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New Chip Credit Cards and Amtrak on Board Ticket Sales?

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Posted by Deggesty on Monday, October 31, 2016 5:03 PM

Deggesty

The cafe cars still have the older card readers; I have not asked the lead attendants in diners if they have the new readers or not--they take my card and bring me the slip to sign. I may ask tomorrow after leaving Los Angeles tonight on #22. 

 

Friday or Saturday, I saw a card reader when the lead attendant brought it to a table to take a payment (the attendant also took my card and then brought it back to me)--and it looked as though it was the old model.

My personal telephone number used to be that of a restaurant (more than three years ago)--and from time to time I get a call in which I am told that my card reader needs to be replaced.

Johnny

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Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, October 19, 2016 4:23 PM

I have dealt with a number of businesses - both large and small - with big IT budgets and probably non-existant IT budgets - The chip reader process is slower than the mag stripe procedure.  I am sure the big box retailers can quantify the difference in transactions per hour.  I hope the espoused increase in security is something that is real - not just glossy words with little if any real benefit.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by MikeF90 on Wednesday, October 19, 2016 3:23 PM

CandOforprogress2
I always stuck behind someone in the check out line at lunchtime with these things.

It depends a lot on how much the retailer 'cheaps out' on their IT infrastructure. At my local Kroger store the chip cards work about as fast as the card swipe kind. If it really improves fraud protection I'm all for it.

As discussed elsewhere, Amtrak constantly shoots itself in the foot with questionable new processes. Hopefully their portable devices use cell based communication rather than the crowded, hacker infested Wi-Fi bands.

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Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, October 19, 2016 12:18 PM

CMStPnP
BaltACD

The only 'electronic' access to my funds is direct deposit.  The only means for funds to depart is through checks I write.  I have one debit card - that rides around in my check book and used for ATM withdrawals only.  Dinosaur I may be, but no 'routine' hacker will drain my funds by hacking through some form of 'automatic' bill paying.  I only pay cash as a last resort.

Well, not as iron clad as you may think......

The Direct Deposit link can issue a correction and withdrawl money from your account without your permission.

Your Checks can be washed and reused a second time for another amount.   Most banks........especially Wells Fargo, do not validate duplicate check numbers and only report on out of sequence check numbers.    I've had paychecks I issued via Wells Fargo processed twice via check washing and having the guy submit the check again at some fly by night check cashing place.     Wells Fargo is liable when that happens for being stupid with their accounting software BUT I have to catch it for them and report it.    Same happens on the personal check side.

Your Debit Card can be have it's info read right from your pocket if it has a magnetic strip.......thats why they came out with the chip cards.

Debit card only leaves the house to go to the ATM - never carried around in crowds and it is now a chip card.  Only one making the direct deposits is my employer.  Checks only go to legitmate businesses, credit cards or individuals I have been doing business with for years.

While fraud may happen, I am making it as hard as I know how.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by CMStPnP on Wednesday, October 19, 2016 12:03 PM

BaltACD

The only 'electronic' access to my funds is direct deposit.  The only means for funds to depart is through checks I write.  I have one debit card - that rides around in my check book and used for ATM withdrawals only.  Dinosaur I may be, but no 'routine' hacker will drain my funds by hacking through some form of 'automatic' bill paying.  I only pay cash as a last resort.

Well, not as iron clad as you may think......

The Direct Deposit link can issue a correction and withdrawl money from your account without your permission.

Your Checks can be washed and reused a second time for another amount.   Most banks........especially Wells Fargo, do not validate duplicate check numbers and only report on out of sequence check numbers.    I've had paychecks I issued via Wells Fargo processed twice via check washing and having the guy submit the check again at some fly by night check cashing place.     Wells Fargo is liable when that happens for being stupid with their accounting software BUT I have to catch it for them and report it.    Same happens on the personal check side.

Your Debit Card can be have it's info read right from your pocket if it has a magnetic strip.......thats why they came out with the chip cards.

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Posted by Deggesty on Wednesday, October 19, 2016 11:54 AM

The cafe cars still have the older card readers; I have not asked the lead attendants in diners if they have the new readers or not--they take my card and bring me the slip to sign. I may ask tomorrow after leaving Los Angeles tonight on #22. 

Johnny

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Posted by CMStPnP on Wednesday, October 19, 2016 11:43 AM

CSSHEGEWISCH

None of my credit cards are linked to my checking account and I do not possess a debit card (cash is more convenient for me).  I also refuse to pay bills online.  It may make me a dinosaur but it reduces risk by quite a bit.  It takes a bit of retraining to get used to chip cards but it's not a big deal.

Well good for you, I didn't mention any of that in my post.   Learn the rules and liabilities of the banking system, as well as punishment for frauds when caught.   Then you will figure out where your best protection is.

