But how do you enter the PIN in those cases? We used to have the option to authorize payments with signature until a few years ago. But I think those cards completely vanished now.
Most retailers it’s tap/RFID or chip read, but I still run into old POS hardware that requires a mag swipe (not often - I think Visa charges the merchant more for these transactions).
EDIT - I much prefer chip/PIN and wish it were the default here. And wish all US cards had a PIN (some don’t, and those that support it usually need it enabled explicitly). This causes problems in Europe with unmanned terminals (gas stations after hours, train ticket self-service).
I think you should be safe with a NFC enabled card for now. Apple Pay for example works in most places in my experience (even all around the world, except US). Physical cards might have a limit for contactless payment somewhere between 20-100€. And not all devices have a pin pad to enter the required pin then.
I think the operators could still charge the card without a PIN, but the card owner could dispute the charge and just get the money back. That's why they don't accept it, they want to get paid, and not give away free gas.
But, apart from restaurants (which continue to inexplicably swipe cards out of sight), most major retailers use chip/pin or chip/signature (and the sig is only ever checked if the salesperson feels a need, which is rare).