••• financial services research
Chip cards gaining ground, but slowly
Issuers have been converting to chip/EMV technology to thwart the ever-increasing occurrence of card fraud. But how do cardholders view the introduction of chip/EMV credit cards? Most see them as an improvement over their current card usage, according to a survey by Synergistics Research entitled, Chip Cards: The Consumer Perspective. Findings from the survey, based on 1,000 online interviews with consumers age 18 or older, show that more than three-quarters of credit card holders see chip/EMV credit cards as an improvement over how they currently use credit cards. More than one-third see them as “very much” an improvement. This top-box perception tends to peak among those ages 35 to 64 and those with household income of $75,000 to $99,999. This perception is relatively unchanged from 2012, when eight in 10 indicated chip/EMV credit cards would be an improvement and close to half said “very much” an improvement. “Although consumers are positive toward chip cards, their viewpoint has not improved in the past few years. This suggests that further education and promotion continues to be needed as providers issue the cards. As providers continue to issue and reissue cards with chips, the response by consumers will be even stronger,” says Genie M. Driskill, COO of Synergistics.
••• travel and leisure research
Travelers cite least-favorite airplane passenger types
An airline etiquette study released by Expedia, Bellevue, Wash., asked Americans to rank the most frustrating behaviors exhibited by fellow passengers. “Rear seat kickers” topped the list of most aggravating co-passengers, with 61 percent of Americans citing them, followed by 59 percent who cited “inattentive parents” and 50 percent citing the “aromatic passenger” who exhibits poor hygiene or is in some other way giving off a strong scent. Three-quarters of Americans said “small talk is fine” but they prefer to keep to themselves most of the flight, though 16 percent said they use flights as an “opportunity to meet and talk to new people” – a subgroup whom 66 percent of Americans said they would “dread” sitting next to. Additionally, 32 percent of Americans said they would either prefer to have reclining seats banned entirely or at least restricted to set times during short-haul flights, though only 31 percent of Americans refuse to recline their own seats.