Chip card payment confusion, anger rages on

Six months after U.S. retailers began assuming liability for debit and credit card fraud, only a fraction of the nation's in-store payment terminals can accept the highly secure chip-enabled cards.

As a result, customers often face confusion and delays at checkout counters when trying to make payments. Many small, mid-sized and independent retailers still rely on insecure magnetic-stripe cards, despite the warnings of banks and card companies that those cards can be defrauded by criminals who surreptitiously skim customer account information and then use the customer's credit card information to buy goods illegally.

"Consumers don't know what to do at checkout and don't understand the chip technology and didn't feel the need for chip cards pushed upon them. They are now being caught in this mix. They don't know whether to swipe or insert a card, or sign, or use a PIN. They are dealing with longer lines, and retail staff are still learning about the cards and how they work," said Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the nonprofit EMV Migration Forum, in an interview Tuesday. The forum represents a 170-member cross-section of banks, merchants and card payment technology companies.

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