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Radio Credit Cards Move Closer

Posted by timothy on from the walk-by-mugging dept.

pvt_medic writes "CNN.com has an article about research that some major credit card companies (MasterCard and American Express) are putting into creating 'contactless' credit cards. These are similar to the Speedpass that ExxonMobil has been using for six years. What to people think about the prospect of this more widespread use of RFID? Is this something that will only lead to more credit card fraud, or will it provide more secure means of payment?" (The article comes from the Associated Press.)

7 of 295 comments (clear)

  1. Well lets see... by AuMatar · · Score: 4, Insightful

    We have a method of payment that can subtract electronic mone from your account, with no input from you, and without your card ever leaving your wallet? Yeah, thats a great idea....

    --
    I still have more fans than freaks. WTF is wrong with you people?
    1. Re:Well lets see... by cpu_fusion · · Score: 5, Insightful

      > you better damn well believe
      > it's gonna be as secure as possible

      Oh yes, like the wonderfully secure state of credit card use on the Net right now.

      It won't be *secure as possible* ... it will in fact, be as *secure as deemed needed* by beancounters. Those beancounters offset the minor inconvenience of a few hundred thousand people who have to deal with the shock & scare of being ripped off by holes in the new technology with the economic boost of a few more million people using their particular flavor of credit card.

      Sure, the credit card companies might cover the losses (*might, after you fight*), but there's nothing like seeing a huge charge on your credit card, that you didn't make, and having to go through the hassle of getting it resolved.

      Don't blindly think they make things "as secure as possible." That's not the economics of it.

    2. Re:Well lets see... by SurgeonGeneral · · Score: 5, Insightful

      We have a method of payment that can subtract electronic mone from your account, with no input from you, and without your card ever leaving your wallet? Yeah, thats a great idea....

      I see a great number of redundant posts all throughout stating this same idea.

      I think you guys are being more than just a little shortsighted. You read something about a RFID credit card and jump to a horrendous number of conclusions about how this technology will be used. Give it a little thought:

      The most likely candidate for a technology to be paired with this is Biometrics. We're all quite familiar with this technology, and its easy to see how it would be coupled with RFID CCs.

      But we can come up with something a little less "futuristic". I belong to a tennis club that uses RFID encoded cards for entry in to the building, but they are also used for purchasing food. What happens? You swipe your wallet (containing the card), and the computer in front of the salesperson (yes we have those nowadays) brings up a picture of me and all my personal information. If anything seems fishy, they ask for a signiture.

      Now considering that this technology is not going to be immediately implemented, and will not be forced upon the general public, I think we can give at the very least a few more years before it becomes ubiquitous. In that case, use your imagination (I know its hard since tech evolves so quickly) to come up with some solutions to the pedantic and generally trivial questions just like this one that everyone is posing.

      --
      -- "Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains." Jean Jacques Rousseau
    3. Re:Well lets see... by SpaceRook · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I think this will help push sales if customer's spend less time in line. There have \been times where I've been waiting in line and thought, "Y'know, I don't REALLY need this 25 pack of CD-R's right now. I'm going to put it back on the shelf."

  2. Scanners by alset_tech · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Another reason to sniff the wireless frequencies. You may not be able to get into most cell networks these days, but this will bring all kinds of fun the the quest. Someone will figure out how to hack this inside three months. At least right now I have to match a signature (though nobody checks the card) and my debit card has my picture on it. God knows I won't want to get one of these.

    --
    Standing on the shoulders of giants.
  3. The Raw Facts... by AsnFkr · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ..are that your credit card number is everywhere. If people want numbers, they will get them. If they get yours - then thats bad luck. All you have to do is keep an eye on your credit card statements and make sure all the charges are yours. If they aren't call the credit card company and tell them. It's easy as pie. I kills me when I see people overly paranoid about thier CC#'s. I mean, comeon...you go to a restraunt and GIVE your waitress or waiter your card to carry across the room away from your eyes and run it through the machine. If they wanted, it wouldnt be hard for them to copy the numbers. Then..up on the net in a flash. Point being...security for this type of thing is nice, but don't let yourself get lazy depending on it. Keep checking those statements!

    --


    adventure-today.com
  4. That's Narrow-Minded by cjsnell · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Who says that it has to be that insecure? I envision a little device that goes on a keychain (similar in that respect to SpeedPass), which has a little button on the side of it. You squeeze the button as you pass it over the scanner. Only when the button is squeezed does the transmitter in the device emit anything.

    BTW, why are you so paranoid about a contactless credit card? Do you eat at restaurants and pay with a credit card? Chances are, if you do, some potentially sleazy waiter has taken your credit card out of your sight for a few minutes. Not only can he copy your card, chances are that he knows what city you live in and can then get your home (think billing) address out of the phone book. On top of that, he can look at what kind of clothes you wear and car you drive and make a guesstimate about your credit line.