A change is being made to credit cards to protect consumers from identity theft, but not all businesses are ready to take the new cards despite an upcoming deadline.
There isn't much that's modern about Hillcrest's Bluestocking books on Fifth Avenue, except for its credit card module.
Kris Nelson is one of thousands of San Diego business owners getting ready for an Oct. 1 deadline to have new credit card chip reading modules in place.
If a business doesn't have one installed by the beginning of next month, it could be held liable for any fraudulent charges.
"We're all getting more security, international travelers are more protected. I don't like paying credit card fees but it's part of doing business," Nelson said.
The chips, called EMV (which stands for Europay, Mastercard and Visa), make it almost impossible to duplicate a card because the chips generate a one-time use code for each transaction, as opposed to the three- or four-digit code printed on credit cards that's currently used.
The new modules still take credit cards the old-fashioned way by sliding the magnetic stripe. But if it has a chip, there's another slot that generates that one-time use code.
It doesn't appear that all businesses will be ready. Some Hillcrest business owners who didn't want to go on camera told 10News they had no idea about the Oct. 1 deadline.
Consumers aren't affected either way because they're never liable for fraudulent charges. Shopper Blake Reide said he didn't even notice the chip when he got his new card a few months ago.
"Growing up around technology, it's not a big deal," Reide said.
But to small business owners like Nelson, it can ensure there are no fictional charges.
Creditcards.com estimates that Americans will be carrying 600 million credit cards with the EMV chips in them by the end of this year.
