The fight for chip and PIN credit cards just got a little stronger, thanks to a letter signed by the attorneys general from eight states and the District of Columbia.
Officials from Maine, New York. Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Washington D.C. have all joined the push to make chip and PIN security the standard for credit cards in America, not just chip and signature.
The United States had a deadline of October 1 for the transition to EMV credit cards, but the overwhelming majority of those cards require only a chip and signature.
Retailers throughout the country have long pushed for chip and PIN standards because credit cards requiring PINs are so much more secure than those with just signatures. Target recently became the first major department store to require PIN numbers for their store issued credit cards.
In the letter, the attorneys general clearly state that they are not pushing for a federal regulation requiring chip and PIN technology. Rather, they are calling upon "good corporate citizens to voluntarily expedite the implementation of existing technology that offers the most substantial security benefits."
The biggest issue with switching to chip and PIN rather than chip and signature is the inconvenience that may come at the register. Consumers are already having issues switching from swiping to dipping their cards, let alone having to enter a PIN for every transaction. The letter acknowledges this issue and encourages card issuers to "consider disruptions to consumers and retailers and take steps to minimize them."
