chip and pin

[slimfandango]

Is the pin at shops the same as your hole in the wall pin? sorry for sounding backward.

ps. how's it safe? I see people poking their number into the machine in plain view!

[rma1805]

The advantage with a PIN is that the crook needs to steal pieces - the card and the PIN, instead of just the card. Further, if you try to claim a transaction by a friend who gave the card to isn't authorized, if you gave your friend the PIN, the card company will consider that authorization.

Anyway, you can most often change your PIN through a toll-free number if you lose your card. Click here for more info on card fraud:

http://www.card-fraud.com/consumer/TypesOfCardFraud.html