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Comment by beckler | Hacker News Reader

Mine has a PIN, but I only have to use it if I'm calling support, getting a gift card, or trying to use it at an ATM to get a cash advance.

I'm not 100% sure about the ATM though, I've never tried to use it, plus the interest rate for a cash advance is nuts.

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> Mine has a PIN, but I only have to use it if I'm calling support

Really? You say your pin code over the phone?

I think we have found the reason for all the credit card fraud in the US ;)

Usually they have some sort of system where you use touch tone.

Some humans may have a hard time deciphering touch tone by ear, but anyone who can eavesdrop a phone conversation can use a program to do the translation.

No we don't.

In Europe at least the PIN for making payments on your "Chip & PIN" card is to NEVER be given to anyone (or typed on a phone call). Banks will make this very clear.

A security "password" for doing phone banking is different.

They are in the US as well, this thread is just someone demonstrating the reality that very many people don't realize they should be different and make them the same for convenience.

If you care about entropy, don't leave it up to users.

I'm from Canada, my bank has a separate "telephone banking" pin, that's separate than the card pin code (you could make them the same though).

The automated phone system accepts number input, but the resulting rep may ask to verify.

My bank claims to not know the card pin(my dad forgot, he had to go to the bank and set a new pin after verifying it's him)

Not sure op meant the same thing or they literally providing their card pin over the phone which is a bit crazy

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