True, but that's not the only time. There are stores (fewer than there used to be, fortunately) that do that with everyone who looks like they don't know exactly what they're after.
It's not confusing, it's just different. The process isn't any more complicated, it's just a different process.
Yes, but the process is different from store to store, which means that it is confusing. Also, it means that you can't develop a "muscle memory" for using the things.
Yeah, that's what the cash register manufacturers keep trying to convince us of. But it had another meaning before those guys started trying to steal it. To me, POS has always meant, and will always mean, Piece Of Shit.
and were asked by two separate employees if we were "finding everything OK".
Heh, that's a pet peeve of mine. I'll let it slide the first time that a store employee does that, but if it happens a second time, I'm going to a different store.
This. I've been signing with just a horizontal line for years and never once has anyone (including my bank) noticed or cared. And, judging by other people I see signing things, I'm far from the only one.
Other big chain stores I've been in that do EMV also have new, expensive, high quality pads, and they, too, are basically just as fast either way.
That's interesting. My experience is pretty much the opposite of that -- all stores have slow chip+pin transaction times compared to swiping, but the ones that are the quickest are never the big chain stores. They tend to be on the slower side. It's the smaller, regional chains who seem to have the good stuff.
The payment does take significantly longer though, for one thing, it does not seem to be possible to start the process while the cashier is in the process of scanning the groceries, so it all has to take place after the total is known.
Yes, if it were possible to start the card transaction while the cashier was still ringing things up so all you have to do is press the final "OK" button at the end (like in the old system), then it wouldn't even matter that the process takes longer. I think the inability to do this is the single most annoying thing about chip+pin.
It "may" take a little longer to insert your card and enter a pin than swiping and signing (although I personally think that's somewhat debatable).
There's no debate about it. Using chip+ pin is usually takes about 30 seconds longer than the same transaction being swiped. There are stores that do it faster, in those it takes about 15 seconds longer than swiping.
For whatever it's worth, I live in Finland and the chip and pin transactions are faster than the time it would take to swipe a card and sign something the old way.
That's awesome! In the US, it's quite a lot slower. It's faster to pay with cash.
One of the best things about Chip+Pin was the ability for servers in restaurants to have a mobile POS device where they could process your card at the table (and it was quick!).
There are tons of restaurants in the US that have mobile devices that let you swipe your card tableside. That's not unique to chip+pin.
I have tap & pay on my cards, and most of the retailers near me have terminals that accept it. But I've only actually paid that way once, out of curiosity. It worked fine, but I guess the force of habit is too strong with me.
There's also an obsession with literal cash, here. People see it as the default
I don't think it's an obsession -- I see more people use cards than cash. But cash has some pretty large advantages over the available alternatives (it always works, it's faster than chip+pin, it's easy to transfer to other individuals, it's private, etc.) so it remains in common use.
Reader says "insert chip in the bottom". You insert chip in the bottom. Reader says "enter pin". You enter pin.
If it were just that easy, I would be happy. But it's not. There are specific times that you have to insert and remove the card and enter a PIN, and when those times are during the transaction is different from store to store. That means that you can't just insert your card when you get to the cashier, enter a PIN, and remove it when the cashier is done. You have to stand there and watch for the prompts.
The confusion isn't major, but it's enough that it slows the whole thing down and is uncomfortable.
I've noticed some readers are slow, but this probably has nothing to do with the chip, the merchant just has a shitty system. If you're talking about the process being slower, ok yeah, by about 10 to 15 seconds or so.
In my experience, 100% of the transactions involving these systems is slow enough to be irritating. Yes, the difference is only 15-30 seconds or so, but it is still irritating.
Yes, I had to laugh at the idea of casting UX folks as "defenders of the user", considering the parade of terrible user-unfriendly designs that they constantly churn out, even ignoring "dark patterns".
Yes, I'm aware of all of that. But none of that makes it clear to me that the modern Olympics has anything to do with the original Olympics aside from wanting to resemble them.
That only matters if you have enough money to defend yourself against a lawsuit. Even if you'd obviously win the suit from a legal perspective, that doesn't matter if you go bankrupt before the case ends.
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True, but that's not the only time. There are stores (fewer than there used to be, fortunately) that do that with everyone who looks like they don't know exactly what they're after.
Yes, this is the case. I only use my credit card for exceptional purchases.
It's not confusing, it's just different. The process isn't any more complicated, it's just a different process.
Yes, but the process is different from store to store, which means that it is confusing. Also, it means that you can't develop a "muscle memory" for using the things.
