13 ms·

True story: I was an American in the wastelands of Uzbekistan and needed to find a bank to get currency. Locals pointed us in the direction of a tiny cluster

True story: I was an American in the wastelands of Uzbekistan and needed to find a bank to get currency. Locals pointed us in the direction of a tiny cluster of buildings on the horizon. We got there and one of the buildings was indeed a tiny bank of some kind. We gave the person running the place our debit card and he looked at it with surprise. He flipped it over and over then gave it back. They didn't accept magnetic stripe cards-- only chip and pin. What backwater place did I come from that still issued magnetic stripe only cards?

proactivesvcs 10y ago
Good job you had your checkbook with you ;-)
srunni 10y ago
This Planet Money episode covers the history of why the chip took so long to arrive in US credit cards: http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2016/04/13/474135422/episode-695-put-a-chip-on-it http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2016/04/13/474135422/episo...
js2 10y ago
Was just in Israel and was shocked to learn it's still using magnetic stripe. Fortunately, my American issued chip-and-signature cards still have a magnetic stripe as well.
dhimes 10y ago
Thailand and Malaysia- same. Chip card was skimmed, though- or the account was somehow compromised in the British Virgin Islands a couple months later. So the security isn't perfect. Edit: I believe the BVI heist was from a wifi purchase.
chiph 10y ago
When you talk to your US bank, make sure you get a chip card that is international-enabled (aka has chip+pin on it). Nearly all the US cards are chip+signature, which means they won't work at places like European train station ticket kiosks (no way to enter a signature). Found that out myself...
- zzalpha 10y ago
  Heck, even in places that support both, chip-and-sign cards are an enormous pain. I'm a Canadian with an American corporate Amex and inevitably the dance is: 1. The guy dips the chip. Machine errors out. 2. Guy tries it again and fails. 3. Finally listens to me and dips the chip, then swipes. But it has to be right after the chip fails so the machine will accept the swipe. Why? Well if they swipe first, the machine says to use the chip, then they use the chip and it errors out on that, and then they swipe again and it works. Technology!

proactivesvcs 10y ago

Good job you had your checkbook with you ;-)

srunni 10y ago

This Planet Money episode covers the history of why the chip took so long to arrive in US credit cards: http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2016/04/13/474135422/episode-695-put-a-chip-on-it http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2016/04/13/474135422/episo...

js2 10y ago

Was just in Israel and was shocked to learn it's still using magnetic stripe. Fortunately, my American issued chip-and-signature cards still have a magnetic stripe as well.

dhimes 10y ago

Thailand and Malaysia- same. Chip card was skimmed, though- or the account was somehow compromised in the British Virgin Islands a couple months later. So the security isn't perfect. Edit: I believe the BVI heist was from a wifi purchase.

chiph 10y ago

When you talk to your US bank, make sure you get a chip card that is international-enabled (aka has chip+pin on it). Nearly all the US cards are chip+signature, which means they won't work at places like European train station ticket kiosks (no way to enter a signature). Found that out myself...

zzalpha 10y ago
Heck, even in places that support both, chip-and-sign cards are an enormous pain. I'm a Canadian with an American corporate Amex and inevitably the dance is: 1. The guy dips the chip. Machine errors out. 2. Guy tries it again and fails. 3. Finally listens to me and dips the chip, then swipes. But it has to be right after the chip fails so the machine will accept the swipe. Why? Well if they swipe first, the machine says to use the chip, then they use the chip and it errors out on that, and then they swipe again and it works. Technology!