I may be wrong, but I would think it unlikely that Visa Smartcards would use PIC technology. They may use similar technology but probably not PICs. PICs have certainly caught the imagination of electronic hobbyists and industry alike but PICs are not the only microcontrollors around, and there are other devices as well! Large organisations can afford to pay for customised chips where large use is forecast. The chips used in these cards are probably custom types, especially as there is a security issue involved.

John R