POS (point of sale. aka cash registers)
Yeah, that's what the cash register manufacturers keep trying to convince us of. But it had another meaning before those guys started trying to steal it. To me, POS has always meant, and will always mean, Piece Of Shit.
and were asked by two separate employees if we were "finding everything OK".
Heh, that's a pet peeve of mine. I'll let it slide the first time that a store employee does that, but if it happens a second time, I'm going to a different store.
This. I've been signing with just a horizontal line for years and never once has anyone (including my bank) noticed or cared. And, judging by other people I see signing things, I'm far from the only one.
I want a ATM [only] card. Can't get that anymore.
Chase offers savings accounts with ATM-only (not debit or credit) cards.
Other big chain stores I've been in that do EMV also have new, expensive, high quality pads, and they, too, are basically just as fast either way.
That's interesting. My experience is pretty much the opposite of that -- all stores have slow chip+pin transaction times compared to swiping, but the ones that are the quickest are never the big chain stores. They tend to be on the slower side. It's the smaller, regional chains who seem to have the good stuff.
Debit cards in the US use chip+pin, not chip+signature.
The payment does take significantly longer though, for one thing, it does not seem to be possible to start the process while the cashier is in the process of scanning the groceries, so it all has to take place after the total is known.
Yes, if it were possible to start the card transaction while the cashier was still ringing things up so all you have to do is press the final "OK" button at the end (like in the old system), then it wouldn't even matter that the process takes longer. I think the inability to do this is the single most annoying thing about chip+pin.
It "may" take a little longer to insert your card and enter a pin than swiping and signing (although I personally think that's somewhat debatable).
There's no debate about it. Using chip+ pin is usually takes about 30 seconds longer than the same transaction being swiped. There are stores that do it faster, in those it takes about 15 seconds longer than swiping.
For whatever it's worth, I live in Finland and the chip and pin transactions are faster than the time it would take to swipe a card and sign something the old way.
That's awesome! In the US, it's quite a lot slower. It's faster to pay with cash.
One of the best things about Chip+Pin was the ability for servers in restaurants to have a mobile POS device where they could process your card at the table (and it was quick!).
There are tons of restaurants in the US that have mobile devices that let you swipe your card tableside. That's not unique to chip+pin.
I have tap & pay on my cards, and most of the retailers near me have terminals that accept it. But I've only actually paid that way once, out of curiosity. It worked fine, but I guess the force of habit is too strong with me.
There's also an obsession with literal cash, here. People see it as the default
I don't think it's an obsession -- I see more people use cards than cash. But cash has some pretty large advantages over the available alternatives (it always works, it's faster than chip+pin, it's easy to transfer to other individuals, it's private, etc.) so it remains in common use.
The slowness can be explained by some merchants still using dial-up or being in an area with poor communication infrastructure.
Not in my area. Even the large, well-connected stores are no faster than the mom and pop stores in the boonies.
I live in the US, and It's chip & pin, not chip & signature, everywhere I go.
Reader says "insert chip in the bottom".
You insert chip in the bottom.
Reader says "enter pin".
You enter pin.
If it were just that easy, I would be happy. But it's not. There are specific times that you have to insert and remove the card and enter a PIN, and when those times are during the transaction is different from store to store. That means that you can't just insert your card when you get to the cashier, enter a PIN, and remove it when the cashier is done. You have to stand there and watch for the prompts.
The confusion isn't major, but it's enough that it slows the whole thing down and is uncomfortable.
I've noticed some readers are slow, but this probably has nothing to do with the chip, the merchant just has a shitty system. If you're talking about the process being slower, ok yeah, by about 10 to 15 seconds or so.
In my experience, 100% of the transactions involving these systems is slow enough to be irritating. Yes, the difference is only 15-30 seconds or so, but it is still irritating.
I like that the cards are more secure. I HATE that using them makes the entire transaction take so much longer. I'll be sticking with cash.
No, Windows is more like an apartment rental. You own nothing and remain at the whim of the landlord.
Yes, I had to laugh at the idea of casting UX folks as "defenders of the user", considering the parade of terrible user-unfriendly designs that they constantly churn out, even ignoring "dark patterns".
Microsoft's contributions to Linux have been of minimal importance to people who don't use Microsoft products.
Yes, I'm aware of all of that. But none of that makes it clear to me that the modern Olympics has anything to do with the original Olympics aside from wanting to resemble them.
That only matters if you have enough money to defend yourself against a lawsuit. Even if you'd obviously win the suit from a legal perspective, that doesn't matter if you go bankrupt before the case ends.
An even better idea: don't watch the Olympics at all.