Insanely dumb question about my chip card ...
 

Is it at all possible that a large amount of scanning of the airport variety could damage the chip in my (French) bank card? I just returned from a trip back home where I ended up going through four airports and right after that my card stopped working. The bank inspected it and told me my chip was worn out. I just got it in September? Any thoughts?

I am by no means technically advanced and what might seem logical to everyone else just flies right past me.

Or the chip could have just gone on strike ...

I can't help you with a scientific explanation, but my debit card with chip went through airport scanners appr. 100 times last year. And it still works.

I don't think that a chip gets enough electromagnetic stimulation from a dose of gamma radiation in a scanner. If you had it with you in an MRT, it might have been another case, maybe ;-)
But there are probably others who did not ditch science classes as often as I did.

Hi S,

My guess is that your chip card just stopped working. That happens to things that have computers.

How did you get a French CC?

((I))

If you have a bank account in France you can get a French cc.

And having a French bank account these days is a very good thing, if you deposited US$$ into it a coupla years ago and opened a CD or other money-making account.

Indeed, I did get it from a French bank. :) I'm studying/working as a slave here until June. Hee hee-love saving up in euro. And I adore the chip card--just pop it in anywhere, and boom!

Until the chip decides to take its retraite.