Do you swipe or insert a credit card

J

Johnson JAY

Member
So my credit card got hacked this week. Someone used it to buy a bunch of random, not-even-fancy stuff. The bank says they’ll look into it, but honestly, I’m a bit skeptical.

The last place I used it was this kind of sketchy supermarket, I just tapped and went. Now I’m wondering if actually inserting the card would’ve been safer?

I know it’s possible my info was stolen way before that, but still… kind of has me second-guessing everything now.
 
tapping is generally safer than swiping. Inserting with the chip is also good, but tap uses tokenization which can reduce risk. Your info might’ve been skimmed somewhere else
 
I pretty much never swipe unless I absolutely have to. I usually try tapping first, then insert if that doesn’t work. Swiping is my last resort and honestly, the only time I ever have to do it is at gas stations that look like they haven’t updated their card readers since the early 2000s. You know the kind faded signs, outdated pumps, maybe a flickering fluorescent light or two
 
Skimmers tend to target older swipe terminals, and supermarkets are often a hotspot. Especially the sketchy ones with beat-up, half-broken card readers, bonus points if there’s duct tape holding the thing together
 
what even is the difference between tap and insert? I just do whatever works on the first try and hope for the best
 
Insert is still safer than swipe, but tap is supposed to be the most secure. That said, if the machine’s been tampered with, nothing helps
 
Your data was probably compromised in some previous breach. Tons of info is floating around from old leaks. Tap didn’t do it
 
I used to go to this corner store where the card reader literally wobbled every time you used it, the keypad wasn’t even fully attached. I always felt like I was one tap away from getting my info stolen
 
Dude exact same thing happened to me. I tapped at this dodgy gas station and two days later… $412 worth of online crystals. I don’t even believe in rocks.
 
Honestly chip insertion is more secure than swiping or tapping. Tapping uses NFC, which is safer than swiping but still vulnerable if your card was cloned earlier. Chip generates a unique code each time.
 
Insert is technically safer. Swipe is outdated and easily skimmed. Tap is okay,but not foolproof. If you’re concerned, maybe get a metal card with RFID-blocking sleeves or use mobile pay like Apple Pay.......way more secure.
 
I work in cybersecurity......tap is generally safe due to tokenization. The issue is less about the method and more about where you’re using it. Sketchy terminals could be compromised regardless.
 
Can we talk about how chip readers are basically sentient? Sometimes they work, sometimes they yell at me like REMOVE CARD!! like i did something wrong
 
Insert is better but if the POS system was tampered with, it doesn’t matter. I’d recommend enabling alerts for every transaction. At least you’ll know in real time.
 
Former fraud team rep here. Most cases we saw were skimming from old swipe readers or compromised POS systems. Tap is safe 95% of the time, but nothing beats vigilance.
 
Tap is fine...Insert is fine. The real problem is we don’t teach people digital hygiene. Most people don’t even check their statements.
 
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