The future of chip and pin now we've all got it installed

It has taken a long time, but now must UK retailers have a chip and pin solution installed, and most consumers are comfortable with using chip and pin technology. It wasn't that hard - we've been doing it for years on ATM machines! Most of the public accepts that chip and pin is no worse than signing for transactions, and some even think it is better! The customer trusts it - at least enough to use it.

Where does it go from here? Well, two things really. Chip and pin organisations will always want to improve fraud prevention. Unfortunately this can only be done in a major way by dramatically changing the chip and pin technology. This means spending a lot of money. A popular idea is pictures on cards. This is probably a bad idea - it will cost a fortune to implement, and the retailers will not like the responsibility being placed on them for checking a photograph.

The other side of the coin is making things easier for customers. Whilst not much can be easier than pushing your card in a slot and typing a pin, there is a lot that can be done with the cards.

One idea is combining several functions onto one card. Fancy having only one card that doubles as your credit and debit card? Visa are making moves in this direction, putting all your world in one chip. Pan-European debit cards based on chip and pin, such as V PAY are being looked at closely by the banks.

You could combine Loyalty cards with chip and pin payment cards - how frustrating is it to have to dig out your Nectar Card each time you pay for something with your debit card - why can't the two be on one card?

Visa pay Wave is a contactless payment solution from Visa - contactless payment for small transactions is going to be huge in Europe over the next few years - but who is going to pay for it? And will it work?

It won't be long before technology reaches a point where dynamic content can be displayed on a chip and pin card. Suddenly your chip and pin card will start offering special offers or telling you where the nearest petrol station is.

Most of us are rarely parted from our mobile phones - so why can't my mobile phone be a chip and pin card as well?