© Unsplash/Андрей Сизов
This must have already happened to you, you pull out your bank card to pay for groceries, Christmas shopping or even the restaurant bill, and it's tragedy: & #8220;blank card“, or even “illegible card& ;#8220;. It is indeed possible that this formula appears very distinctly when attempting to pay at a terminal (TPE), but also when attempting to withdraw from an automatic teller machine (ATM). A miracle of technology, you usually just need to rub the chip and everything comes back to normal.
Rubbing the chip of your bank card, is it really a useful gesture ?
Indeed, if owners of 8 and 16 bit consoles were used to blowing into the cartridges to bring them back to life (which is however to be avoided according to Nintendo), the fact of rubbing the chip of their credit card has very often tends to have the same effect when it suddenly becomes “silent” or “illegible”.
When making a payment, remember that the TPE connects to the chip via its processing area contact, or the small metal rectangle that we tend to rub when the card is silent. The chip integrated into the card obviously contains a lot of information, and both the card and the TPE are intended to “dialogue” during the transaction. Bad contact, and the card will not exchange with the TPE, thus becoming “mute”.
© Unsplash/Ryan Born
Obviously, it goes without saying that it is essential to take care of the contact area of your bank card. We thus avoid as much as possible friction which could scratch the surface, but also exposure to water, humidity, sand… Under these conditions, the contact zone is designed to last between 3 to 5 years, which is enough to support the validity period of a bank card.
When a terminal displays the message “blank card”, this can also come from a disturbance in other nearby electrical devices, and we can then ’ #8220;remagnetize” the contact area, rubbing it (not with your finger) but with a cloth or synthetic means. As a general rule, the magic of science, the transmission works on the second try. Obviously, we avoid humidifying the contact area with our breath, that goes without saying…
© Pïxabay/Pexels
However, if the contact area is scratched or cracked, the card bank card may become unusable, and you should then request a new card from your banking establishment. Finally, but it's rarer, the error “blank card” can also come from the merchant's payment terminal or ATM.
In order to avoid this type of disappointment, it is essential to take care of your card, keeping it in a safe and suitable place. Of course, we avoid as much as possible magnets or surfaces and objects that could damage the chip and the magnetic strip. Remember that bank cards are now adopting a new face, with versions that are more refined and durable than ever.
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