I guess I'm not surprised by the lack of EMV capable card readers I still see in the US. Having worked in this space in the past, I am always checking out the payment terminals at the stored I visit. I've even seen some larger merchants that I frequent upgrade their PIN pads recently but to non-EMV capable models.
If the big-box stores aren't getting it done there is little hope for the mom & pop type stores who will be forced to either stop taking cards or accept the liability for fraud since it's unlikely the acquiring banks will want to hold the bag for their customers once the card brands pass it downstream.
I've actually found more mom-and-pop type places have upgraded than big box stores. The first place I was able to use Google Wallet with my Android phone was a locally owned grocery store. The first EMV transaction I performed outside of Walmart was at my local liquor store on a stand-beside terminal (not directly integrated with the point of sale).
I work in this space, and while both the software and hardware have been ready for some time, retailers are just really slow to change. When you're talking about potentially hundreds to thousands of new card readers at nearly $1k each, followed by many hours of testing new software versions, piloting and rolling it out, etc., it is a significant investment for them to add support for EMV. That said, it's not like this was on short notice. They've had plenty of time (and incentive) to get this done.
Most retailers started with the hardware upgrade, which generally has to be followed up by a software upgrade to enable the processing of an EMV transaction. Depending on the level of integration with the payment network, the software changes required at the Point of Sale can actually be pretty complex.
It's funny - the only two businesses that have made me use the EMV features on my card are the locally owned butcher shop down the street and Wal-Mart.
Same here. I just relocated to Austin and have been making frequent trips to Home Depot and they must have just turned it on because one day I could swipe, the next I had to insert.
If the big-box stores aren't getting it done there is little hope for the mom & pop type stores who will be forced to either stop taking cards or accept the liability for fraud since it's unlikely the acquiring banks will want to hold the bag for their customers once the card brands pass it downstream.