Chip & PIN

If you're not American, not United States based, you probably don't know that in America, we have only had credit/debit cards with a magnetic stripe on the back, but not the Chip on the front that your cards have had for the past 20 years.

You probably don't know that in America, we swipe cards, we don't insert them into a reader at the store cash register terminal.

All of that is about to come to an end in America!! http://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-234B-3681

Now, if you are US based, and if you have an account at Bank Of America, go into a branch today and order your replacement Chip & PIN card! (They charge $5, and they mail you the new card. Otherwise I guess you'll get it for free at your next expiration date.) Not only will you be the first kid on the block to have the new technology, but your BOA card will then work in more establishments with POS Chip & PIN terminals in Europe, United Kingdom (and presumably Canada, South America, Asia but I've not been to those countries), than previous with a mag stripe only card.

I first learned this in 2009 when I traveled to Poland, Germany and Belgium for 3 months. My puny American mag strip card, just didn't work in very many places.

Well that's interesting info, and a good tip, especially for some of our well traveled webmasters and content producers!

Supposedly, all American banks will switch by the end of the year. So far, BOA is the only one to do so already. The only one with an advertised plan.

And the Target breach was over a year ago.