... I've had more problems with the strip not being able to be read than the chip. My problem is when I shop online and my bank just decides this charge may be fraudulent so they deactivate my card until I call them... only problem with this is that I don't find out they've flagged it for fraud until I'm standing in the convenience store looking like a jackass because my card declined for my $2 soda...

I don't get why they disable the card just because the chip is dead. Strip should be available as backup. I get that the card is suspicious if the chip doesn't work but for fucks sake, shit happens.

Fucking companies treat this like they are doing us a favor by giving us the card. Last I remember, I'm a customer.

Since I use a credit card to pay for everything, I have two credit cards. The second one is only back up, for use during the 10 days it takes the bank to issue and mail me a new card when the account primary is stolen.

I have "no-international-fee" chipped cards intended for travel - United Mileage Plus (to keep my miles from expiring), Hilton Reserve (to keep Gold status which is a big deal outside the US, not so much in the US), and a Chase Sapphire Reserve because it is the best travel card on the market, unless you prefer the Amex Platinum which is great too. So those cards aren't usually a problem anywhere.

But I had the banks shut down two credit cards and an ATM card when I tried to use them the first time I went to India on business.

My Business card for my job is chip with 4-digit pin. It works at hotels and places catering to "foreigners", but some places that use Union Pay (Chinese standard) can't take it because they use a 6 digit pin. Swiping is supposed to work no matter what, but try to explain that to someone that doesn't speak English.

Really, we need a chip and PIN system in the US - it would dramatically reduce fraud. Even if someone steals your card, they still can't use it. The chip with no PIN is kinda stupid.

That sucks but the chip is a good thing. I hated them at first when the systems where so slow. Now they are better and safer.

Agree with others when traveling international you need two cards.

Also US dollars work almost everywhere. It's always my oh shit I need to get the f*(& out of hear money when I travel international.

It's funny. I was on a business trip to India and my girlfriend tagged along and cashed $300 US at the airport into Rupees. Quick and easy, no issues.

On the way out of India she cashed back to dollars and it was like buying a house. Passport, multiple forms, signatures, and a long wait.

Seems they like our money a lot more than theirs....