When Credit Card Chip Goes Bad

I arrived in Tucson, AZ after my epic drive across the country and went to Walmart to buy my food supplies for my stay at the 2019 RTR.  

I got to the Walmart register to check out and my DCU VISA credit card would not work.

My first assumption was that my VISA card was declined, but the attendant said they didn’t think so.  I had used the chip so we tried the magnetic strip and it was not accepted.

I called DCU customer Service and they did not see a decline on their system, so I figured it was the card machine was not working correctly.  I went to AutoZone for my replacement gas cap and I tried the chip to pay but it didn’t work there either.  I tried the swipe of the magnetic strip and the charge went through.

So, now I knew the chip is bad.

I later saw this small piece of paper on my Walmart receipt that says “Chip Card Invalid, Use MSR”

Well I guess MSR is Magnetic Strip Reader, but it appears that Walmart does not allow chip cards to be used with MSR.

I just started my trip so I will not get card for months when I get home.

I decided to have a new card sent home and then have it sent to my son’s in California when I will visit in a couple weeks and I can get it then.

This is why I carry two credit cards to cover for problems like this.

Brent

macaloney@hotmail.com