Review on 🔒 HID Global R30210315-1 OMNIKEY 3021 ROHS CONF: Cutting-Edge Smart Card Reader for Secure Access Control by Rachel Coppedge

I'm traveling to Europe and standard US credit cards (with magnetic strips) often don't work there, especially at ATMs (train tickets, subways, gas stations). The standard for credit cards in Europe is the (much more secure) chip-based system, and there are at least two ways these chip-based cards work: (1) Signature and (2) PIN (Personal Information Number). To make things easier, when I'm in Europe I have a couple of US-issued smart cards (they're called EMV cards). However, they differ in the way they validate customer information, and some of them don't work when prompted for a PIN. Additionally, information from issuing banks is sometimes (surprisingly) inaccurate. So I bought this little chip card reader. Plug it into a USB port and let Windows install the correct driver (Omnikey 3x21). Then use a free program called Cardpeek. It queries the chip and displays all encrypted information, including whether the card works with a PIN. So now I know exactly how I want each of my cards to work. Also works (for example) with Carte Navigo (the "rechargeable" card used for public transport in Paris); It tells you when the card expires and even shows you when and where you last used it (which is a bit creepy). Great USB reader. For $16 it's hard to beat!