1999 marked the beginning of a series of ground-breaking changes to credit cards, with American Express always being the first. The first modernised product, the RFID-enabled Blue from American Express credit card, was a winner not only because of the technology, but also because of the card's appealing features.
Four years later, ID KeeperSM, a smart card application made just for their Blue from American Express credit card, was an industry first. It added to the smart card features of the Blue from American Express credit card.
Smart Card Benefits
When you use the smart card technology on your Blue from American Express credit card, you mostly get two benefits: security and ease of use.
Security: Credit card fraud is common, and most of it happens when people use their cards to buy things online or over the phone. The problem with magnetic card technology is that it is easy to copy and is not encoded. Your Blue from American Express credit card has a smart chip that uses advanced coding methods and is hard to change. When you use it with your Smart Card Reader to do internet transactions, your transaction is verified at least twice, and you completely get rid of internet threats like "Man in the Middle" and "Trojan Horses" that record and rerun user names and passwords.
Convenience: Your Blue from American Express credit card has a chip that stores information about you. So, if you don't want to, you no longer have to fill out forms. This service can be done for you by the chip. The smart chip also remembers your favourite websites and your login information for them. This is not only convenient, but it also makes sure that you end up on the real website and not on one that is set up to trick you.
Smart Card Service Activation
To use your Blue from American Express credit card's smart card features, you'll need to pay a small fee to American Express for a Smart Card Reader. The smart card reader is an accessory that you hook up to your PC or laptop.
To get the software, you just put your Blue from American Express credit card into the reader and follow the on-screen instructions. During setup, you'll be able to make your own personalised profile with your favourite shopping URLs, login information for the different sites, and other information you would normally give when using your Blue from American Express credit card to make an online purchase. You will also be asked to make a PIN code as an extra safety measure.
Even though internet fraud is getting worse, Americans are not using the smart card features built into their Blue from American Express credit cards as much as their European and Asian counterparts. If you haven't bought a reader and the ID KeeperSM software yet, you should think about changing your mind. Even though the fraud protection that comes with your Blue from American Express credit card will make sure you don't lose money, you should also think about how inconvenient it can be to deal with a fraud claim.
Smart cards will be around for a long time, and they will keep getting better. Don't be too surprised if you get a credit card soon that has a biometric chip (fingerprint reader) built in. These smart cards are being tested right now. Don't be too surprised if American Express is the first company to offer this kind of credit card. Since they are always trying to use technology to give their customers more value, the odds are good that they will.
