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Swiping left on magnetic stripes

mastercard.com

41–50 of 325 posts

Re: Swiping left on magnetic stripes

#41
post #6

So most of my current cards (in Europe) have 3 interaction methods: In order of decreasing readability/communication reliability: 1. Magnetic stripe 2. NFC 3. EMV The EMV ("chip") method is the least insecure, but lately all of my cards have been started oxidating. And it seems like the pogo pins in almost all readers also started wearing out too. Chip reader failures have become very common lately. It's very common…

I can't remember ever having paid using the magnetic stripe in Europe since 2010 (having been to Spain, Italy, France, Netherlands, Romania and living in Germany), before I didn't use a credit card at all since it wasn't very popular here. Honestly curios: where (and when) did you make that observation?

I’m young enough to literally never have paid by swiping.

Except for my exchange year in Texas.

Re: Swiping left on magnetic stripes

#42
post #20
post #2

I'll believe it when I see it. I heard signatures were going away years ago and yet I keep getting asked for signatures.

Signatures are for you, not the card company. This is why I sign with a nonce.

No, they're for the merchant. They don't benefit me at all. But merchants were supposed to stop requiring them by now.

Re: Swiping left on magnetic stripes

#43
post #6

So most of my current cards (in Europe) have 3 interaction methods: In order of decreasing readability/communication reliability: 1. Magnetic stripe 2. NFC 3. EMV The EMV ("chip") method is the least insecure, but lately all of my cards have been started oxidating. And it seems like the pogo pins in almost all readers also started wearing out too. Chip reader failures have become very common lately. It's very common…

Huh, wherever I try to use a magnetic stripe, the terminal would ask me that I have to use the chip. Even if a transaction failed when I used the chip.

Re: Swiping left on magnetic stripes

#45
post #12

Why does it take so long? Where’s the bottleneck? Where I lived over the last years (two countries in Europe), I don’t even have to use the physical card. I just use contactless payments with the phone. Prior to that, it was contactless with card. Even ATMs work with contactless (not all, yet). Prior to that, it was chip. I honestly don’t even recall the time when the magnetic stripe was needed. (edit) Think of this:…

To play devil's advocate – who cares? We've had magnetic strips for decades and they work fine. Yes, they're insecure but anti-fraud measures taken by the bank can mitigate that. If this helps more stores accept payments without having a painful transition isn't that worth it? I use Apple Pay most places but I don't mind having to use a strip once in a while or if others do.

Re: Swiping left on magnetic stripes

#46
post #28
post #12

Why does it take so long? Where’s the bottleneck? Where I lived over the last years (two countries in Europe), I don’t even have to use the physical card. I just use contactless payments with the phone. Prior to that, it was contactless with card. Even ATMs work with contactless (not all, yet). Prior to that, it was chip. I honestly don’t even recall the time when the magnetic stripe was needed. (edit) Think of this:…

>I honestly don’t even recall the time when the magnetic strip was needed. for when you fly over to the US and need to use your card

The holdouts have long been the gas station fuel pumps. Though that is finally changing at least where I am many stations now support chip and tap card payments.

Re: Swiping left on magnetic stripes

#47
post #12

Why does it take so long? Where’s the bottleneck? Where I lived over the last years (two countries in Europe), I don’t even have to use the physical card. I just use contactless payments with the phone. Prior to that, it was contactless with card. Even ATMs work with contactless (not all, yet). Prior to that, it was chip. I honestly don’t even recall the time when the magnetic stripe was needed. (edit) Think of this:…

It really is mind blowing to me. Especially in a pandemic, why why why require a signature for anything? This is one of the few things that would reduce exposure that we already have a technical solution for. I just don’t understand.

Surfaces don't matter much for covid, it's very unlikely you'll catch it that way.

Re: Swiping left on magnetic stripes

#48
post #5
post #2

I'll believe it when I see it. I heard signatures were going away years ago and yet I keep getting asked for signatures.

Haven't had to sign anything for 15+ years, newer cards don't even have the space for signatures (Europe/MasterCard). I do have to do the mag-swipe maybe once a year, if the chip reader is acting up (still no signature, it asks for the PIN).

Got a new Mastercard in Europe this year, still with signature space. Same for Visa from two banks.

Re: Swiping left on magnetic stripes

#49
post #12

Why does it take so long? Where’s the bottleneck? Where I lived over the last years (two countries in Europe), I don’t even have to use the physical card. I just use contactless payments with the phone. Prior to that, it was contactless with card. Even ATMs work with contactless (not all, yet). Prior to that, it was chip. I honestly don’t even recall the time when the magnetic stripe was needed. (edit) Think of this:…

America. They dragged their heels switching to chips.

More like the security wasn’t necessary due to decreased liabilities.

Re: Swiping left on magnetic stripes

#50
post #12

Why does it take so long? Where’s the bottleneck? Where I lived over the last years (two countries in Europe), I don’t even have to use the physical card. I just use contactless payments with the phone. Prior to that, it was contactless with card. Even ATMs work with contactless (not all, yet). Prior to that, it was chip. I honestly don’t even recall the time when the magnetic stripe was needed. (edit) Think of this:…

To play devil's advocate – who cares? We've had magnetic strips for decades and they work fine. Yes, they're insecure but anti-fraud measures taken by the bank can mitigate that. If this helps more stores accept payments without having a painful transition isn't that worth it? I use Apple Pay most places but I don't mind having to use a strip once in a while or if others do.

Think about who is paying for that fraud. Prior to EMV liability shift, Banks paid for the fraud. After Liability Shift, merchants are paying for fraud using magstripe.

Merchants don't want to be responsible for the fraud, so they are incentivized to get rid of the mag stripe.

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