[geeks] RFID-based credit cards

Mike Meredith very at zonky.org
Fri Oct 27 13:32:49 CDT 2006


On Fri, 27 Oct 2006 10:57:51 -0700, Sheldon T. Hall wrote:
> I assume the new Visa card I just got is RFID-based, all the more so
> because the issuer is adamant about switching to that card even though
> the old one is still valid for a couple of years.

Are you sure it isn't a 'chip&pin' card ? A quick google indicates that
it wasn't rolled out in the US as of February this year. It must be a
little irksome for a US traveller to try and buy stuff in Europe and
find their card won't work.

Chip&pin cards have a gold multi-contact 'blob' on the left of the card
which contains a chip version of the mag stripe. It's supposed to make
the card more difficult to clone. No RFID unless I'm mistaken.

-- 
Mike Meredith (http://zonky.org/)
        It's a bad idea to let third parties generate outbound mail
        traffic from your mail system to destinations of THEIR choice.



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