topic Re: RFID Protectors - How Long Useful? in Community Chat

RFID Protectors - How Long Useful?

Pearlee — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 15:58:53 GMT

So...yesterday I watched a presentation of a Shark Tank person with more RFID protector thingys to purchase. Those are just one of many items - including a lot of Travelon bags - that QVC is touting as having RFID protection.

I can't help but wonder, whenever I hear such a presentation, just how long it will be before the crooks get around that type of proteciton so it will all be fairly worthless.

Remember when radar detectors come on the market? The police kept developing other ways technologically to detect speeding that "beat" the latest radar detector so you had to get a different kind of radar detector.

I think the same thing will happen shortly with detecting info from the chips in the credit cards. The crooks won't let RFID protection stop them. They will find another way!

To summarize: I think purchasing products with RFID protection will soon be a waste of money.

Re: RFID Protectors - How Long Useful?

ChynnaBlue — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 16:06:17 GMT

Right answer, wrong reason.

The US has never made wide use of RFID credit cards and are already phasing them out and replacing them with the more widely spread Chip and Pin system.

I've never once had an RFID card, but all my cards have the chip used for the Chip and PIN system. Most stores are now rolling out the Chip readers and will soon begin requiring a PIN for use with all cards. If your store card reader requires that you insert the card into the device instead of sliding it, that's the Chip and PIN reader. You'll see more of these as the major credit cards are moving to this system and NOT RFID.

That's from 2013, which just shows how slowly these things happen. Most of my local stores just installed Chip and PIN terminals in the last 6 months.

Re: RFID Protectors - How Long Useful?

Venezia — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 16:16:57 GMT

@ChynnaBlue wrote:
Right answer, wrong reason.

The US has never made wide use of RFID credit cards and are already phasing them out and replacing them with the more widely spread Chip and Pin system.

I've never once had an RFID card, but all my cards have the chip used for the Chip and PIN system. Most stores are now rolling out the Chip readers and will soon begin requiring a PIN for use with all cards. If your store card reader requires that you insert the card into the device instead of sliding it, that's the Chip and PIN reader. You'll see more of these as the major credit cards are moving to this system and NOT RFID.

You can read more about the Chip and PIN cards here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/the-basics-of-chip-and-pin-credit-cards/2013/05/16/9e8bdf9a-a13f-11e2-be47-b44febada3a8_story.html

That's from 2013, which just shows how slowly these things happen. Most of my local stores just installed Chip and PIN terminals in the last 6 months.

That's because, from January 1, 2016, if they do not have these terminals installed, any financial loss from fraud becomes the responsibility of the retailer and not the CC company.

Re: RFID Protectors - How Long Useful?

Susan-QVC — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 16:33:11 GMT

This post has been removed by QVC, unkind

Re: RFID Protectors - How Long Useful?

SharkE — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 16:38:12 GMT

wonder if walmart will change to a chip card? My Target Visa is now Mastercard.

Think we will always have crooks amongst us. Easier then working. If they can find ways around being a productive earn your own way citizen this business will always be around.

Re: RFID Protectors - How Long Useful?

mima — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 16:40:51 GMT

As far as I know, we will be using chip and signature machines and not ship and pin machines at least for now.

Maybe in the future pins will be required but for now signatures is all that is needed even if your card has a chip in it.

Re: RFID Protectors - How Long Useful?

Nightowlz — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 16:46:10 GMT

I have never had a credit card with an RFID chip in it either. My main card from the credit union has the new EMV technology but there are no chip & pin terminals around here. Our card was changed earlier this year. The credit union says these are safer. We will see. Just how long do they think it will take for the crooks to figure out a way to get your info from these cards too? My card has been used twice before. Each time we still had our cards. Most of the shopping was done online. The merchants were charged back for the fraudulent charges because the person making the charges did not actually have the credit card. Since these charges are spread out to several merchants the merchants are out the money & don't do anything about it because it would cost them to much money. As long as this stays the same the crooks get away with it so they keep doing it.

Re: RFID Protectors - How Long Useful?

NickNack — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 16:47:26 GMT

What I don't like is that they don't tell you how to tell if you need RFID protection with your credit card. I saw a presentation the other day where they said that it was really hard to tell if you had an RFID chip, so you should get the protection just in case. It isn't hard to tell at all. You can easily Google it for a picture. I thought about getting the sleeve protectors until I Googled it and realized I don't have an RFID chip in my cards.

Re: RFID Protectors - How Long Useful?

