By now you should have already received a notice from your financial institutions about updating your debit or credit cards with EMV technology. Cards equipped with “chip” technology have played a key role in reducing payment fraud in many countries, including England where counterfeit card fraud on locally-issued cards went down from a high of 169.8 billion euros in 2008 to 47.8 million euros in 2014.
To showcase the many ways that chip cards make life easier, I’m participating in Gemalto’s “EMV for a Week Challenge”. Starting this weekend I will visit several businesses on the island of Oahu, Hawaii to complete ten tasks using a “chipped” card:
- Get coffee at a local (not chain) coffee shop
- Make a purchase at a big-box store
- Get a meal inside a fast food restaurant
- Buy a magazine at a gas station
- Get $50 worth of groceries
- Buy a tacky t-shirt
- Get someone special a bouquet of flowers
- Hit a tourist attraction around town
- Buy office supplies
- Mail the folks at Gemalto a postcard from a local post office
My objective is to provide a real-world take on the EMV card experience. This includes the security benefits EMV cards present, support for the new technology in your community, and other observations I may have while making payments with a “chipped” card.
As part of Gemalto’s #ChipAwayAtFraud campaign, I will be tweeting my tasks through Twitter (@idaconcpts) and posting updates through Linkedin (ddavila). Also, I will post a “wrap-up piece” detailing my experience during the challenge.
During the challenge, I’ll be competing with other bloggers, including personal security and identify theft expert Robert Siciliano and Maryalene LaPonsie from MoneyTalksNews, for the opportunity to win $400 for a charity of my choice. My charity is the University of Hawaii Foundation.
Follow my updates (RTs and @ replies are welcome!) about my EMV card experience in Hawaii and help me win $400 for the UH Foundation.
Let the “EMV for a Week Challenge” begin!
(Image Credit: Aranami)
