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Comment by heyitsnick | Hacker News Reader

In the UK, cards are issued with random PINs. I believe some have the facility to change them, but i would guess the majority do not. I was wondering this when reading the article; so I can take it to assume that in the US you define your own pin? How does that work, do you do it at the bank or a the ATM machine the first time you use it?

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I'm not aware of any UK cards that don't let you change the PIN, just pop them into a cash machine and you'll find an option to do it on the menu.

Of course, my not being aware doesn't mean you can't, but I know from experience that most of the big banks let you do it, and I can't think of a single example of either me not being able to do it or me hearing of anyone else not being able to do it.

That could be true. But how many people do you think actually change their PIN? I think it's will be low single figure %; I think many aren't aware you can make PIN changes.

I only have anecdotes rather than data (suspect the same is for you), but personally I would have guessed that nearly everyone does. Obviously I don't know the situation of all my family/friends, but for example in my close family both parents and both siblings have always changed to PIN numbers they chose themselves, I've known colleagues go change their PINs after getting a new card, etc...

I suspect there's no way to know which of our guesses is closer to the truth without a bank providing stats, which seems unlikely to happen. Or a poll somewhere..

In every letter I've had with a new bank card it's told me how to change my PIN if I want to. I'm not sure I know anyone who hasn't changed theirs.

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