At 07:46 PM 2/23/2005 -0500, you wrote:
>I am very curious about this as well.  I have an ATM card which has direct
>access
>to my bank account - I have to key in a PIN to use it.  I also have several
>gasoline
>company Credit Cards, which are simply pushed into the gasoline pump slot.
>Those
>do not have a PIN - but the card is ONLY good for buying gas (petrol) at a
>given
>companies pumps.
>
>So I don't see how the confusion could happen - how she was able to buy gas
>on
>someone else's card without using a PIN.
>
>RJG

Some of us have combined credit and debit(Interac)/ATM cards, as well
as credit-only and ATM/debit-only cards. In gas pumps, in credit mode,
no PIN is required (up to some fairly low limit, I think C$75). Sometimes
(Shell, for example) they don't seem to like cards from way outside their
normal trading area. The banks are trying to discourage the combined cards,
AFAIUI.

For some reason, in the US, debit cards seem to have a bad rep (like they
are only for people with terrible credit who can't get a real credit card).
I have one that is disguised as a credit card with the Mastercard logo.
But in Canada they are widely accepted at all kinds of places, you can even
get cash back (like visiting an ATM) at the liquor store, Sam's Club etc.
without the service fee you'd run into using an ATM from a non-bank network.
I tend to use the credit where there  is no penalty and where it's
accepted since they give me a nice kickback (adds up over time to enough to
take the family to Asia for free!)

Best regards,

Spehro Pefhany --"it's the network..."            "The Journey is the reward"
speff@interlog.com             Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog  Info for designers:  http://www.speff.com




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