In message , at 17:30:39 on Sat, 25 Feb
2012, Adam H. Kerman remarked:
I routinely spend amounts of the order of a thousand dollars at
retailers by Chip and PIN card, and it's a one-shot process.

If that's true, then I suspect your credit limit is stored on the card.

It isn't. What you have to accept is that things are done differently in
USA vs the rest of the world.

--
Roland Perry