Y’all also use PINs. Americans freak out if they have to enter a PIN.

Here it’s only used for debit transactions (that is, taken directly out of a checking account). PIN for credit transactions is incredibly rare here.

This is probably because the merchants are responsible for fraudulent credit purchases. Credit companies kinda have them over a barrel in that regard…they have no incentive to enforce PINs, and users just want convenience.

Meanwhile Sally the Walmart clerk gets written up because some knucklehead in her lane swiped a cloned card. She has no power here either…card readers rarely ask for signature anymore (not like they are trained signature analysts, a pseudoscience in itself) and I can’t remember the last time I was asked for ID for a credit purchase (aside from booze, smokes, or Sudafed, but that’s a different reason)

yeah not sure if its a us thing or a midwest thing but you hand your card to the person who swipes/taps it.