We wrap a piece of aluminum foil over the chip-enabled cards. They also make wallets that shield the cards from unintended electronic intrusion.
It is probably even more secure. Europe for years has had a technology called Chip and Pin and that is basically what the new card is. Think marrying the convenience of credit with security of debit (actually more secure).
How did you identify the chip in the card?
If you destroyed the chip that has visible contacts, you just disabled your card after October 2015. After that date, merchants will have to use the chip on the card or they won’t accept your card.
My understanding is that information in the chip is read by a reader (e.g., at the point of sale). Doesn’t shooting a nail through it disable the card making it unusable?
2 words....aluminum foil
I received one years ago and sent it back. The new cards coming out now have a chip embedded but works differently, along the lines of the European standard.
This is not exactly RFID in the conventional sense this is Near Field Communication, NFC.
It works at the same 13.56 Mhz frequency as EPC Global RFID but is much shorter in range. In addition, it uses only the Magnetic field component NOT an electromagnetic field like conventional RF communications so a non-ferromagnetic material like Aluminum will not shield it.
Two words, both start with CA. The first one is very insecure, subject to fraud and theft and is 100% trackable. The second one is 100% secure and completely untrackable but, unfortunately, still has the theft problem.
CARD
CASH
I much prefer the second alternative. About the only time I use the first alternative is when I buy something from the Internet.
Identity theft is the same as pregnancy, ABSTINENCE works 100% of the time. If you have NO CREDIT CARDS and pay for everything in CASH, all these Card Condoms are not needed.