This is an area I've been following. I had the assistance of my daughter, until recently, who worked in the Canadian banking industry and could share information.
The magnetic stripe cards that are common in the US have a substantial fee built into them for the inevitable thefts that occur. While theft is quite common, the banks make quite a bit on this fee and don't want to lose it. So, it's not been in their interest to go to higher security cards (Yes, I understand, that sounds crazy... yet it's pretty much the case).
They are just now starting to offer Chip & PIN cards. There are at least three US Banks / Credit Card providers that do so now (I've not checked for 2-3 months, so there may be more). They began as elite cards for folks who travel quite a bit and face just those situations described: Needing to pay tolls on the highway when one is out of coins or bills, buying petrol on a weekend when the station is closed but the pumps accept credit cards, etc. IOW, situations in which a magnetic strip card just doesn't work.
The common phrase I've seen in the US is "EMV card".
ONE CAUTION: Because some of these began as Elite cards, they may carry a higher fee that could be prohibitive.
Good luck.
Ray
The magnetic stripe cards that are common in the US have a substantial fee built into them for the inevitable thefts that occur. While theft is quite common, the banks make quite a bit on this fee and don't want to lose it. So, it's not been in their interest to go to higher security cards (Yes, I understand, that sounds crazy... yet it's pretty much the case).
They are just now starting to offer Chip & PIN cards. There are at least three US Banks / Credit Card providers that do so now (I've not checked for 2-3 months, so there may be more). They began as elite cards for folks who travel quite a bit and face just those situations described: Needing to pay tolls on the highway when one is out of coins or bills, buying petrol on a weekend when the station is closed but the pumps accept credit cards, etc. IOW, situations in which a magnetic strip card just doesn't work.
- US Bank: EMV Credit Cards
- Wells Fargo: Visa Smart Card
- JP Morgan Chase: Palladium or Select Visa Signature Cards
The common phrase I've seen in the US is "EMV card".
ONE CAUTION: Because some of these began as Elite cards, they may carry a higher fee that could be prohibitive.
Good luck.
Ray
