The Plan to Make Chip Credit Cards Less Annoying

In most of the world, buying goods with a credit card equipped with a chip is a mindless, routine task. Americans, having arrived late to chips after decades of swiping magnetic stripe cards, are having a much harder time with it.

When you approach the checkout, there's the constant question: swipe or insert? If a chip reader is working—and many still aren't—you insert your card, and then ....

You wait, for an unpredictable amount of time, staring at a screen. Chances are good you'll impatiently glance away just as the transaction finally goes through. Or you'll miss the clunky graphics switching from "Do not remove your card" to "Remove your card." Finally, you may be told to remove your card with a nasty, insistent beeping that sounds like you've done something wrong.

It's an awkward and irritating experience, and payment companies are aware of the problems. "Some places, it's seamless and beautiful," said Robert Martin, North American vice president of security solutions at Ingenico Group, the second-largest maker of payment terminals in the U.S. "Other places, not so much. But we're learning."