So what happens when you are not from the USA? Say from Canada? You can't enter a zip code.
My experiences are with both Visa and Mastercard. Both Debit and Credit cards.
The zip code thing has also happened to me in Utah, Oregon and Texas in the last 12 months. Usually at Gas stations and after I have already entered the card pin number.
As a certain TV presenter is fond of saying, 'What a load of old cock'.
I never have this problem anywhere else in the world.
First, as I said before, gas station pumps have required the zip code only for Amex, in my experience. And that is an Amex, not a gas station, issue
Second, have you gone into the gas station cashier before/after pumping gas to pay with your credit card at the counter in such a situation? What happens then?
I just returned from an approximately 1600 mile round trip for vacation. I used Discover for gas fill-ups. As far as I can remember, I was asked to enter my zip-code every time. However, entering it worked, and I had no further difficulties. I do not generally get asked to enter the zip if I am purchasing gas near my home address, although it does happen sometimes.
I, too, was an original backer and waited so long I had forgotten about it until it arrived in the mail. It's okay, but it doesn't work all the time (it NEVER works with my AMEX), so like others, I have to carry my credit cards with me, which obviates the need for Coin. Sounded like a good idea at the time. Too bad they could never got to proper execution.
Exactly. It's a cool toy, but it's reason for existing (raison d'être, I guess) was to replace up to 8 other plastic credit cards with a single CC-sized device. Since you still have to carry the plastic, it soundly fails in it's purpose, Buying it A) ADDS a card to your wallet instead of removing some since 10-15% of terminals do not accept Coin, gains you nothing in security (still have to carry the old cards, now have a new device to lose), C) costs you money, ongoing if you plan to renew when the battery dies - money spent for nothing gained.
Other than the initial novelty of being able to tell your friends that you bought a cool nerd toy, I don't see any advantage to having it. I guess if you get a thrill out of not knowing whether the waiter is going to come back and tell you and your date that your "Credit card" has been declined... (and what happens if you don't have your backup plastic?). No second dates for you!
I wonder if they have some stock that we could short-sell... would be easy money.
So what happens when you are not from the USA? Say from Canada? You can't enter a zip code.
My experiences are with both Visa and Mastercard. Both Debit and Credit cards.
The zip code thing has also happened to me in Utah, Oregon and Texas in the last 12 months. Usually at Gas stations and after I have already entered the card pin number.
As a certain TV presenter is fond of saying, 'What a load of old cock'.
I never have this problem anywhere else in the world.
I just returned from an approximately 1600 mile round trip for vacation. I used Discover for gas fill-ups. As far as I can remember, I was asked to enter my zip-code every time. However, entering it worked, and I had no further difficulties. I do not generally get asked to enter the zip if I am purchasing gas near my home address, although it does happen sometimes.
I was just at a store where I used my Amex, and the terminal asked me for my zip code.
So, I asked the guy behind the counter about what I would do if I was Canadian. He said that Canadians should input 00000 (i.e., five zeroes) when asked for the credit card zip code in the U.S.
I just signed up for this website, just now... so I could write this review... to warn everyone.
I have you bought into this Coin card, back out now.
I received my Coin on June 27th (2015). Since then, my Coin card has not worked once. I have spent countless hours troubleshooting the issue myself, as well as with the Coin support team.
In the beginning, the Coin support team were extremely helpful and professional. Giving the usual troubleshooting steps and a few other pointers that I haven't tried. To make a long story short, I went back and forth with the Coin support team trying various means of troubleshooting for about two or three weeks. Eventually, they escalated to their manager.
It has been one week since Coin support team escalated to their manager. I have sent four emails requesting further assistance and/or a refund. I have not heard anything back from any of the Coin support personnel. I have left my phone number on every email as well.
At this point, I am to assume Coin support team has either taken vacation at the same time, have been laid off, or wish to have no further action with me, so they continue to ignore my emails.
Hopefully, by writing this, it will gain some attention. Or at least warn other consumers about a extremely faulty product.
I just signed up for this website, just now... so I could write this review... to warn everyone.