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Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, October 19, 2016 10:18 AM

The only 'electronic' access to my funds is direct deposit.  The only means for funds to depart is through checks I write.  I have one debit card - that rides around in my check book and used for ATM withdrawals only.  Dinosaur I may be, but no 'routine' hacker will drain my funds by hacking through some form of 'automatic' bill paying.  I only pay cash as a last resort.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Wednesday, October 19, 2016 7:03 AM

None of my credit cards are linked to my checking account and I do not possess a debit card (cash is more convenient for me).  I also refuse to pay bills online.  It may make me a dinosaur but it reduces risk by quite a bit.  It takes a bit of retraining to get used to chip cards but it's not a big deal.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by CMStPnP on Tuesday, October 18, 2016 7:05 PM

JPS1
I had to cancel the card, notify all of the vendors that were authorized to charge to the card that it had been canceled, obtain a new card, and give the new information to the vendors that I want to regularly charge my card, i.e. telephone, internet, utilities, etc.

Two points, first the bank is supposed to do most of that work for you, including notifying vendors when your card no longer works what happened and then the vendors call you as soon as the auto-charge fails.    I guess it depends on your CC though.   You get what you research for in the small print.

Second, if you use automatic draft via your checking account, when your CC becomes compromised you don't have to go down that long list of auto-pay people, plus it pulls the bill right out of checking and in all my life I have never had that compromised (as it carries a much tougher sentence than CC fraud).

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Posted by PJS1 on Tuesday, October 18, 2016 6:14 PM

schlimm

 

 
JPS1

 

 
CandOforprogress2

Do conducters have the new Chip Card readers and what about the Cafe Car? BTW the new Chip Cards are a PIA (pain in the arse). I always stuck behind someone in the check out line at lunchtime with these things. 

 

As of two week ago, when I rode the Sunset Limited from El Paso to Tucson, none of the crew had a chip card reader.

PIA?  Not from my point of view.  In August my credit card, which is issued by a Wall Street bank, was compromised.  The bank fraud detection unit picked it up immediately.  They believe that the codes may have been obtained at a gasoline pump.  Apparently the bad guys know how to rig the pump readers to obtain the card's vital numbers. 

I had to cancel the card, notify all of the vendors that were authorized to charge to the card that it had been canceled, obtain a new card, and give the new information to the vendors that I want to regularly charge my card, i.e. telephone, internet, utilities, etc. It was a much bigger PIA than the PIAs caused by slower lines at the few places where I use the card. 

 

 

 

Two overgeneralizations? 

You can save your quips for someone who cares.  

My comments were not intended as a valid statistical sample that could be projected to the population.

Rio Grande Valley, CFI,CFII

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Posted by schlimm on Tuesday, October 18, 2016 5:42 PM

JPS1

 

 
CandOforprogress2

Do conducters have the new Chip Card readers and what about the Cafe Car? BTW the new Chip Cards are a PIA (pain in the arse). I always stuck behind someone in the check out line at lunchtime with these things. 

 

As of two week ago, when I rode the Sunset Limited from El Paso to Tucson, none of the crew had a chip card reader.

PIA?  Not from my point of view.  In August my credit card, which is issued by a Wall Street bank, was compromised.  The bank fraud detection unit picked it up immediately.  They believe that the codes may have been obtained at a gasoline pump.  Apparently the bad guys know how to rig the pump readers to obtain the card's vital numbers. 

I had to cancel the card, notify all of the vendors that were authorized to charge to the card that it had been canceled, obtain a new card, and give the new information to the vendors that I want to regularly charge my card, i.e. telephone, internet, utilities, etc. It was a much bigger PIA than the PIAs caused by slower lines at the few places where I use the card. 

 

Two overgeneralizations?

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Posted by PJS1 on Tuesday, October 18, 2016 5:35 PM

CandOforprogress2

Do conducters have the new Chip Card readers and what about the Cafe Car? BTW the new Chip Cards are a PIA (pain in the arse). I always stuck behind someone in the check out line at lunchtime with these things. 

As of two week ago, when I rode the Sunset Limited from El Paso to Tucson, none of the crew had a chip card reader.

PIA?  Not from my point of view.  In August my credit card, which is issued by a Wall Street bank, was compromised.  The bank fraud detection unit picked it up immediately.  They believe that the codes may have been obtained at a gasoline pump.  Apparently the bad guys know how to rig the pump readers to obtain the card's vital numbers. 

I had to cancel the card, notify all of the vendors that were authorized to charge to the card that it had been canceled, obtain a new card, and give the new information to the vendors that I want to regularly charge my card, i.e. telephone, internet, utilities, etc. It was a much bigger PIA than the PIAs caused by slower lines at the few places where I use the card. 

Rio Grande Valley, CFI,CFII

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Posted by AMTK 281 on Tuesday, October 18, 2016 4:23 PM

From what I've seen, the cafe cars in corridor service here in California don't have chip readers, or if they do, they aren't used. Keep in mind that these are the state owned cars and the long distance cars may be different.

As a person who works in retail, I wholeheartedly second your PIA comment. Bang Head

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New Chip Credit Cards and Amtrak on Board Ticket Sales?
Posted by CandOforprogress2 on Tuesday, October 18, 2016 1:52 PM

Do conducters have the new Chip Card readers and what about the Cafe Car? BTW the new Chip Cards are a PIA (pain in the arse). I always stuck behind someone in the check out line at lunchtime with these things.

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