That chip on your credit card—that thing that adds time to your check out at the grocery store—is it really that important?
These new chips in credit and debit cards create a unique code for each transaction made, making it harder for an identity thief to steal your credit card information.
“When that unique code is created, it takes the money, and then that’s the only time that code is ever used," said Melanie McGovern, Social Media and Communications Coordinator at Better Business Bureau. "When you swipe your card, the merchant gets your credit card number.”
Your card number lives forever in that black stripe on the back of your card. Every time you swipe it, the business you are buying from has that information, increasing the potential for credit card fraud.
“Yeah the line’s a little longer, but at the end of the day, your information is safer.”
It may take a little bit of patience, but just remember that those extra few seconds could be saving you from a bad case of identity theft.
