New HSBC cards

[pje16]

The only more pointless thing than those devices is the indicator stalk on a BMW.

Explain please

[Stompa]

And yes of course the bearer of a card may not be the owner of that card. I have sometimes loaned my card to someone else to use, without any problem.

Many years ago, back in the days of the old manual imprinter machines, I had a Citibank card that had my photo on it. It seemed like a good idea to me at the time, but in reality after handing it over to make a payment, nobody ever appeared to look at it.

That is like how they used to compare the signature on the credit card slip with the signature on the back of the card. Nobody does that check any more. Although of course with PINs and contactless, there is often no signature anyway.

So lending a card to others has become much easier.

Interesting, I've not had one without a signature panel so far.

I was not suggesting that there are any cards out there without a signature panel.

Ah sorry, I misunderstood. It appears though that the signature panel is being dropped in the U.S.

https://www.paymentsjournal.com/no-sign ... ure-panel/

so perhaps it's only a matter of time.

[pje16]

Ah sorry, I misunderstood. It appears though that the signature panel is being dropped in the U.S.
https://www.paymentsjournal.com/no-sign ... ure-panel/
so perhaps it's only a matter of time.

I know retailers are sloppy these days and no-one checks then anymore
but that is a dumb idea
If you drop or lose your card, someone else can pick it up and use it knowing they can't be found out
Who are the idiots who come up with things like this

[Lootman]

Interesting, I've not had one without a signature panel so far.

I was not suggesting that there are any cards out there without a signature panel.

Ah sorry, I misunderstood. It appears though that the signature panel is being dropped in the U.S.

https://www.paymentsjournal.com/no-sign ... ure-panel/

so perhaps it's only a matter of time.

Odd because the US is well behind the curve on this. PINs are still not used on US credit cards and contactless is fairly new there as well.

And the US was notorious for never checking the signature anyway whereas in the UK that is a more recent thing.

[stevensfo]

Interesting, I've not had one without a signature panel so far.

I was not suggesting that there are any cards out there without a signature panel.

Ah sorry, I misunderstood. It appears though that the signature panel is being dropped in the U.S.

https://www.paymentsjournal.com/no-sign ... ure-panel/

so perhaps it's only a matter of time.

Odd because the US is well behind the curve on this. PINs are still not used on US credit cards and contactless is fairly new there as well.

And the US was notorious for never checking the signature anyway whereas in the UK that is a more recent thing.

But can you use credit cards in ATMs? Presumably they must have a PIN?

Steve

PS France had security in hand long before the UK. They used to routinely accept cheques in shops, but you had to put your thumbprint on the back and/or show ID depending on the amount. When using a card, they asked for ID. I remember my late father visiting us c.1990, wanting to buy a present for his grandson and being furious when they asked for ID, and storming out of the shop. This was before they introduced PINs. I had to explain very gently, that it was only for his sake and to be honest, his signature was bloody easy to forge. Yes, he did buy the present.

I should know about his signature. I forged it loads of time to get out of PE at school!

[Lootman]

Interesting, I've not had one without a signature panel so far.

I was not suggesting that there are any cards out there without a signature panel.

Ah sorry, I misunderstood. It appears though that the signature panel is being dropped in the U.S.

https://www.paymentsjournal.com/no-sign ... ure-panel/

so perhaps it's only a matter of time.

Odd because the US is well behind the curve on this. PINs are still not used on US credit cards and contactless is fairly new there as well.

And the US was notorious for never checking the signature anyway whereas in the UK that is a more recent thing.

But can you use credit cards in ATMs? Presumably they must have a PIN?

To clarify, in the US you need a PIN number when using any card for a cashpoint transaction.

All US debit/cash cards come with a PIN. US Credit cards do not although you can request one for cashpoint use, but that is an expensive way to withdraw cash of course.

When I use a UK credit card in the US for a purchase, I am not be asked for my PIN. If someone uses a US credit card for a purchase in the UK, they will not be asked for a PIN.

[swill453]

If someone uses a US credit card for a purchase in the UK, they will not be asked for a PIN.

You'll have to explain this. What happens if someone uses a US credit card in the UK in, say, Tesco? Chip&PIN and contactless are the only ways that seem to be used these days, and I assume the US card won't work contactless.

Scott.

[Lootman]

If someone uses a US credit card for a purchase in the UK, they will not be asked for a PIN.

You'll have to explain this. What happens if someone uses a US credit card in the UK in, say, Tesco? Chip&PIN and contactless are the only ways that seem to be used these days, and I assume the US card won't work contactless.

Some US credit cards do now have contactless ability but that is very recent - the last year or two.

US credit cards do have Chip capability. They just do not have PINs. In a UK hotel or restaurant they are processed like a UK card except that no PIN is requested. Presumably the system can recognise that this is a card with no PIN and so it bypasses that check.

I suspect that not many US tourists would go to a Tesco and I have no idea what happens there. But I would have thought that as long as the Chip is read and an electronic authorisation is granted, then the transaction would proceed.

