5 ms·

Most low-cost transaction don't require any signature - swipe and go. I was surprised to find in Safeway recently that a < ~$20 transaction required no signatu

Most low-cost transaction don't require any signature - swipe and go. I was surprised to find in Safeway recently that a < ~$20 transaction required no signature either.

jacquesm 12y ago
The chip-and-pin mechanism when optimized is very low overhead, probably faster than using cash and not nearly as slow as signing a physical receipt. For instance, one oft used optimization is that you can insert the card in the reader prior to the register sending the amount to the chip&pin terminal.
- arrrg 12y ago
  Yeah, right, there is lots that can be done. Sadly, also Germany is still somewhat backward in that regard. Every reader seems to work differently, so I’m always a bit hesitant to just stick in my card unprompted (and maybe prematurely), lest I get yelled at or something. There is lots to optimise, but chip and PIN is not inherently slow. In fact, for me it’s already as fast as cash in most cases.
- aianus 12y ago
  The correct way to implement chip-and-pin is alongside a paypass/paywave reader. Customers making purchases over $50 must use chip-and-pin, everyone else can just tap their wallets against the reader. Some other problems with chip-and-pin: - You get really cheap merchants who would prefer to waste your time rather than shell out for the contactless reader. - You get international merchants who have no idea what's going on and make you sign two receipts in addition to entering your pin after trying and failing to swipe it twice. - You have to type your pin in with your bare hands in -40C weather at the gas station. - You have to tip waiters with them standing right there and judging you. - It breaks square and the like IMO it's an unnecessary mess for anything under ~$50.
  - jacquesm 12y ago
    I make several payments per day using chip&pin, according to my bank last month more than 300 pin transactions. That's 10 per day (travelling I do this a lot more than when I'm at home). Online it's not a problem either (fairly easy integration here with a system called 'iDeal'), typing in your pin at -40C at the gas station is still a requirement with the current prices of gas and I'm not one bit bothered by 'waiters judging me', that's a self esteem issue, not a technical one. As for international merchants who have no idea what is going on: I spend more time abroad than I do in my home country and chip-and-pin have made my life a lot easier than it ever was before in this respect. Something like 7 countries in the last 3 weeks and I have yet to use my 'cash backup' or my 'credit card backup'. Contactless is a nice technology but it is as far as I'm concerned a step backwards, I can see the advantages only for bars and festivals where the risk of contaminating your card with fluids is significant and purchases are very small (<$10).
    - aianus 12y ago
      > As for international merchants who have no idea what is going on: I spend more time abroad than I do in my home country and chip-and-pin have made my life a lot easier than it ever was before in this respect. Well YMMV, of course, but here in Vietnam I've had to go around the other side of the checkout to type in my pin because the terminal was bolted to the desk. Multiple times. And then they still make me sign two receipts anyways.
      - jacquesm 12y ago
        I suspect that the 'Vietnam' factor may be a larger one than the chip-and-pin factor. https://www.pacnetservices.com/wpg/country.php?alpha2=VN https://www.pacnetservices.com/wpg/country.php?alpha2=VN Has a pretty explicit note that Vietnam is still primarily a cash based society, I think that is where your problems stem from, not necessarily from the technological merits or lack thereof of chip&pin.
  - ownagefool 12y ago
    As far as I'm aware if you tip via chip and pin the vendor will generally keep a percentage. I tend to pay by card, tip with cash. :)
jahewson 12y ago
That's the case for chip and pin too, low-cost transactions can be authorised with just a swipe.
- aianus 12y ago
  In Canada, swipe doesn't work anywhere that has the chip-and-pin reader. No matter the amount, if you try swiping it says 'Use Chip'.
- jahewson 12y ago
  Correction: I meant "insert your card", not "swipe". Though low-cost transactions can still be authorised without having to enter a PIN, at least in the UK.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]

Most low-cost transaction don't require any signature - swipe and go. I was surprised to find in Safeway recently that a < ~$20 transaction required no signature either.

jacquesm 12y ago

The chip-and-pin mechanism when optimized is very low overhead, probably faster than using cash and not nearly as slow as signing a physical receipt. For instance, one oft used optimization is that you can insert the card in the reader prior to the register sending the amount to the chip&pin terminal.

arrrg 12y ago
Yeah, right, there is lots that can be done. Sadly, also Germany is still somewhat backward in that regard. Every reader seems to work differently, so I’m always a bit hesitant to just stick in my card unprompted (and maybe prematurely), lest I get yelled at or something. There is lots to optimise, but chip and PIN is not inherently slow. In fact, for me it’s already as fast as cash in most cases.
aianus 12y ago
The correct way to implement chip-and-pin is alongside a paypass/paywave reader. Customers making purchases over $50 must use chip-and-pin, everyone else can just tap their wallets against the reader. Some other problems with chip-and-pin: - You get really cheap merchants who would prefer to waste your time rather than shell out for the contactless reader. - You get international merchants who have no idea what's going on and make you sign two receipts in addition to entering your pin after trying and failing to swipe it twice. - You have to type your pin in with your bare hands in -40C weather at the gas station. - You have to tip waiters with them standing right there and judging you. - It breaks square and the like IMO it's an unnecessary mess for anything under ~$50.
- jacquesm 12y ago
  I make several payments per day using chip&pin, according to my bank last month more than 300 pin transactions. That's 10 per day (travelling I do this a lot more than when I'm at home). Online it's not a problem either (fairly easy integration here with a system called 'iDeal'), typing in your pin at -40C at the gas station is still a requirement with the current prices of gas and I'm not one bit bothered by 'waiters judging me', that's a self esteem issue, not a technical one. As for international merchants who have no idea what is going on: I spend more time abroad than I do in my home country and chip-and-pin have made my life a lot easier than it ever was before in this respect. Something like 7 countries in the last 3 weeks and I have yet to use my 'cash backup' or my 'credit card backup'. Contactless is a nice technology but it is as far as I'm concerned a step backwards, I can see the advantages only for bars and festivals where the risk of contaminating your card with fluids is significant and purchases are very small (<$10).
  - aianus 12y ago
    > As for international merchants who have no idea what is going on: I spend more time abroad than I do in my home country and chip-and-pin have made my life a lot easier than it ever was before in this respect. Well YMMV, of course, but here in Vietnam I've had to go around the other side of the checkout to type in my pin because the terminal was bolted to the desk. Multiple times. And then they still make me sign two receipts anyways.
    - jacquesm 12y ago
      I suspect that the 'Vietnam' factor may be a larger one than the chip-and-pin factor. https://www.pacnetservices.com/wpg/country.php?alpha2=VN https://www.pacnetservices.com/wpg/country.php?alpha2=VN Has a pretty explicit note that Vietnam is still primarily a cash based society, I think that is where your problems stem from, not necessarily from the technological merits or lack thereof of chip&pin.
- ownagefool 12y ago
  As far as I'm aware if you tip via chip and pin the vendor will generally keep a percentage. I tend to pay by card, tip with cash. :)

jahewson 12y ago

That's the case for chip and pin too, low-cost transactions can be authorised with just a swipe.

aianus 12y ago
In Canada, swipe doesn't work anywhere that has the chip-and-pin reader. No matter the amount, if you try swiping it says 'Use Chip'.
jahewson 12y ago
Correction: I meant "insert your card", not "swipe". Though low-cost transactions can still be authorised without having to enter a PIN, at least in the UK.

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]