Have you ever tried to make a purchase with your smart chip in your credit card and the machine gave you an error and didn’t process your payment? It turns out that smart chips are not indestructible.
What exactly causes a chip to error?
This is not a case against those small metallic microchip’s on newer credit cards. They are more secure than the older cards with just the magnetic stripe on the back. However, similar to to the stripe, chips can also become damaged if not taken care of properly.
The best thing a person can do to protect their chip cards is to keep them away in a wallet. Do not leave them on a counter or a desk, where they can be exposed to being scraped from keys, or other sharp objects. Liquids can also harm the chip. Keep in mind that the credit card reader itself could be faulty, so try to use the card at another store just to see if there is definitely a problem with the chip.
If the card is damaged, you should get the card replaced as soon as possible. Most credit card websites have a link called “replace lost or damaged card”. When the new credit card comes in the mail, make sure to update any payment information or bill-pay settings.
