My replacement MasterCard was put in the post last year and I finally got it today. It had obviously been out partying with the Christmas mail. My older credit card had developed horizontal, hairline cracks. I think that often happens when guys keep their wallets in a back pocket of their pants. Another reason I figured I should phone for a replacement was the fact my former one didn't have a chip.
Now I can enter my secret PIN rather than signing. Most businesses now have the newer type of card readers at the tills. I never really understood why a credit card could not contain an owner's photo too. Drivers' licenses have been sporting a mug shot for years and years. Wouldn't that cut down on in-store fraud?
Pundits say that due to the fact that new phones contain NFC electronics, there will be a huge paradigm shift in 2012. They say, we'll all start using our smartphones to make purchases. I'm generally an early adopter, but this idea doesn't sound like it would make my life any easier. A little, 2" x 3.5" plastic card seems pretty compact and versatile to carry. (It can also go through the washer unscathed.)
I'm not sure I want everything in my phone.