Chip and PIN vs. Mobile Wallets

Written By Michael Wense

The New York Times had an article recently about the speed difference between new chip and PIN cards and mobile payment solutions like Apple Pay and Samsung Pay...and Android Pay. (Honestly, guys, did we all have to use the same naming convention?)

As an Apple customer, I've been using Apple Pay ever since it was introduced with the iPhone 6, and although I enjoyed using it, it wasn't until I got the Apple Watch that I realized just how convenient it is as compared to the chip-enabled cards.

When I get groceries, I'm lucky enough to shop at stores that accept mobile payments, and I love being able to hold my wrist to the payment terminal to pay. Is it that much faster than swiping my card? Maybe not life-changingly speedier, but it's enough that I don't have to fish out my wallet, find the right card, and swipe. 

Chip cards (at least right now) definitely feel less speedy, like adding an extra step to the credit card process we're all accustomed to.

Plus, I can't tell you how many times I've put my card in the chip reader only to pull it out before the transaction authorized and had the reader make a horrible buzzing alert that embarrasses the hell out of me.

Michael Wense
A St. Louis native, Michael Wense is a writer, editor, technology goon, and kitchen connoisseur. When he’s not hunting down misplaced modifiers or common misspellings, he’s tinkering with a short story or obsessively collecting recipes. Sometimes he’ll just sit and watch cooking shows on Netflix for hours. Like a zombie. When it comes to fiction, he prefers potent pieces with a cutting emotional edge. Novels are good, but the punch of a perfect short story will bring him to his knees.
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