Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2013/06/04
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]We just researched this subject for our use.... Physically, there are 3 types of Credit Cards... Plus the Debit Versions, that only differ in where they take the money from. This is from a US perspective... foreign cards are more advanced! 1) Normal old Credit cards.. like the ones they issued to me in 1970... Mag strip on the back, signature spot on back, signature required. ( No one checks signatures any more...they want to see ID....) 2) Card with Smart Chip... Signature required... The only type of Smart Card you can get in the USA ( with 1 exception, which I forget who offers). Not really too advanced over #1, but Europe can use them, sometimes. Sometimes not useable in Europe's automated ( or not) ATM or other credit card readers.... 3) Smart Card with PIN.... Absolutely the most secure card. Swipe+ use PIN, no signature required... and what Europe has used for the past XXX years.... The Smart Chip is an RFID chip, that allows for non-contact reading. All the talk about reading these Smart Chips while walking by a bad guy is in the US.... Paranoia.... If it were a real risk, Europe would not use them.... For the Bankers among us... if the absolutely most secure solution is #3, and the Banks complain about fraud, why do they not change over? BTW, it took over an hour with CITI Bank to figure out what kind of card they were providing us with and 2 tries to get it right... We will see if it works in Europe....at all.... Frank Filippone Red735i at verizon.net