I have you bought into this Coin card, back out now.
I received my Coin on June 27th (2015). Since then, my Coin card has not worked once. I have spent countless hours troubleshooting the issue myself, as well as with the Coin support team.
In the beginning, the Coin support team were extremely helpful and professional. Giving the usual troubleshooting steps and a few other pointers that I haven't tried.
To make a long story short, I went back and forth with the Coin support team trying various means of troubleshooting for about two or three weeks. Eventually, they escalated to their manager.
It has been one week since Coin support team escalated to their manager. I have sent four emails requesting further assistance and/or a refund. I have not heard anything back from any of the Coin support personnel. I have left my phone number on every email as well.
At this point, I am to assume Coin support team has either taken vacation at the same time, have been laid off, or wish to have no further action with me, so they continue to ignore my emails.
Hopefully, by writing this, it will gain some attention. Or at least warn other consumers about a extremely faulty product.
I have a Coin and it works, pretty nice piece of technology. Too bad it took so long for them to ship; in the time between then they announced it and I got mine Apple Pay was released, the US started moving to Chip PIN, and Samsung Loop pay came out. The Coin works but its definitely obsolete.
It's obsolete in the long run, but there's a good year or two where it's going to be quite useful (and isn't that the advertised battery life?).
It's like holding out for next year's ?Watch ... If you need the tech now, buy it. Coin is going to be good for at least two years. There's an interesting transition coming up to chip and pin. Almost all merchants are going to upgrade their equipment by the end of the year, which should solve any compatibility ex with Coin. And they will do this because anyone who has a chip card that can't be used securely will incur liability for that card if security is breached. However, the messy secret is that it's going to take months for all the banks to issue chip cards to all of their customers, during which time, merchants will not assume liability for any card that does not have a chip. So Coin will still be used widely during this transition. The bigger issue is who will assume liability if the customer uses Coin when the merchant has a chip reader and the bank has issued a chipped card?
It's three months from the chip reader upgrade deadline. I have four credit cards from major banks, and all four cards have been reissued in the last 4 months with non-chip cards. It will be interesting to see when my banks actually get around to reissuing them with chips. For me, I think coin would be a good investment for the immediate future.
As for ?Pay, many merchants still don't accept it, especially local mom and pop stores. Until ?Pay is accepted at a far more substantial number of merchants, I'm still going to have to carry my credit cards around. Coin would be a much nicer solution. And frankly I don't see ?Pay being accepted widely enough to eliminate my credit cards before the end of next year. So 18-24 months of service for something I use every day is well worth the investment.
And of course, just like Square and other credit card services, Coin will have at least that amount of time to adapt themselves to chip cards, which hopefully they have already been working on. So it's a useful transition product which will likely be replaced by an upgraded one to support future standards. ?Pay and other such services will continue to be the way of the future, there are likely always going to be need for backup payment methods, and many years before everyone not using an ?Pay capable device will have a similar option on their mobile devices.
All the talk in this story and thread about the US moving to Chip and PIN is wrong. The US is moving to Chip and Sign. Why in the hell we cannot just go to Chip and PIN baffles me. Anyway, all that is going to do for us is prove that the card was in the terminal at the time of purchase. It leaves out the critical part with the PIN to prove you are authorized to actually use the card. I have a Chip and PIN card from living overseas and I really liked them bringing the terminal to the table when you go out to eat, etc. It is nice not having your card leave your sight.
I wish the smug dude from Coin's promo video was actually on the Coin team (and not just some SF marketing shop) so that I could further relish in the demise of this insanely poorly executed/timed flop of a dung pile.
All the talk in this story and thread about the US moving to Chip and PIN is wrong. The US is moving to Chip and Sign.
The thread is correct and you are mistaken, the US is moving to the same EMV system as is used elsewhere around the world; the US card issuers may be configuring the default settings to be Chip and sign instead of Chip and Pin. The technical specification of EMV allows for a Chip and Sign option. Even within the UK I have personally witnessed UK cards configured to ask for signature instead of PIN. I believe the UK card issuers offer it as an option for the blind or others who for whatever reason may struggle with a PIN.
