Just like magnetic-stripe cards, chip cards are processed for payment in two steps: card reading and transaction verification. However, chip cards are read in a different way.
Instead of swiping your card, you will 'dip' your card, which means inserting it into a slot on the bottom front of the pinpad and waiting for it to process.
It takes a little longer for a 'dipping' transaction to happen. If you pull the card out before the payment is complete, the transaction will not complete and you will have to start the payment process again.
Just insert your chip card and follow the prompts on the terminal screen to complete the payment. Once the payment is complete, remove your card so that the receipt will print!
What is EMV (Chip Card), and why is it important to Commissary patrons?
EMV – which stands for Europay, MasterCard and Visa – is a global standard for cards equipped with computer chips and the technology used to authenticate chip-card transactions. In the wake of numerous large-scale data breaches and increasing rates of counterfeit card fraud, U.S. card issuers are migrating to this new technology to protect consumers and reduce the costs of fraud.
Between March and July of 2016, DeCA will be incrementally rolling out EMV capabilities at Commissaries worldwide, allowing patrons to make more secure transactions with chip enabled cards.
As stores become chip enabled, patrons will see notices at the registers and SCOs with instructions on how to use the chip card to complete a purchase.
Will DeCA still accept my magnetic-stripe credit or debit card?
Yes, if your card issuer has not yet replaced it with a chip enabled card, DeCA will accept your magnetic stripe card as long as it is still valid with the card issuer. You will swipe it through the card reader the same way you have done in the past.
Will I still have to sign or enter a PIN for my card transaction?
It generally depends on the verification method tied to your chip card. There aren't currently many credit card issuers requiring a PIN, most are currently chip-and-signature cards.
As with a magnetic-stripe credit card, you sign on the point-of-sale terminal to take responsibility for the payment when making a chip-and-signature card transaction.
DeCA is equipped for chip-and-signature credit transactions; however using a debit card will require you to enter a pin.
