When you’re checking out items at the store, should you insert your card into the payment terminal? These days, as the use of chip-card technology grows, the answer to that question is less clear. The computer chip now embedded in debit and credit cards uses EMV (Europay, MasterCard, and Visa) technology, which is meant to reduce fraud at physical retail stores (as opposed to online shops). But because businesses aren’t required to upgrade their terminals, it’s confusing to figure out what to do at the register. Here are answers to some questions you might have about chip cards.

How does it work? Magnetic strip cards contain information within the strip, so it’s easy for a thief to “capture” that information and use it to accrue charges without the cardholder’s knowledge. By contrast, the chip card generates a unique, specific code for each transaction that cannot be reused.

Why does it take longer to check out? The unique code generated by the chip for each transaction is sent to the bank by the payment terminal. The bank matches the code to an identical one-time code and sends it back as verification for the transaction. As a result, it takes a few seconds longer to check out using a chip card because it takes time for the information to be transmitted.

Why aren’t some terminals working yet? You might notice that terminals in some stores are equipped with a chip-card reader, but you’re told you can’t use it. These terminals are awaiting chip-card certification, which can take several months to process. Until their terminals are certified, retailers are responsible for any fraudulent charges.

How much longer will I have to carry a physical card? The answer to this question isn’t clear. However, it’s important to note that terminals with upgraded chip-card technology are also equipped with technology that can accept wireless near-field communication. This allows data to be exchanged between two different devices (e.g., a cell phone and a terminal) that are a short distance away. This means that one day, instead of swiping or inserting a card at the checkout, you might just be tapping the terminal to make payments.

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