You can study the relevant technical specifications at EMVCo here:
from EMV v4.3 Book 4, Cardholder, Attendant, and Acquirer Interface Requirements:
6.3.4.4 Signature (Paper)
When the applicable CVM is signature, the terminal shall set byte 3 of the CVM Results to ‘unknown’. At the end of the transaction, the terminal shall print a receipt with a line for cardholder signature. (See Annex A2 for requirements for the terminal to support signature as a CVM.)
where CVM stands for Cardholder Verification Method.
This swipe technology is used only in the States. Other countries accept this technology but banks have been deploying ChipPin tech for years and if your card has a chip, then swiping it will not work on a chip enabled reader.
The forced deployment of ChipPin tech is a very good but also very late move since more and more countries already roll out contact-less cards. That's what Apple is trying to do with ApplePay: skipping the chip-pin tech and going contactless in a secure fashion.
Actually the contactless payment system uses the same EMV protocols and technology as Chip and Pin cards; there's merely a difference in how the payments are verified and/or authorised.
Refer to EMVCo and the technical papers for further information.
Good idea but maybe 10 years too late. No chip and pin? Won't really work outside the US quite soon. In the UK many retailers will just not accept non chip and pin cards and Europe if anything is even more strict on this. Can't understand why they haven't incorporated chip and pin though I suppose a way of supporting multiple pins might be tricky?
<span style="line-height:1.4em;">All the talk in this story and thread about the US moving to Chip and PIN is wrong. The US is moving to Chip and Sign.</span>
The thread is correct and you are mistaken, the US is moving to the same EMV system as is used elsewhere around the world; the US card issuers may be configuring the default settings to be Chip and sign instead of Chip and Pin. The technical specification of EMV allows for a Chip and Sign option. Even within the UK I have personally witnessed UK cards configured to ask for signature instead of PIN. I believe the UK card issuers offer it as an option for the blind or others who for whatever reason may struggle with a PIN.
You can study the relevant technical specifications at EMVCo here:
When the applicable CVM is signature, the terminal shall set byte 3 of the CVM Results to ‘unknown’. At the end of the transaction, the terminal shall print a receipt with a line for cardholder signature. (See Annex A2 for requirements for the terminal to support signature as a CVM.)
where CVM stands for Cardholder Verification Method.
I am well aware of what is in the specifications. List up the card issuers in the U.S. that are going to issue Chip and PIN cards to people here. You make it sound like they are just choosing to default to signature and PIN is somehow an option. I understand it is a valid option, but it will not be used here.
What this means is that the card terminal requirements are substantially different. We will not be seeing the wireless terminals brought to your table in restaurants. If all they are wanting to deploy is Chip and Sign, they can have a terminal in the back of the house to stick your card in and take your card and the printout back to the table for you to sign. So your card will still leave your sight.
The reason this pisses me off is because once all of this new equipment gets installed, it will all be a barrier to doing it right with the mobile terminals. So please look past the specification to see that the U.S. is going to screw up their EMV rollout after they are already a decade late to the party.
Mine arrived - couldn't under any circumstances get the reader to work which means I couldn't set up the card. Did all their trouble-shooting tips and more, no go. Contacted support which (slowly) replied and sent a replacement. Replacement doesn't work either - I contacted them a week ago and no answer at all. So a flaky product with poor customer support - I'm out the $ and have a black plastic non functional card with my name on it.
I should add - they won't give me a refund because the card has been imprinted with my name. So the card is useless to me, just a piece of non functioning plastic, but no refund.
Comments
So what happens when you are not from the USA? Say from Canada? You can't enter a zip code.
My experiences are with both Visa and Mastercard. Both Debit and Credit cards.
The zip code thing has also happened to me in Utah, Oregon and Texas in the last 12 months. Usually at Gas stations and after I have already entered the card pin number.
As a certain TV presenter is fond of saying, 'What a load of old cock'.
