Black Friday lines could be longer because of technology

FORT MYERS, Fla.- This Black Friday, you’ll see plenty of long lines in Southwest Florida.
In fact, in some stores, the wait times may be worse than ever, but it’s not because more shoppers will be hitting the stores.

Consumer experts fear the lines will be longer because of the chip issued on new debit and credit cards.

“It is taking longer and the problem is that you have to leave your card there and you are usually taking it out and then you have to start the process again,” said shopper Bibiana Paez.

The process to check out using the new security chip takes a little longer than the tradition swiping card.
The technology issues a new, unique code for each individual sale.

“You have to leave it in there the whole time then answer all of these questions,” said shopper Melissa Turner.

“There is that little bit of layer of protection, but it is still not 100 percent,” said Carrie Kerskie, director of the Fraud Institute at Hodges University.

Kerskie says because the new cards still don’t ask for a pin number, the new system still isn’t completely secure.

“It might put a small dent in to it, but it is not going to make a huge difference, not until we make it to the pin and chip system,” said Kerskie.

This holiday season nearly one in four merchants will take the chip card system. Large stores like Target, Best Buy and Wal-Mart rolled out the new technology months ago. But many people still may get confused on which stores accept it and how to exactly use the chips.