Gartner Says Consumers Prefer PIN-based Debit

Gartner has announced results of a survey of 4,500 online U.S. adults, conducted in August of 2007 that concludes that while banks and credit card issuers have put significant efforts into marketing contactless and signature-based debit card payments, they have failed to win over consumers. Gartner found that "consumers prefer alternative payment types that earn banks less revenue, but which consumers believe are more secure." In, particular, PIN-based debit and not signature debit. Gartner also found little consumer interest in contactless or mobile payments.

“Despite significant marketing campaigns by banks and card issuers to steer consumers towards using debit cards with a signature — ostensibly so that the banks can earn more interchange revenue — consumers prefer entering their personal identification number (PIN) to pay for groceries with their debit card over all types of signature-based card payments, whether credit or debit,” said Avivah Litan, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner.

“Banks promote signature-based debit payments because they earn more fee revenue from card-accepting merchants, on the premise that they are riskier and more prone to theft, so the banks need to earn higher fees to compensate,” Ms. Litan said. “Fraud rates on signature-based debit card payments are at least 10 times higher, and banks usually eat these costs if they are incurred in a card-present (or store) environment. Higher interchange fees paid by merchants to banks and card issuers for signature-based transactions must offset these costs or else banks wouldn’t promote the signature variety.”

When shopping at grocery stories, consumers prefer debit card payments that require entry of a PIN despite the fact that only debit and credit card payments with physically signed receipts typically earn them reward points. Consumers’ least-favorite payment type when shopping for groceries is contactless (wireless) payments, and there is similarly small interest in using mobile phones for making payments.

“Brick-and-mortar businesses who accept electronic consumer payments should promote use of PIN-based debit card payments by steering consumers to them through payment terminal programs and/or by offering store-based incentive programs,” Ms. Litan said. “Businesses pay less to banks for PIN-based payments and since consumers prefer them anyway, this is a win-win strategy for all parties except credit card issuers and banks.”

Consumers who have been affected by the data breaches publicized in recent years are more prone to change their online payment behavior than other online or offline activities, such as shopping and e-mail preferences. These consumers are more likely to call the online store and give them their payment account number over the phone.

“Online businesses should therefore enhance their ability to offer secure automated phone payments,” Ms. Litan said. “For example, businesses can use a transaction number generated during the online shopping season to tie a purchase to an automated phone-based payment. For this customer base, online merchants should also promote alternative payments, such as PayPal and Bill Me Later, where interest in using them increases as age decreases.”

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