I never have this problem anywhere else in the world.
First, as I said before, gas station pumps have required the zip code only for Amex, in my experience. And that is an Amex, not a gas station, issue
Second, have you gone into the gas station cashier before/after pumping gas to pay with your credit card at the counter in such a situation? What happens then?
I just returned from an approximately 1600 mile round trip for vacation. I used Discover for gas fill-ups. As far as I can remember, I was asked to enter my zip-code every time. However, entering it worked, and I had no further difficulties. I do not generally get asked to enter the zip if I am purchasing gas near my home address, although it does happen sometimes.
I, too, was an original backer and waited so long I had forgotten about it until it arrived in the mail. It's okay, but it doesn't work all the time (it NEVER works with my AMEX), so like others, I have to carry my credit cards with me, which obviates the need for Coin. Sounded like a good idea at the time. Too bad they could never got to proper execution.
Exactly. It's a cool toy, but it's reason for existing (raison d'être, I guess) was to replace up to 8 other plastic credit cards with a single CC-sized device. Since you still have to carry the plastic, it soundly fails in it's purpose, Buying it A) ADDS a card to your wallet instead of removing some since 10-15% of terminals do not accept Coin,
Other than the initial novelty of being able to tell your friends that you bought a cool nerd toy, I don't see any advantage to having it. I guess if you get a thrill out of not knowing whether the waiter is going to come back and tell you and your date that your "Credit card" has been declined... (and what happens if you don't have your backup plastic?). No second dates for you!
I wonder if they have some stock that we could short-sell... would be easy money.
I was just at a store where I used my Amex, and the terminal asked me for my zip code.
So, I asked the guy behind the counter about what I would do if I was Canadian. He said that Canadians should input 00000 (i.e., five zeroes) when asked for the credit card zip code in the U.S.
Hope it's true, and hope it works/helps!
:-)
I have you bought into this Coin card, back out now.
I received my Coin on June 27th (2015). Since then, my Coin card has not worked once. I have spent countless hours troubleshooting the issue myself, as well as with the Coin support team.
In the beginning, the Coin support team were extremely helpful and professional. Giving the usual troubleshooting steps and a few other pointers that I haven't tried.
To make a long story short, I went back and forth with the Coin support team trying various means of troubleshooting for about two or three weeks. Eventually, they escalated to their manager.
It has been one week since Coin support team escalated to their manager. I have sent four emails requesting further assistance and/or a refund. I have not heard anything back from any of the Coin support personnel. I have left my phone number on every email as well.
At this point, I am to assume Coin support team has either taken vacation at the same time, have been laid off, or wish to have no further action with me, so they continue to ignore my emails.
Hopefully, by writing this, it will gain some attention. Or at least warn other consumers about a extremely faulty product.
In short... DO NOT BUY THIS.
I just signed up for this website, just now... so I could write this review... to warn everyone.
I have you bought into this Coin card, back out now.
I received my Coin on June 27th (2015). Since then, my Coin card has not worked once. I have spent countless hours troubleshooting the issue myself, as well as with the Coin support team.
In the beginning, the Coin support team were extremely helpful and professional. Giving the usual troubleshooting steps and a few other pointers that I haven't tried.
To make a long story short, I went back and forth with the Coin support team trying various means of troubleshooting for about two or three weeks. Eventually, they escalated to their manager.
It has been one week since Coin support team escalated to their manager. I have sent four emails requesting further assistance and/or a refund. I have not heard anything back from any of the Coin support personnel. I have left my phone number on every email as well.
At this point, I am to assume Coin support team has either taken vacation at the same time, have been laid off, or wish to have no further action with me, so they continue to ignore my emails.
Hopefully, by writing this, it will gain some attention. Or at least warn other consumers about a extremely faulty product.
In short... DO NOT BUY THIS.
