Are chip & signature cards still available?

[K Chambers-Dubus]

Hi, I'm new here so hope I am posting in the right place.

Mum has NEVER been good with numbers but we have reached an all time low with full on meltdowns, tears, panic and complete emotion collapse if things like pin numbers are even discussed.

Mum still lives independently and whilst she has meals delivered, still likes to go and shop for her bits and pieces in the supermarket.

Lately she has spent more than the contactless amount and they have asked for her pin which she didn't know was even a thing and as the queue has built behind her, become embarrassed and upset.

Do any of you know whether any of the banks or building societies will still issue a chip & signature card???

We are getting desperate, she can't get to the bank to get cash easily (and I would rather she didn't have lots of cash on her) but this issue is really impinging on her independence.

 

[nitram]

A chip and PIN card can be used as a chip and signature card, the chip specifying the account and the signature authorising the payment.

The problem is that vendors are not equipped to record the transaction, it needs some form of document to sign and software to override the PIN requirement.

As, unlike with PIN, the vendor accepts responsibility for authorisation there is no incentive for them to start using chip and signature.

 

[Bunpoots]

Welcome to Dementia Talking Point @K Chambers-Dubus

I found it became very difficult for my People to shop independently when they couldn’t remember their pin anymore so I used accompany them either to shop or to get out cash (usually both)

Perhaps a temporary solution is to use a cheque for payments above the contactless amount?

 

[nitram]

Perhaps a temporary solution is to use a cheque for payments above the contactless amount?

For several years debit cards cannot be used to guarantee cheques, the recipient accepts all responsibility.

 

[Weasell]

Advice.
Get POA (power of attorney set up ) both
You can then get a card to get money out on their behalf.

Would it hurt for her to carry £100 if it saved that embarrassment?

Also is she getting vulnerable to telephone scams.
Consider making a note of the three number code on the back of the card, then scratching it off.
Also consider call blocking service which is free and I have found to be excellent.

Banks put in a random ‘ put in your PIN number ‘. So if you are out with her
and supervising then put the card properly into the holder and put in the four digit pin. even for a small transaction. That may possibly bump the time the machine asks for a pin further into the future.
Hope this makes sense?

 

[MartinWL]

This article explains s lot. Special cards are available but some retailers are too ignorant to accept them.

How shops sign away the self-worth of disabled people

When a ‘chip and signature’ payment card is refused, the impact on a shopper’s dignity is huge

www.theguardian.com

 

[Louise7]

Welcome to DTP @K Chambers-Dubus from me too. As this problem is happening when your mum shops in the supermarket perhaps a solution would be for her to have a pre-purchased gift card from the supermarket and to use that when buying her shopping instead of her debit card? All of the main supermarkets have these now and your mum wouldn't have to enter a PIN, although it would require someone to keep an eye on the card balance for her so that a new card is purchased when the balance on the old one is getting low. If your mum had a supermarket gift card plus maybe also a small amount of cash on her when she went shopping it might help to prevent the problems at check out.