EMV/CHIPCARDTECHNOLOGY
FrequentlyAskedQuestions
Q.WhyarewemovingtoEMV/chipcardtechnology?
A.BeginningOctober1,2015,theVisa,MasterCard,AmericanExpressandDiscover
rulesarechangingandtheparty(bankormerchant)withthelowestlevelof
securitywillbeheldliableforanyfraud.Thismeansmerchants(exceptgasstations
–theyhaveuntil2017)mustbegininstallingchip‐enabledterminalsandbanks
needtobeginissuingdebitcardsandcreditcardswithachipinittopersonaland
businessbankingcustomers.
Toensureaseamlessrolloutofthisnewchip‐enabledtechnologyatUnitedBank,
wewillbegraduallyissuingthenewdebitcardtopersonalandbusinessbanking
customers.
WeanticipateallnewandcurrentUnitedBankcustomerstostartreceiving
theirnewdebitcardsoverthenextfewmonths.Youcancontinuetouseyour
existingdebitcarduntilyournewonearrivesandisactivated.
Q.Aremerchantscomplyingwiththenewrules?
Today,thereareveryfewmerchantsthathaveenabledtheseterminalsbecauseof
thecostandhistoricallybankshavebeenresponsibleforcoveringmostofthecost
ofcounterfeitfraud.LargermerchantslikeWal‐Mart,HomeDepotandTarget
alreadyhavemadetheswitchanditcouldbeayearbeforesmallermerchantsadopt
thenewtechnology.
Q.Whatisachipcard?
A.Chipcardscontainanembeddedmicrochip,whichprovidesenhancedsecurityby
makingitextremelydifficulttocounterfeitorcopywhenmakingtransactionsata
chip‐enabledterminal.Yourchipcardwillalsohavetheusualmagneticstripeonthe
backsothatyoucancontinuetoswipeyourdebitcardorcreditcardwhile
merchantsaretransitioningtonewchipcardterminals.Chiptechnologyisalso
morebroadlyacceptedinternationally.
Q.IsanEMVcardthesamethingasachipcard?
A.Yes.ChipcardsarecommonlyreferredtoasEMV(Europay,MasterCardandVisa)
cards,smartcardsandchip‐and‐pincards.
Q.HowdoIknowifmybank‐issueddebitcardorcreditcardhasachipinit?
A.Thefrontofthecardwilldisplayasmall,metallicsquare.
Q.Whatinformationisstoredinthechip?
A.Thechipcontainsinformationusedtoprocessyourtransactionsatamerchant
terminalorATM.Nopersonalinformationisstoredinthechip.
Q.Whatarethebenefitsofchiptechnologywhenusingmydebitcardorcredit
card?
A.Thecardswiththeembedded‐microchipaddincreasedsecuritytoeverydebit
andcreditcardtransactionandothercapabilitiesnotpossiblewithtraditional
magneticstripecards.
Q.Arechipcardsmoresecure?
A.Yes.Thechipgeneratesaunique,one‐timecodeeachtimeyou“dip”yourUnited
Bankdebitcardorcreditcardatachip‐enabledterminal–thistypicallytakesabout
10seconds.Chipcardtechnologyisalreadyusedinothercountriesaroundthe
world.It’sbeenreportedthatchipcardsandchip‐enabledterminalsareexpectedto
reducedebitcardandcreditcardfraudbyasmuchas40%.
Q.WillmyPINnumberchange?
A.Forexistingdebitcardcustomers,neitheryourcardnumbernorPINwillchange.
However,ifyouarenewtotheBankoranewdebitcardmember,yourPINwillbe
providedinaseparatenotificationmailedtoyouafewdayslaterwithdirectionson
howtoactivateyourcard.
Q.IfIhaveanexistingdebitcardorcreditcard,canIcontinuetousemyold
card?
A.No.Youneedtoactivateyournewchipcardimmediatelybycalling1‐877‐819‐
2231.Onceyouactivateyournewchipcardsyouwillnolongerbeabletouseyour
olddebitcard.
Q.Ismyexpirationdatechanging?
A.Forexistingcustomers,yourcardexpirationdateandthreedigitsecuritycode
willchangesopleaseupdateanyautomaticpaymentsyouhavesetupwith
merchants.YouraccountnumberandPINwillnotchange.
Q.HowdoIusemychipcardtomakepurchases?
A.Here’show:
 Withthechipfacingup,insertthechipendofyourcardintotheterminaland
waituntilpromptedtotakeyourdebitorcreditcardout–thetransaction
takesupto10seconds.
 Followthepromptsonthescreen,andifnecessary,enteryourPIN.(Pleasebe
awarethatthepromptsandprocesscanvarybymerchant)
 Keepthecardintheterminalthroughoutthetransaction,orthetransaction
willbecanceled.Again,thetransactiontakesupto10secondsandyouwillbe
promptedonthechip‐enabledterminalastowhenyoushouldremoveyour
card.
 Whenyourtransactioniscomplete,don’tforgettoremoveyourcard.
 Ifthemerchantdoesnothavechip‐enabledterminalsliketheonebelow,you
cancontinuetoswipeyourcard.
STEP1 STEP2
STEP3
Q.WherecanIusemychipcard?
A.Youcanuseyourchipcardattheexactsamemerchantsyoudonow.Yousimply
insertthecardintocardterminalsthatarechip‐enabledorswipeyourcardat
merchantlocationsthathavenotyetswitchedtochip‐enabledcardterminals.You
canalsocontinuetouseyourcardasyoudidbeforeforonlinepayments,telephone
paymentsandatATMs.
Q.WhatifIgotoamerchantbuttheyhavenotyetinstalledchip‐enabled
terminals?
A.That’sokay.Youwillstillbeabletouseyourchipcardasyoudotodaywhere
chip‐enabledterminalsarenotyetinstalled.
Q.Willchipcardspreventallfraudandprotectmeagainthird‐partydata
breaches?
A.Chipcardsenhancethelevelofsecuritythatyouhadwithyourmagneticstripe
cardandareexpectedtohelpsignificantlyreducethepercentofdebitcardfraudfor
personalandbusinessbankingcustomersintheUnitedStates.Butwewillcontinue
toidentifyandimplementnewwaystokeepaheadoffraudsters.Weshouldn’tjust
relyontechnology.Allofuscanhelppreventfraudbyalwaysmonitoringand
reportinganysuspiciousactivityonouraccounts.
Q.DoIgetthesamebenefitswithmynewchipcardasIdidwithmyprior
card?
A.Yes.Youwillcontinuetoenjoyallthesamebenefitsyouhadwithyourprevious
card.
Q.WillmychipcardstillworkatanATM?
A.Yes.YoucancontinuetouseyourchipcardasyounormallywouldatanyATM.
Q.Arethereanyadditionalfeesthatcomewithhavingorusingachipcard?
A.No
Q.Withthisenhancedprotectionandtheuseofchipcardsaroundtheworld,
doIstillneedtocontactUnitedBankifIplantotravelinternationally?
A.Yes,youshouldcontinuetocontacttheBankwhentravelingoutofthecountryor
out‐of‐statetoanotherdomesticlocationoutsideofMassachusettsandConnecticut
toensureyourbankingservicesgouninterrupted.
Q.WhoshouldIcallifIhavemorequestionsaboutmynewcard?
A.FeelfreetocallourCustomerCareCentertoll‐freeat1‐866‐959‐BANK(2265)or
visityournearestUnitedBankbranch.InadditiontotheseFAQs,youcanalsogoto
www.mastercard.usandclickonthe“Consumer”tabformoreinformation.