Many stores don't require a pin for smaller amounts. With NFC cards it's really quite quick to pay. I think the deal is that the store, not the payment process

Many stores don't require a pin for smaller amounts. With NFC cards it's really quite quick to pay. I think the deal is that the store, not the payment processor, eats the cost when a stolen card is used without a pin. But the increased turnover is probably worth it in many cases. Edit: Maybe they also require a pin for foreign cards when they wouldn't for a local? Just a guess though.