RFID
 

I have been watching some videos on RFID and decided to microwave my credit cards last night. Lo and behold, every one of them had a little chip that exploded. Not sure if they will work now or not. What an interesting little experiment. Anyone else microwave your credit cards?

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I have never felt a desire to microwave my credit cards. They now sell little jackets that block the RFID signal of your credit cards when you slide them into it.

My new passport I got last year also as an RFID chip and they make passport cases that block it. In the case of passports there is a fear that terrorists in a foreign country could have a reader out on the street that could read you passport RFID and know which people are Americans to kill or kidnap them.

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None of my cards have a chip.

The sleeves that CC1 mentioned are a necessary precaution, IMO. I watched a segment that showed a person carrying a backpack. Inside was an RFID reader connected to a laptop. Everyone that he walked by who possessed an RFID card had their info downloaded onto the laptop.

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Yes, they had some RFID cases in the airport my husband and I were in a couple of weeks ago. A person could use one of those, but personally, it's not thieves I am concerned with. It's the big people. ;)

I have a passport but I will not be microwaving it.

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I thought the cards with chips were supposed to have a little sign on them that they had chips. I microwaved a bunch of them and lo and behold more of them had chips than I had thought.

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A bunch of them? I bet your husband is thrilled! Every married man's dream.

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LOL! I'm so cheap my husband has to try and make me spend money! :ursofunny I'm not as cheap as I used to be. He has worn me down!

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My husband told me I should have just done one as a test to see if they still worked afterwards. But I was having too much fun watching them explode. :) Now, they might have to type in the numbers at checkout. After they scan all my coupons and do ad match. Randy Wayne should just love me even more now. :D

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Oh good Lord....

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:ursofunny

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Did your microwave explode, too? Or does it still work?

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The microwave works just fine. Why, are you thinking of microwaving your cards?:)

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I resent this insinuation about us fat people! I promise I am not going to steal your identity or financial information.:icecream

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Okay, okay. Go ahead and enjoy your ice cream. I really didn't mean anything by it. You do know that your bones are supposed to be made fat, according to the bible. At least that's what someone else here told me this week. ;):icecream

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I have none!!!!!! :happydance :happydance

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Yep, fat bones make us happy or something like that.:icecream

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Good for you! Can you tell me about your choice not to have any?

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These are a couple of relatively short videos. It's a mini-movie called SmartCard. Warning.....there are a few swear words in it but it is worth watching and provokes thought. We are so close to this it isn't even funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRKYIwxbdQM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGRAVVR9aKQ

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Then I am one of the most biblical persons I know!:happydance

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You mean like Pau Gasol and his big boy pants?

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Try putting them in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 min then let us know what happened....

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I think they are a trap, to spend money you don't have.

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Pau Gasol? Never heard of him.

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Should I put them on a pizza crust first?

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Well, that can be true. For us, we use them to make money. For example, we charge everything and then use the money or airline miles we get. We do get paid for using them, but sometimes I wonder if it's worth it. I don't do anything that I am afraid of being tracked for but did you watch that video that Adam Savage said? What ARE they doing??

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OH, that's cool.

I have no clue.

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I don't use rewards cards.

I found out that the banksters don't pay you that money.

The merchants that accept credit/debit cards must go through a second company if they do not use a bank. That secondary (middleman) company takes a fee, then sends the info on to the issuing bank, who then take their cut.

The people who use rewards cards get their extra money or air fare from the merchants through higher fees taken directly out of their business account.

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Figures. :foottap

I also do online banking that I am thinking about moving more local.

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I only deal with local banks where if I have a problem, I can go and look someone in the eye.

I cut up all my credit cards except for my local bank.

The newest trend is "Reward Cards".

I have a Kroger Card and a Walgreens Rewards card. I don't think Wally world has a 'rewards card' ....yet.

I refuse Walmart Credit cards everytime they ask me to sign up. If it ever gets to the point where I cannot shop there for a lack of a walmart card, I won't shop there at all.

Lowes is interesting at how they market their 'rewards card'. The cashier asked me to sign up. I asked her what's in it for me? She said, "Nothing. Lowe's will keep track of your purchases for you". I ask her, "Why do I need Lowes to keep track of my purchases? I am 57-years-old , I am old enough to track my own purchases". Then the cashier said, "Oh, your warranty is on the card". I say, "Do I not get a warranty if I do not accept the card"?
She said, "Yes, but you will have to keep your receipt". I ended the conversation with "I'm an old lady. I've been saving receipts for warranties all my life". I thanked her kindly, took my receipt and left with my merchandise without a Lowes Rewards Card. :heeheehee

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I think part of our banking problems stem from the fact that so much of our money goes to the banks first before it goes local......if it goes local at all. We use credit cards and then those companies use our money until it comes back to the local establishment. When millions of people do this, it gets huge.

I have two rewards cards, walgreens and kmart. I have gotten a ton of great deals from kmart because of the card. And now walgreens too since they started. But I am trying to figure out how I can do my small part to help cure the problems of the bankers having so much power. This is much bigger than RFID but the RFID kind of shows the power we are giving them.

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I'm afraid all the steps are in place for the bankers to track, trace and cut off your own money. They just have to implement it slowly so that the people do not revolt.

I know a LOT of people who still feel best to pay cash.

You know when they got it all tied up is when they lobby Congress to pass laws making it illegal to pay cash.

I don't see that happening but, I never thought that I would see our Constitutional rights legislated away either.

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In that mini-movie on here, it wasn't illegal to have cash, it was just really frowned upon and people were ostracized because of it and called names. That's probably what will happen.

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It is not cash that I personally frown upon, it is people writing checks.

(Check writers also happen to usually be the ones using multiple coupons and showing pages of competitor ads to match their 1.98 deodorant and shampoo against.)

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Why do you frown upon check writing? Is it because you have to stand in line?

Those people who use multiple coupons and ads are brilliant. You are a convert just waiting to happen. :D

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No, I will gladly pay the .50 out of my pocket for the money they are saving in order to get through the line more quickly.

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I thought I was cheap. This guy is embarrasing!! Woah. Now, Randy, maybe after watching this you can forgive us couponers. LOL!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tumTAulLRE

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If you just tried it, you would never go back. ;)

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Ha ha ha!

I never do that at Walmart. If Walgreens has what I want, I go there instead of wading through walmart's stupid policies.

Despite everything, I use my local bank issued debit card for many transactions. Checks go for paying bills so that I have a bank record and I don't get my electricity or water cut off because somebody may have embezzled the cash. Cash is for whatever I decide I want to buy in relative privacy. Kroger doesn't have to know that I bought a gallon of rocky road, double fudge, extra marshmallow ice cream to gorge on that day. :)