Waitrose has overcome the problems that shut down its chip-and-PIN systems, in time for this week’s deadline for compulsory use of PIN authorisation.

A spokeswoman for the company says the last three shops went live on the repaired system on Monday, ready for the new process that allows retailers to refuse to accept a customer’s signature for card payment if they have a chip-enabled card.

‘We can confirm that all 174 of our branches went live with the chip-and-PIN system in time for the Valentine’s Day deadline,’ she said.

Computing revealed in December that technical problems caused the suspension of Waitrose’s chip-and-PIN system, leaving the company liable for fraudulent transactions on PIN-enabled cards (Computing, 8 December).

The retailer originally said the problems centred on an interim chip-and-PIN system bolted onto the existing till infrastructure in advance of a complete overhaul of its point-of-sale IT later this year. The company declined to provide further details of what caused the fault.

‘The problems were hardware and software associated,’ said the spokeswoman this week.