JPMorgan Chase Adds Chip to British Airways Card

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is rolling out what it says is the first airline card issued in the U.S. that uses the EMV chip-card standard.

The EMV standard is used in many other countries to add security at the point of sale. This has caused problems for travelers from the U.S., where EMV cards are still rare.

JPMorgan Chase's British Airways is the bank's third card to use a microchip to make transactions overseas easier and more secure. Though many chip cards are coupled with PIN security, JPMorgan Chase chose to require only a signature for its EMV cards.

JPMorgan Chase moved the British Airways card to the chip standard in response to customers who wanted an easier time using their cards in Europe and Asia, says Naney Pandit, general manager of Chase Card Services.

"It tended to be an irritant when our cardholders couldn't use their cards in terminals where a chip card was needed," particularly at unmanned kiosks, she says. "It's all about customer experience for more security and more convenience," she says. The card also has a magnetic stripe for use in the U.S.

JPMorgan Chase is among several credit card issuers that have chosen to offer EMV chip cards to U.S. residents. That group also includes U.S. Bancorp, Citigroup Inc. and Bank of America Corp.