It's like holding out for next year's ?Watch ... If you need the tech now, buy it. Coin is going to be good for at least two years. There's an interesting transition coming up to chip and pin. Almost all merchants are going to upgrade their equipment by the end of the year, which should solve any compatibility ex with Coin. And they will do this because anyone who has a chip card that can't be used securely will incur liability for that card if security is breached. However, the messy secret is that it's going to take months for all the banks to issue chip cards to all of their customers, during which time, merchants will not assume liability for any card that does not have a chip. So Coin will still be used widely during this transition. The bigger issue is who will assume liability if the customer uses Coin when the merchant has a chip reader and the bank has issued a chipped card?
It's three months from the chip reader upgrade deadline. I have four credit cards from major banks, and all four cards have been reissued in the last 4 months with non-chip cards. It will be interesting to see when my banks actually get around to reissuing them with chips. For me, I think coin would be a good investment for the immediate future.
As for ?Pay, many merchants still don't accept it, especially local mom and pop stores. Until ?Pay is accepted at a far more substantial number of merchants, I'm still going to have to carry my credit cards around. Coin would be a much nicer solution. And frankly I don't see ?Pay being accepted widely enough to eliminate my credit cards before the end of next year. So 18-24 months of service for something I use every day is well worth the investment.
And of course, just like Square and other credit card services, Coin will have at least that amount of time to adapt themselves to chip cards, which hopefully they have already been working on. So it's a useful transition product which will likely be replaced by an upgraded one to support future standards. ?Pay and other such services will continue to be the way of the future, there are likely always going to be need for backup payment methods, and many years before everyone not using an ?Pay capable device will have a similar option on their mobile devices.
All the talk in this story and thread about the US moving to Chip and PIN is wrong. The US is moving to Chip and Sign. Why in the hell we cannot just go to Chip and PIN baffles me. Anyway, all that is going to do for us is prove that the card was in the terminal at the time of purchase. It leaves out the critical part with the PIN to prove you are authorized to actually use the card. I have a Chip and PIN card from living overseas and I really liked them bringing the terminal to the table when you go out to eat, etc. It is nice not having your card leave your sight.
I wish the smug dude from Coin's promo video was actually on the Coin team (and not just some SF marketing shop) so that I could further relish in the demise of this insanely poorly executed/timed flop of a dung pile.
Yes - I'm petty, and Coin is obsolete
The thread is correct and you are mistaken, the US is moving to the same EMV system as is used elsewhere around the world; the US card issuers may be configuring the default settings to be Chip and sign instead of Chip and Pin. The technical specification of EMV allows for a Chip and Sign option. Even within the UK I have personally witnessed UK cards configured to ask for signature instead of PIN. I believe the UK card issuers offer it as an option for the blind or others who for whatever reason may struggle with a PIN.
You can study the relevant technical specifications at EMVCo here:
Specifications
from EMV v4.3 Book 4, Cardholder, Attendant, and Acquirer Interface Requirements:
When the applicable CVM is signature, the terminal shall set byte 3 of the CVM Results to ‘unknown’. At the end of the transaction, the terminal shall print a receipt with a line for cardholder signature. (See Annex A2 for requirements for the terminal to support signature as a CVM.)
where CVM stands for Cardholder Verification Method.
Actually the contactless payment system uses the same EMV protocols and technology as Chip and Pin cards; there's merely a difference in how the payments are verified and/or authorised.
Refer to EMVCo and the technical papers for further information.
Too little, too late and not enough value. This concept was broken from the beginning.
I am well aware of what is in the specifications. List up the card issuers in the U.S. that are going to issue Chip and PIN cards to people here. You make it sound like they are just choosing to default to signature and PIN is somehow an option. I understand it is a valid option, but it will not be used here.
What this means is that the card terminal requirements are substantially different. We will not be seeing the wireless terminals brought to your table in restaurants. If all they are wanting to deploy is Chip and Sign, they can have a terminal in the back of the house to stick your card in and take your card and the printout back to the table for you to sign. So your card will still leave your sight.
The reason this pisses me off is because once all of this new equipment gets installed, it will all be a barrier to doing it right with the mobile terminals. So please look past the specification to see that the U.S. is going to screw up their EMV rollout after they are already a decade late to the party.