Chip or pin on american express cards?

[random111]

Any idea when American Express is going to roll out chips or at the very least pins on their credit cards?

Very annoying when you don't have a pen on you and neither does the cashier, you gotta wait around for the search party to locate a pen, which no one can ever find!

 

[samiam]

There are many times when I'll use the card and a signature isn't required - usually supermarkets/small transactions - what use is a PIN or chip in those particular circumstances?

Just sayin'

 

[random111]

There are many times when I'll use the card and a signature isn't required - usually supermarkets/small transactions - what use is a PIN or chip in those particular circumstances?

Just sayin'

Yeah I realise that, but for larger regular transactions that doesnt work!! e.g. fuel

Anyhow, chips are more secure aren't they? well at least for a little while until the criminals work out how to skim those aswell!!

 

[simongr]

I would love for Amex to bring in Chip and PIN for convenience. I know that for smaller transactions I don't sign any more ($35 in Woolies/Dan Murphys) but one pack of nappies and a couple of other things and you are easily over that.

The last I read was that Amex didnt consider Chip and PIN sufficiently secure.

 

[notzac]

More secure, for the moment at least seem to remember reading something about the PIN not being especially secure, but so far as I know the chip itself can't be cloned.

The whole chip + AmEx AU thing has been bugging me for a while .. one of the reasons I got a Velocity AmEx was for the chip, and the card won't apparently be issued with chips until March next year or something :-|

 

[Robert K]

my westpac QFF plat card came with a PIN.

 

[Mal]

Another thread indicated a NOV timeframe (ie this month) for Amex to start issuing Chip'n'pin cards... Seeing we've heard nothing, wouldn't be too much of a surprise to hear it's slipped.

Very frustrating and is something that Amex needs to sort out...

 

[notzac]

Another thread indicated a NOV timeframe (ie this month) for Amex to start issuing Chip'n'pin cards... Seeing we've heard nothing, wouldn't be too much of a surprise to hear it's slipped.

I called them just the other day to ask about this and that's where I got the March timeframe from. Bit disappointing really :-/

 

[grussellt]

My current NAB Amex card (issued in 2010) has a pin. When I was going overseas that year I rang the bank and requested a pin - and got one. In some countries they won't accept a card unless it has either a chip or pin.

 

[pshepvic]

I actually read somewhere that the chips are not that secure. Essentially they can be read by a portable RFID reader - if the card was in your wallet in your pocket someone could just hold a reader next to it and process a low dollar value transaction to your card. The article said that overseas this has already become a problem in some locations. I can't remember where I read the article though, and don't know how much truth there is to it.

 

[turtlemichael]

Marginally OT. I have been using my Amex around Europe for the past 5 months, often a couple of times a day. When I can find someone who will take it that is. I can say categorically that I have not had my signature looked at once in that time. After they try to "chip" the card and realise it doesn't have one, they hand over the pen and never look. I could sign Donald Duck for all it matters.

 

[snailstail]

Not sure if anyone noticed but the page has been updated. Chip and contactless are coming! www.americanexpress.com/australia/chipandpin

 

[moa999]

snailtail, nice link.

I like the fact that contactless is also up to $100...

 

[simongr]

Not sure if anyone noticed but the page has been updated. Chip and contactless are coming! americanexpress.com/australia/chipandpin

This is great news and very welcome.

 

[nlagalle]

I actually read somewhere that the chips are not that secure. Essentially they can be read by a portable RFID reader - if the card was in your wallet in your pocket someone could just hold a reader next to it and process a low dollar value transaction to your card. The article said that overseas this has already become a problem in some locations. I can't remember where I read the article though, and don't know how much truth there is to it.

The smart chips are secure enough, you are thinking of the "pay pass" and "pay wave" offered by MasterCard and Visa. They can be read with a reader in close proximity.

 

[SeaWolf]

The smart chips are secure enough, you are thinking of the "pay pass" and "pay wave" offered by MasterCard and Visa. They can be read with a reader in close proximity.

Internationally AMEX offer the same service too, called ExpressPay, though obviously not in Australia
American Express - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[simongr]

Paywave equivalent is coming when chip and pin comes.

 

[NSWhere]

Marginally OT. I have been using my Amex around Europe for the past 5 months, often a couple of times a day. When I can find someone who will take it that is. I can say categorically that I have not had my signature looked at once in that time. After they try to "chip" the card and realise it doesn't have one, they hand over the pen and never look. I could sign Donald Duck for all it matters.

In my experience you could sign Donald Duck at many (most?) merchants here in Australia. Last year I had a guys week in Sydney and Gold Coast and two of us swapped charge cards out of curiosity. When we payed with the wrong card we signed with our own signature, so zero attempt at copying the real card owners signature. His signature is easily legible and his name comprises only 8 letters, I have 10 letters in my surname alone. It ended up being that we weren't challenged once. We did get a confused look on two occasions, but both times the cashier didn't bother challenging us. Just last week I took some friends to one of Perth's best restaurants and was retelling that story. One of the guys didn't believe me so I gave him my card to pay the ~$1000 bill. He literally signed it "Mickey Mouse " (yes, complete with smiley face). Nothing was said.

 

[JohnK]

I really need another pin to remember as I am not yet struggling with the other 128 pins and/or passwords I currently possess.

Passwords are really tricky as some can be numbers like a pin, some can be all characters, some have to have to have at least one number and others have to have at least one number and at least one capital letter.

And let's not forget usernames either. Some are numbers only such as account numbers, some are your email address (which email address?), some allow enough characters for your name while others are restricted in length.

Now what was that username and password?

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Any idea when American Express is going to roll out chips or at the very least pins on their credit cards?

Now. I have just received my Edge with a Chip in it. You choose your own PIN.

In the letter it stated that my other Amex cards would also gain Chips.