Safe to use credit cards in ports?

[Ocean Boy]

The issue is that the chip cards require a different sort of 'swipe' machine than the US currently uses. Businesses are reluctant to pay for those machines.

But more and more US banks are issuing chip cards. Problem still is though that are signature cards so can be used in current machines.

 

No, that is not the issue. All cards are coming through with chips and vendors are unstalling the machines to read them. For some reason, that I do not understand they, whoever they are, decided to not also go with pin technology. The new readers have the capability of having folks punch in PIN codes.

[Shak]

I bring 3 credit cards on a cruise. I carry one in my wallet for daily use; one in a hidden place on my body in case my daily credit card is lost, stolen, or compromised; and one in the safe on the ship. We also bring at least one credit card that has different numbers from each other in case of a problem we both don't loose use of a card.

 

Shak

[iancal]

The cost of the pin card readers is negligible. This is not the reason.

 

US banks are about six years behind the curve on this. I do not understand why. It can only be a money issue.

Edited December 10, 2015 by iancal

[zqvol]

I have a credit card that charges no foreign transaction fees and was planning to use in ports.

 

My question is this, is it pretty safe and secure to use cc in ports, or better off using cash.

 

I have read a lot lately about small restaurants and shops using "skimmers" to steal your card info.

 

Experienced cruisers.....what's your opinion?

 

Thanks to all the people on this board who have helped by answering all my questions!

 

 

There is no issue using a CC. You are as fully protected as if you are at home. It is probably easier to use cash for small purchases, but that has nothing to do with CC safety.

 

DO NOT use a debit card except at a bank ATM. You do not have the same protections.

Edited December 10, 2015 by zqvol

[snowskier]

My card has been compromised (skimmed twice and number stolen once) in the past two years in Ft. Lauderdale and Miami -- both port cities. Never overseas. All three times it was a chip and sign card (not pin) but still supposed to be more secure.

[searoses]

Shak.....if you can't use your card the other card on the account will automatically be canceled if any fraud possibility exists......my poor daughter had her debit card hacked for hundreds of dollars today.....an unecessary inconvenience this time of year!

[SuiteTraveler]

The chip card readers are widespread in the SW. That said, I now carry my cards in an RFID aluminum card case which I just got recently at an airport. One advantage I've found of doing this is I can put my hotel key card on the other side of the RFID blocking card case from my cellphone and my cellphone no longer demagnetizes my hotel room card! What a great (and simple) solution to a nuisance problem!

[Underwatr]

For some reason, that I do not understand they, whoever they are, decided to not also go with pin technology. The new readers have the capability of having folks punch in PIN codes.

Part of the reason is profit. Banks extract a higher fee from the merchant for signature transactions than they do for PIN transactions.

The chip card readers are widespread in the SW. That said, I now carry my cards in an RFID aluminum card case which I just got recently at an airport.

Most cards, chip or not, don't have RF capability. The ones that do are labeled to indicate it (e.g., PayPass for a MasterCard, PayWave for a Visa card, Express Pay for Amex or Zip for Discover). http://www.lowcards.com/credit-cards-rfid-13517

[zqvol]

The chip card readers are widespread in the SW. That said, I now carry my cards in an RFID aluminum card case which I just got recently at an airport. One advantage I've found of doing this is I can put my hotel key card on the other side of the RFID blocking card case from my cellphone and my cellphone no longer demagnetizes my hotel room card! What a great (and simple) solution to a nuisance problem!

 

Of course you do realize that over 90% of cards with chips are NOT RFID cards. It is rare that they are used. Don't assume that your cards with a chip are RFID cards, most are not, though the makers of the "wallets" want you to think that they are.

 

The key names to look for in RFID credit cards are Visa PayWave, MasterCard PayPass, American Express ExpressPay and Discover Zip. http://www.lowcards.com/credit-cards-rfid-13517

 

If your credit card is not a tap and go card, and most aren't it is not an RFID card and you don't need to worry about RFID issues.

[donaldsc]

I have never had any problems using my credit cards in a port although I only use them at real stores and not a street stands. The only 2 times that my cards were hacked, it occurred in Brooklyn. I guess that we all should not visit Brooklyn.

 

DON

[iancal]

Our cards have RFID capability. I use this feature regularly. I suspect that it depends where you live. Would not surprise me if US banks are not there yet on this feature. Most stores/restaurants where we leave have this 'tap' capability.

 

There is one large grocery chain that does not seem to accept it so we revert to inputting our PIN. Even for small purchases of less than $10.

Edited December 11, 2015 by iancal

[zqvol]

Our cards have RFID capability. I use this feature regularly. I suspect that it depends where you live. Would not surprise me if US banks are not there yet on this feature. Most stores/restaurants where we leave have this 'tap' capability.

 

There is one large grocery chain that does not seem to accept it so we revert to inputting our PIN. Even for small purchases of less than $10.

 

 

Most US banks will not ever go there because of security issues. These cards will soon go away and be replaced by your phone.

[donaldsc]

Most US banks will not ever go there because of security issues. These cards will soon go away and be replaced by your phone.

 

Not on my watch. I will never use a phone as a replacement for my credit card. Too much trouble. Also, what about the people who do not use smart phones. There are still a lot of them out there.

 

DON

[Ocean Boy]

Not on my watch. I will never use a phone as a replacement for my credit card. Too much trouble. Also, what about the people who do not use smart phones. There are still a lot of them out there.

 

DON

 

No kidding. Beside, I-phones have enough hidded software in them that is spying on just about everything you do. I'll keep my cards and use my brains for the smart stuff.

[Underwatr]

The US banks introduced RFID cards some years ago (at least five years) but it never seemed to catch on. Possibly due to fears (mostly unto need) of people "skimming" your card info from close range. The grocery store where I shop accepts contactless payments, as does McDonalds and Walgreen's.

 

I don't have a contactless card but I use Android Pay on my phone via the contactless terminals. It's a safer payment method than the magnetic stripe because the card number doesn't pass through the payment system.

Edited December 11, 2015 by Underwatr