MasterCard to begin national rollout of swipeless RFID cards

After months of testing, MasterCard is preparing for a major national rollout of its PayPass swipeless RFID credit cards, and expects to have up to 4 million of them in circulation by the end of the year. Like similar offerings from American Express and JP Morgan Chase, the cards can be waved at a retailer's reader, eliminating the need for a "swipe" or signature. MasterCard and its rivals insist that the new cards are as safe as traditional credit cards, and often point to the success of ExxonMobil's SpeedPass system as proof. Of course, with over 4 million RF credit cards lining the pockets of American consumers, crackers may just find the opportunity to test MasterCard's security too tempting to pass up.