I’m sorry to hear about the issues, but it’s good to know. I actually haven’t signed up for the card because I wasn’t sure it was ready for prime time yet. And although the lack of information on the front can increase security, it can also increase confusion. If you are having trouble using it, my best guess would be to contact Revolution about it. My other recommendation would be to try using it in a brick and mortar store instead of online. You’ll probably have more luck that way.

As for bar tabs, it’s the same issue — they keep the card to ensure that they will be paid at the end of the night — a debit card can be processed with a signature, a PIN transaction cannot.

I’m always very wary of letting my credit card out of my sight — it’s not uncommon for waiters to use a simple device to copy the magnetic strip on your card or even to simply write down the number. Once you acknowledge that you have to use a PIN for the card, there’s no reason to let it out of your sight, and no reason to have personal identifiers on the card.

My main complaint is that it isn’t accepted at the stores I shop most often (Amazon.com, Target, Cub Foods). Once I find a way to use it once a month or more, I’ll consider it primarily to reduce the amount of my money that gets sent off to banks in each transaction.