On Jun 4, 2014 11:04 AM, "Richard Symonds" <richard.symonds@wikimedia.org.uk> wrote:
>
> Roan,
>
> I don't mean to sound daft, but Chip & PIN cards are (at least here) MasterCard/Visa cards with 16-digit numbers. The two are the same?
>
They are in the UK, but not elsewhere. I have a Dutch chip&PIN card that works at UK stores but has no 16-digit number or anything else that lets you use it on line.

> The reason people are cautious about giving out bank details is because of things like this: http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/weblog/permalink/clarksons_account_gets_hacked/ ...

Wow. That's really bad. I'm surprised the center of the financial universe doesn't have a better system. Publishing bank details is common in .nl and direct debit fraud is rare (and harshly punished).

On topic: credit card penetration is lower than you (people living in counties where credit cards are ubiquitous) think. Even in many developed countries, even in places close to the UK, the average Joe does not have a credit card (or something compatible like a MC/Visa debit card). People only get them for international travel to certain countries, international payments to those countries, business-related reasons, that kind of stuff. Getting one takes time, and finding someone who already has one isn't always feasible. I recommend adding PayPal as a payment option.

Roan