Evan wrote:

the big chain stores use electronic capture of signature of the
person using the card as well as store CCTV footage

Smaller stores still imprint the card,

Here in Canada we've had a small chip on our credit cards for about 2
years now. About 75% of the retailers I go to (big box, grocery stores,
restaurants, etc) have chip-enabled readers where you slide in the card
and enter a 4-digit pin to complete the transaction. This replaces the
requirement to sign anything, and the cashier doesn't ask to see the
card (let alone take an imprint of it).

I believe that if 3 incorrect attempts are made to enter the PIN within
a short span of time that the card is automatically disabled.

At gas pumps here in Canada, when you slide in your credit card to pay
at the pump, we don't have to enter our zip-code (or postal code in our
case) to complete the transaction, which is something you have to do at
many pumps in the US (or at least in california).

At some pumps here, I don't even have to slide my card into a reader -
just wave it near a small panel on the pump marked with a "wavy" logo
that indicates some sort of RF transciever (this is NOT speed-pass).

I understand that Europe also has CC's with chip-and-pin.

But the US is being backwards about this by not introducing credit cards
with "chip-and-pin" technology. You should ask your banks and credit
card companies why they prefer to soak you with high fees and interest
rates as a way to pay for CC fraud rather than impliment technology to
reduce fraud.

LOL... Using a "secure" or "virtual" account number

I've never heard of the use of a secure or virtual account number. How
does that work? I assume by virtual account number you mean a
credit-card number that is different than the one embossed on your real
card. ?