Cloning

Chip and pin is great, I've not had to sign a little crappy receipt for over a year now when I use my debit card. The pin also gives better security than a signature. Another advantage is that the customer can in most cases, not have to hand their card to the store staff.

But there are different systems and infact a retailer is not obliged to have to provide a chip and pin service, but if they don't they take the risk of fraudulent transactions and the cost involved in that.

We have chip and pin, but the units we have are all in one machines, so we input the amount to be charged to the card on the same keypad as the customer puts their pin in. To process a sale I need to: insert the customer card (I take it from them), input the amount to be charged, the customer confirms the amount and then puts their pin in. I then need to take the machine back (with card) and press a button to say "yeah, I do actually want to do this thanks" and it goes through. It prints the merchant receipt, I tear it off and then press a button to say "yes please I could do with the customer receipt as well thank you very much". I can then finally remove the card.

So therefore, in normal circumstances I have the card on my side of the counter rather than the customers for most of the transaction. I don't mind if I customer wants me to keep the machine in their view or wants to see everything I do, I have nothing to hide (except swiping the occasional card and photographing the details).

But, when I tell you the price, and you have a card in your hand, and I go to take it the correct response is not:

"THE POINT OF CHIP AND PIN IS THAT I KEEP THE CARD."
"Ok but I need to take it to put it in the machine"
"NO!, I KEEP THE CARD THAT IS THE POINT OF CHIP AND PIN".
I really should have been pedantic and said it that was just one advantage and not THE point.
"Right well the only way you can pay by card is to give me the card, so I can put the amount in..."
"HOW DO I KNOW YOU'RE NOT GOING TO CLONE IT??"
"I will do it all on top of the counter so you can see"
"That'll have to do then" with a shake of the head (He really was bellowing at me before)

So the transaction went through. I then got a lecture on the 'point' of chip and pin. What a prick. He was trying to be all technical with his chip and pin knowledge but I bet he one of those people who will talk to you about their computer and go "Yeah, I got Google last night". Oh really, you got Google did you, you'll have to show me how to do it one time.