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Comment by CameronNemo | Hacker News Reader

> And if you have some way to enter the numbers so online transactions still work, then what is the point of the encryption?

Why not allow plugging the card into the computer just like a yubikey for online payments? It would be quite difficult to pull off, but credit card companies can save a lot on fraudulent transactions if it is implemented.

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Seems ridiculous to have to buy a device just to use my card. I would have to carry it around as well otherwise I wouldn't be able to use my card online

If you were able to do this I think you’d find card readers built into laptops would be much more ubiquitous. It’s very commonly an option on business laptops already (probably thanks to the US government making heavy use of contact smartcards).

And as for transactions on mobile phones, most of them have NFC as well; contactless payments could work there too.

There's no reason that with chip technology as ubiquitous as it is that card readers shouldn't be more widespread. The fact that they aren't right now shows that the market isn't there

It's honestly the issue is the card form factor. If you ditched the card form factor you could use USB or other common interfaces. The card form factor limits or requires it's own interface. Current cards with chips or contact less payment use a form of connection that PCs and Phones don't have integrated.

The point is to have a way for the user to use their card without a device, and a way to keep the encryption. If you have a USB you've lost point #1

In Estonia the government issued ID works like that. This allows you to log in to your bank too. Although you do need your PIN codes on top of the card.

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