🚀 go-pugleaf

Organization: Edmonton Community Network
Distribution: 

Tim Shoppa (shoppa@trailing-edge.com) wrote:
: larrymoencurly wrote:
: > 
: > In article <38363f70.0@ecn.ab.ca>, sharx@ecn.ab.ca () wrote:
: > 
: > > In order to use MY debit card, one has to punch in the correct 4
: > > digit PIN into the little machine.
: > 
: > Always?  I've used my Wells Fargo Visa or Mastercard debit card only
: > three times (to get free stuff offered by the bank), and I never had to
: > punch in a PIN.  Worse, the bank doesn't even offer debit cards that
: > require a PIN.

: Note that "sharx@ecn.ab.ca" is writing from Canada, where the
: terminology "debit card" is used a little differently.  Canadian stores
: have debit card terminals set up through a nationwide network (Interac)
: that effectively allow point-of-sale use of ATM cards.  (Well,
: terminology again, they're actually "bank" or "ABM" cards in Canada, not
: ATM cards, but we Americans think of shooting down missiles with
: ABM's...).  Interac sales require the PIN.

: Visa/Mastercard debit cards work in Canada the same way they do
: in the US, without a PIN.  But these don't go through the Interac
: network.

: *Most* Canadians, I'm willing to bet, think of Interac when they
: think of "debit card sale", not of Visa/Mastercard.

: Tim.

Tim is absolutely correct in his explanation of the Canadian system.
However Canadian Imperial Bank of Canada VISA has **NEVER** approached us
to get a VISA DEBIT card. We simply use our CIBC ABM card for that
purpose, as Tim noted. I can't see why CIBC VISA would try and compete
with CIBC ABM cards in the area of DEBIT cards.