Yes... but I'm not sure I would want it to be much different from what it is now.

I suppose it would be possible to have credit cards absolutely secure, and at the same time make the authentication process so odious that it would be too much trouble to use the card at all.

If a card were totally secure, would it still be possible to use it to make on-line purchases?

I have had my credit card compromised twice in about 30 years. Both times the fraud was caught within days, and I suffered no financial hardship. However, as Andy points out, it is a pain to have to update all your recurring-charge merchants. I keep a [encrypted] file on my computer with a list of everybody who has my credit card number and the relevant information (passwords, phone numbers, etc.) required to change cards. The first time my card was compromised was when a recurring-charge merchant's database was hacked. The criminal genius who ended up with my credit card information then used it to place long distance calls from his home telephone. The second time, as near as I can guess, a restaurant worker copied the number and CV code and used it to buy porn on the internet. He didn't even have the decency to share the password to the porn site with me. [I have heard rumors that if a person knows exactly where to look, it might be possible to find pictures of naked women on the internet. Could this really be true?]

My credit card has my picture on the front of it, which should help somewhat if someone unauthorized has physical possession of the card. Why don't all credit cards do this? Of course, I haven't noticed too many store clerks avidly comparing the picture on the card to my ever-so-handsome face, so in the end it's probably a "feel-good" security feature that is of no more value than comparing my signature on the back of the card to that on the store's receipt.

I guess it all comes down to, yes, I'd like more security with my credit card, but not at the expense of usability.

tanstaafl.