Smart Cards, Smarter Ideas

from the just-ask-for-my-password dept

We were just talking about how few consumers really care that much about smart cards for a variety of reasons. Now Visa is coming out with a new system that they say will help cut down on credit card fraud without going through the whole smart card set up. The idea is pretty simple: make people use a password with their credit card for online purchases. Seems like a great idea to me. Others, however, aren't so sure. They're afraid that consumers will find this even more annoying, and it will make fewer people complete orders. They're also worried about the cost of setting up such a system - and the perceived benefits to merchants who will have to pay some of that bill.
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  • identicon
    Michael Armstrong, 28 Aug 2001 @ 11:26am

    What good is a password?

    It won't be much different than those CCV2 numbers on the back that some merchants ask for. If someone is snooping your internet connection or an unscrupulous merchant (live or virtual) steals your credit card number, what's to stop them from stealing the CCV2 number or password at the same time?

    It's all just a bunch of feel-good claptrap.

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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