#And credit cards were almost as slow to roll out cards with RFID as places were to add readers | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

ailurinae · 1 year ago

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We do have both mobile devices with pin entry, and tap ones, but both are at least somewhat recent. And the ones that use the contact chip tend to get dirty/damaged (not sure of details), and don't work well, at which point you need to fall back on the magnetic stripe. The tap ones are even newer and thus rarer, but at least are more reliable than the contact ones. And places like NYC and SV are more likely to have newer ones, backwaters in the western interior are less likely. Also varies by type and age of business… I rarely went to bars even before the pandemic, so I have no clue what is common now. Last time I did go to a bar was probably over 5 years ago in Seattle, and they held onto your card… they might have had a Square tap reader though? Hard to recall.

Right Americans, I need an explanation. What on Earth are these kids doing wrong? Surely this is normal?

#I mean I am pretty sure I first saw tap readers over 10 years ago #But they still aren't super common #More common at newly started small cafés and such #Or at farmers markets where you need to be mobile #No one trusted tap readers at first #Even though they are more secure than mag strips #Definitely less secure than chip contact ones though #And should definitely have an RFID blocking wallet #And credit cards were almost as slow to roll out cards with RFID as places were to add readers #The chips they rolled out fast and pretty early #But for a long time no one had the contact readers

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