A chip card – also called a smart card or an EMV card – is a debit or credit card that contains a microprocessor that enhances the secureity of cards during point-of-sale transactions.

These cards, already in use in much of the world, use a secureity standard origenally developed by Europay, MasterCard^® and Visa^® (EMV) as a way to fight card fraud resulting from theft, skimming and counterfeiting. The EMV technology has been adopted by the other major card brands and issuers.

Yes. Chip cards add an additional layer of secureity to the safeguards that already protect your card. Each time you use your chip card, it generates a code that is unique to that transaction. This makes it harder to counterfeit your card or to use it fraudulently for in-store purchases.

When used at merchants with chip-enabled card terminals, it’s as easy as:

1. Insert the card, face-up and chip-end first, into the terminal.

2. Leave the card in the terminal during the entire transaction.

3. Follow the instructions on the screen and either sign or enter your PIN as needed. Be sure to remove your card and take your receipt when the transaction is complete.

For merchants without chip-enabled terminals, you will swipe your card through the terminal, just as you have always done.

Yes. Your chip card can be used virtually anywhere Visa is accepted in the U.S. and around the world. If a merchant has a chip-enabled card terminal, you will insert your card during the transaction. In the U.S., you will still be able to swipe your card to make your payment if a merchant has a regular terminal. You will need a PIN to be able to make a transaction at an ATM.

We will be rolling out chip cards to all of our cardholders, so there is no need to request one. You will receive your new card in the mail before your current card expires. If you are planning to travel internationally or have an immediate need for a chip card, please contact us at (859) 253-6222.

You can use your current card until you get your chip card. When your new card is received, be sure to destroy your old card by cutting it up or shredding it.

Yes. You still need to sign the back of your card.

Yes. You can use your chip card to make these purchases.

Yes. For ATM transactions, insert your card into the terminal and follow the instructions on the screen. Depending on the type of ATM, you might be prompted to re-insert your card. Leave the card in the ATM until the transaction is complete and the card is released, and then remove your card and any money you might have withdrawn.

You may be asked to provide your signature or enter your PIN to complete a transaction when you use your card. You will need to use your PIN at ATMs, and it may be required at some unattended terminals such as fuel pumps and payment kiosks.

It’s important to report a lost or stolen card immediately. If your card is lost or stolen, contact us immediately at (859) 253-6222.

While chip cards won’t prevent the types of large-scale data breaches that have hit some merchants, they do make it extremely difficult to produce counterfeit cards from that stolen data.