Yes. Your chip card can be used virtually anywhere this brand of card is accepted in the U.S. and around the world. If a merchant has a chip-enabled card terminal, you will insert your card during the transaction. In the U.S., you will still be able to ‘swipe’ your card to make your payment if a merchant has a regular terminal. You will need a PIN to be able to make a transaction at an ATM.

Begin the payment process by ‘swiping’ your card, just as you do today. If the payment terminal is chip-enabled, you will be asked to insert your card.

1. Insert the card, face up and chip end First, into the terminal.
2. Leave the card in the terminal during the entire transaction.
3. Follow the instructions on the screen and either sign or enter your PIN as needed. Be sure to remove your card and take your receipt when the transaction is complete.

For merchants without chip-enabled terminals, your payment will process as it normally does with your initial swipe.

Yes. Chip cards add an additional layer of security to the safeguards that already protect your card. Each time you use your chip card, it generates a code that is unique to that transaction. This makes it harder to counterfeit your card or to use it fraudulently for in-store purchases.

A chip card – also called a smart card or an EMV™ card – is a debit or credit card that contains a microprocessor that enhances the security of cards during point-of-sale transactions. These cards, already in use in much of the world, use a security standard originally developed by Europay, MasterCard and Visa (EMV) as a way to fight card fraud resulting from theft, skimming, and counterfeiting. The EMV technology has been adopted by the other major card brands and issuers.