Thread: US Bank chip and pin (smart card) available for everybody?

Chip & Pin hasn't made it mainstream in the US yet, and the only people that would even benefit from it would be frequent travelers that visit Europe and Asia. Canada is introducing the technology, but is doing it poorly. Some banks have been doing trial rollouts of the C&P cards, but they have been invite only.
The problem with C&P initially is this: As long as a card is 'dual mode', as in C&P or magstripe, it will always be unsecure. C&P requires the entry of a pin assigned to the card and is very secure Without the pin the card won't work; and the pin code is not stored on the card. Magstripe is swipe, sign (sometimes) and go. If a thief has a choice, will they use the C&P, or the magstripe?
We probably won't see C&P technology in the US for a long time, because all of the credit card machines (millions of them) would need to be replaced, and electronic payment systems changed over. The real value in a C&P card for US citizens is in travel, as magstrip cards are being accepted less frequently abroad.