[SteelCamel]

If someone uses a US credit card for a purchase in the UK, they will not be asked for a PIN.

You'll have to explain this. What happens if someone uses a US credit card in the UK in, say, Tesco? Chip&PIN and contactless are the only ways that seem to be used these days, and I assume the US card won't work contactless.

Scott.

The system knows the capabilities of the card, and will not ask for something it can't do. If it reads a "chip and no PIN" card, it will process the transaction without a PIN. If it reads a chipless card, it will process the magstripe data. Generally it will try to process the "best" method supported by both the machine and card. It won't allow downgrading, even if the machine supports it - swipe the magstripe on a chip card, and (if the machine can read a chip) it will demand to have it inserted to read the chip.

[Lootman]

If someone uses a US credit card for a purchase in the UK, they will not be asked for a PIN.

You'll have to explain this. What happens if someone uses a US credit card in the UK in, say, Tesco? Chip&PIN and contactless are the only ways that seem to be used these days, and I assume the US card won't work contactless.

The system knows the capabilities of the card, and will not ask for something it can't do. If it reads a "chip and no PIN" card, it will process the transaction without a PIN. If it reads a chipless card, it will process the magstripe data. Generally it will try to process the "best" method supported by both the machine and card. It won't allow downgrading, even if the machine supports it - swipe the magstripe on a chip card, and (if the machine can read a chip) it will demand to have it inserted to read the chip.

Yes, I think people have a tendency to use the term "Chip/PIN" as if it just one thing. It is actually two separate things.

You can have a Chip without a PIN. Or I guess a PIN without a Chip, with the data held on the magnetic stripe.

[JohnB]

I've been paying for groceries weekly at Sainsburys for 15 years with Mum's card and never been asked how a bearded bloke could be a Mrs Rose * or asked to repeat her signature. You can fit more unembossed cards in a wallet, I'll resist putting them on a phone as long as I can.

[XFool]

I've been paying for groceries weekly at Sainsburys for 15 years with Mum's card and never been asked how a bearded bloke could be a Mrs Rose

Certainly shouldn't be a problem these days...

[stockton]

Just been trying to hire a car in Scotland. Among the T & Cs is one that the credit card used must be embossed.

[AF62]

If someone uses a US credit card for a purchase in the UK, they will not be asked for a PIN.

You'll have to explain this. What happens if someone uses a US credit card in the UK in, say, Tesco? Chip&PIN and contactless are the only ways that seem to be used these days, and I assume the US card won't work contactless.

Scott.

The system knows the capabilities of the card, and will not ask for something it can't do. If it reads a "chip and no PIN" card, it will process the transaction without a PIN. If it reads a chipless card, it will process the magstripe data. Generally it will try to process the "best" method supported by both the machine and card. It won't allow downgrading, even if the machine supports it - swipe the magstripe on a chip card, and (if the machine can read a chip) it will demand to have it inserted to read the chip.

UK banks will still provide ‘chip & signature’ cards if required - for example a blind person may need one because not all pin pads are the same, or an elderly person may not be able to remember a PIN. These are just examples and it is for the customer to decide if they need one, not the bank.

For example - https://www.barclaycard.co.uk/personal/ ... -sign-card

If a card is a ‘chip & signature’ card then when it is inserted in a card machine in a shop the machine knows it is a ‘chip & signature’ card and doesn’t prompt for a PIN but just spits out a paper slip for a signature.

This frequently confuses the 17 year old behind the till who has no comprehension that signing is, or ever has been an option. In fact it is best not to tell the member of staff that it is a ‘chip & signature’ card as they try to apply some tenuous logic and will invariably declare they are not acceptable, but if you just hand over the ‘chip & signature’ card and say nothing then they will normally just hand back the slip of paper the machine has spat out for a signature in a daze not understanding what is going on.

[AF62]

Just been trying to hire a car in Scotland. Among the T & Cs is one that the credit card used must be embossed.

More stringent T&Cs than the last time I hired a car in Scotland, but that was in the Shetlands.

I was told the car would be parked in the airport car park with the keys under the mat, and could I pop into the garage renting it anytime during the week I was there to do the paperwork and pay for it.

And on departure it was the same, keys under the mat at the airport.

[AJC5001]

Barclaycard seem to have undergone a redesign to the new format as well.https://www.barclaycard.co.uk/personal/credit-cards

Adrian

[Gersemi]

Barclaycard seem to have undergone a redesign to the new format as well.https://www.barclaycard.co.uk/personal/credit-cards

Adrian

Oh - I got a new one today, but it is the old design with embossed details on it.

[pje16]

That' a bit odd as they have the new design with the bit cut out

[chas49]

Interesting, I've not had one without a signature panel so far.

My Chase debit card (issued very recently) doesn't have a signature strip. It has my name (in a format I chose - which didn't have to include my full name - e.g. could be FirstName LastInitial) - and no numbers anywhere visible (apart from Chase's phone numbers)

[stockton]

What backup is currently used when the internet goes off or the electricity fails ?