Venezia — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 16:53:57 GMT

@mima wrote:
As far as I know, we will be using chip and signature machines and not ship and pin machines at least for now.

Maybe in the future pins will be required but for now signatures is all that is needed even if your card has a chip in it.

Not true where I am. All the Walmart stores have the new card readers and, if your card is a "chip and pin", you must enter the PIN. You are no longer allowed to just slide your card and sign. Their system does not allow it and you would have to use a different payment method.

Re: RFID Protectors - How Long Useful?

Pearlee — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 16:56:21 GMT

@Venezia wrote:
All the Walmart stores have the new card readers and, if your card is a "chip and pin",
The WM where I shop doesn't have the new readers yet. Even though my Sam's Club MC (good at WMs too of course) sent me the new card with the chip.

Re: RFID Protectors - How Long Useful?

June222 — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 16:57:32 GMT

I have have been sent several replacement cards with the chips over the last year.

Re: RFID Protectors - How Long Useful?

sunshine45 — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 17:03:56 GMT

the majority of my credit cards now do not have a chip. i HAVE received a few with a chip, but no PIN needed......they never sent me, nor have i selected a PIN.

interestingly, i have not seen these at our walmart stores (as some have mentioned) and even my walmart card is not chipped.

i own two businesses and we do not have chip technology terminals installed nor do we plan to anytime soon. no one is pushing them from merchant services or the bank either.

Re: RFID Protectors - How Long Useful?

1MrsT — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 17:09:20 GMT

I thought this info was interesting:

How are chip-and-pin cards different from RFID credit cards?

RFID, or radio-frequency identification, cards are contactless. They have a chip and radio antenna that transmit account information, raising concerns (which people are still arguing about years after the cards were introduced) that criminals may use readers to skim consumer details. Chip-and-pin cards work only when inserted into a merchant’s credit-card reader.

Re: RFID Protectors - How Long Useful?

Mz iMac — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 17:56:04 GMT

Walmart does not issue cc. It's the bank the cc agencies are affiliated with.

Re: RFID Protectors - How Long Useful?

SharkE — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 17:57:41 GMT

oh yeah that's right. Mine hasn't been changed over to a 'chip' card yet.

Why they took my post out of the original, started by somebody else, thread I don't know. LOL

Re: RFID Protectors - How Long Useful?

Susan-QVC — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 18:01:43 GMT

@SharkE I apologize for that. I wanted to remove a post and system took the replies also.

So sorry!!

Susan

Re: RFID Protectors - How Long Useful?

SharkE — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 18:03:37 GMT

Thank you! Thought I was having a 'senior moment' LOL

Re: RFID Protectors - How Long Useful?

Pearlee — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 18:14:57 GMT

There are now duplicates of my thread!? Would you merge that second one into mine please?

@Susan-QVC

Re: RFID Protectors - How Long Useful?

Moonchilde — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 18:11:25 GMT

My advice is to buy the "cardboard" lined protectors if you only have 1-2 cards and want to be sure they're safe, if you have any doubts.

BUT - these break down at the corners with use, and they definitely don't fit neatly and well into all wallets and purses. I know - I used them on one card. It was a PIT*.

In anticipation of the changes I bought the Travelon wallet set and happily use it now. I figure it will take care of what *can* be protected while it's on your person. Once you take the card out and either hand it to someone, swipe it or stick in the new machines, there is no protection until it's back in "protected space" again.

Re: RFID Protectors - How Long Useful?

mima — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 18:47:22 GMT

@Venezia wrote:
@mima wrote:
As far as I know, we will be using chip and signature machines and not ship and pin machines at least for now.

Maybe in the future pins will be required but for now signatures is all that is needed even if your card has a chip in it.
Not true where I am. All the Walmart stores have the new card readers and, if your card is a "chip and pin", you must enter the PIN. You are no longer allowed to just slide your card and sign. Their system does not allow it and you would have to use a different payment method.

I have the new chip reader credit card machine in my store. They have never told me anything about needing a pin. I have run sales on chip reader cards. The machine won't let you swipe the card if it has a chip reader. You have to leave the card in during the transaction. My machine only requires a signature and not a pin. It is a brand new machine that is compliant with what I have to have. I wonder why the difference?

I got a new credit card with the chip in it to replace my old card. They did not give me a pin for it.

If you use a debit card and it is swiped as a debit card you used to have a pin number but if you run it as credit you didn't. I don't know if it is the same or not. Are you using a debit card or credit card? I'm confused on why the difference.