I’m encountering an increasingly unpleasant phenomenon as I travel around the world and the rural US. But a digression.
In my IT professional days I was forced to pay attention to credit card security and card readers. None of it, then, was cheap or easy. One of the stats I learned to pay attention to was where the weak points were. Specifically, the weakest point for Point of Purchase systems was (& remains!) entry of a PIN number. More than 90% of system fraud is centered around PIN entry. That is why secure systems, these days bypass the need for this vulnerability.
I was very pleased when tap to pay tech arrived in some measure. It is increasingly available even in many foreign countries. A recent trip to Costa Rica proved the systems tech as prevalent. I wasn’t forced to swipe or insert for the chip once let alone enter a PIN. Segue to a recent trip in the Northwest, a hub of tech and innovation. In a full week I saw a vendor use tap tech once. It is rather clear. US business is all about flash and brag. When it comes to protecting client interests there is little enthusiasm.